4 university life myths debunked
My diet will only consist of two-minute noodles. I won’t have time to work. It’s been too long since school and I won’t be able to keep up. There are so many myths about being a university student, but how many of them are true? Not many, actually.
In the first of a two-part series, I’ve reflected on my time at university to debunk some of the most common misconceptions about student life.
I can’t balance working while studying
I have had a part-time job throughout the whole 3 years of my degree, and I wasn’t the only one. Plenty of people have jobs while they are studying at university, it’s all about learning to be organised and how to best manage your time. I was lucky enough that my shifts were only ever in the mornings or afternoons, which allowed me to focus solely on university during the day and attend my classes and lectures. You might even be luckier than me and find a job on campus at one of the shops or helping other students in courses you have already completed as a tutor or PASS leader. It’s important to ensure, though, you have enough time to commit to both, so make sure you plan your time wisely and don’t over-commit to work at the detriment of study.
I can only afford to eat two-minute noodles
Everyone has heard the myth that university students eat 2-minute noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While there’s nothing wrong with noodles, there are plenty of other cheap on-campus food options to satisfy your hunger and cravings. The Gold Coast Campus has the Take 5 Café, where every item in store is under $5, what a bargain! While we are talking about $5 deals I can’t go past the bi-weekly Market Days at all the Griffith campuses. Every second week from 10am-2pm Griffith arranges a variety of food vendors in a central area, where everything is just $5, what more could a university student want.
If you don’t want to buy food on campus, there are also microwaves available on all the campuses where you can bring your own food to heat up, and some schools even have a common room with a fridge where you can store your lunch. You can source inspiration for your cooking from our 3 healthy, easy and cheap recipes for students.
I struggled at school, so I will struggle at university
Some people may be quick to jump to the conclusion that school, and university are the same. They do share some common ground, however, one noteworthy difference that sets university apart from high school is that you get to choose what you want to study. This means you can focus on your strengths and pursue a career that is tailored to your specific passions. Study is a lot easier when the content is something you enjoy learning about.
As a mature age student, I won’t be able to keep up
The transition to university is big for most entrants, not just mature age students. Students transitioning straight from high school may struggle from the different teaching and learning styles, as well as the greater amount of independence. Your work and life experiences will often compensate for the recent gap in your study experience and you may even discover that you have more motivation than those continuing straight from high school. It’s all about putting in the hard work and those who do will reap the rewards.
By Phoebe Maher