I finally finished my last paper last week. It has been a monotonous past few weeks for me; just being busy with studies. Now I’m just waiting for my results to determine if I would g raduate this semester. i have been pursuing this accountancy degree( ACCA ) for the past three and a half years and hopefully I could graduate soon.

I realise that finishing my exams would mean that I’m ending a phase in my life. My studying life currently ends and it begins a new chapter in my life. My past few years in college had been great for me in terms of how much I have grown and the things for which I am grateful I have learn’t. This are the ten things which I have learn’t from my college life.

(1) You have got to study

It might seem very obvious to any students, but many college students do not actually study. Probably not that they do not study, but do not study enough. It’s sad to say that many actually believe that college life should be a time where you should really enjoy and just neglect our studies. For many, it’s only after they have suffer in grades that do they really change. At times, it’s these changes that takes a lot of time.

I always believe that college life shouldn’t be spent jollying around and just enjoying. It is during this years that most of what we learn will be used to apply in our lives. I truly believe that the best time to enjoy your youth is during your high school days bacuase of the unimportance of high school. High school just prepares the foundation for your success in college/university. You just had to make sure that you can read well and that your grades are reasonably well. Other than that, there is no reason for you to study your heads off during your time in high school.

I always had this thinking since collegehigh school and it was such that I treated my studying in college with a lot of dedication. Always remember that whatever hard work you put in during your college years would be worth much more than the hard work you put in high school. If you’re still in college, always make studying a priority. It might seem like it’s common sense but if you were to look at the schedule and what many college students are doing, you have to really question if studying is their number one priority.

(2) Prioritise

Studies should be a priority for any college student. However, we should also be aware that we should also balance with other things in our life. We all have other different things which we have to spend time on too, be it our family, friends, health and other pursuits which we enjoy.

I have learn’t through the years that whatever we focus on improves. If we focus on studying, our grades undoubtedly improves. If we focus upon having a vibrant social life, our social life would improve. If we focus on other pursuits, that would definetely improve as well. However, focusing on something often results in other areas of our life stagnating or getting worse. Therefore, we have to prioritise what are important to us to make the best use of our time. It’s basically a question of asking ourselves, “What is important to me ?”

During my time in college, my priorities were as such, in this order: Studies, Fitness, Gaining more knowledge. Most of my time is spent on improving on this three areas. To some extent, I even neglected my social life to improve on this three areas as for me, this areas are much more important than gaining a wide network of friends.  I still make friends, just that I do not spend that much of my time on this pursuits. My fitness is something which I struggle to maintain in the past few years. It has been partly due to the fact that I didn’t want to commit to just being fit at the expense of not having enough time to study for my papers. Gaining knowledge through reading and meeting different people has been a priority too because of the realisation that what I am currently studying would be insufficient for me to succeed in the working world.

(3) What You’re Studying Might Not Be What You’ll End Up Doing

It means to have an open mind to what you are studying. Don’t get trapped into the thinking that just because you are studying a certain subject or area, you have to just be stuck in a career of such. This has been the same case as me. I realised that I wanted to have a career in sales during my study life and I subsequently branched out to search for a career as such. It’s scary at first, but first steps always are.

Be open towards the different possibilities that you could try upon. Most of us just continue doing what we have studied because that’s what all our friends are doing as well. It’s the same like the blind leading the blind. Be open towards the possibility that what you have studied might not be what you were mean’t to do. Just keep exploring different career oppourtunities. Step out from the thinking of your peers and try something different if you feel like it.

(4) Have A Clear Reason As To Why You Are Studying

Many of my friends who are studying in the same course as me actually do not have a valid reason why they are actually studying it. Some of them do, but mostly are very vague and artificial. To them, reasons might include:

  • Parents wanting them to do this course
  • They didn’t know what they want, so they picked the safest route
  • Their siblings also did the same course

For me, I wanted to study this course because I had a liking for business. Ever since young, friends would tell me that I was going to be a businessman and that was partly why I choose this course. Other people might asked me as to why I didn’t do a general business degree then. My answer to them was that a general business degree is to generalised and so being more specialised in a field (accountancy) is much better than getting a general degree which requires me to just have a general understanding of small parts of the business.

I’m lucky that I already knew what I wanted to do ever since my high school days. It’s really important to understand why you are studying what you are currently pursuing. Without it, we would easily lose focus and lose the meaning when it comes to studying.

(5) You Are Who You Mix With

It is important to remember that who we mix with normally determine what our beliefs are. It is crucial to spend time with individuals who lives you want to be living.

During my college years, I have tried to seek out people or social groups which I felt could help me with my priorities. For studies, it would be individuals who are consistent and good with their studies, or individuals who would really make studying their priority as well. I realise how important this was to ensuring that it helped me stay focused and motivated during studying times.

Seek out individuals so they could help you with areas in your life. It could be in term of studies or an area which you want to be good at. I have friends who are avid readers and amazing conversationalist. Having them around have really helped me learn so many different things.

(6) Your Degree Ain’t That Important

Many college students fail to realise that having a degree does that automatically warrants them a job. Many believe that just having a degree means that they are totally safe being unemployed. However, they fail to realise that they have to continually learn and improve themselves. You could improve yourself by reading, through attending seminars or just simply taking another degree to enhance your employablity. It’s crucial to realise that the world is changing at such a rapid pace that we have to improve ourselves to make ourselves more valuable.

Seek out ways in which you could improve yourself and make yourself more valuable. Improve on different aspects of yourself to improve your working experience. Remember that there are much more to just having a degree.

(7) Homework/Assignments Ain’t That Important

I have always been someone who is against homeworks. Ever since my high school days, I refused to do any homework for which I feel do not help me. It has got me into trouble of all sorts but I just lived with it.

We have to be clear about whether the homework or assignment which we do will help us in any way to understand the subject better. If I feel that the work would take too much time and wouldn’t help me that much, I would normally just don’t do it. I would rather spend my time studying or doing some other things which are more important to me.

However, it require significant good judgement to decide whether you should do it or not. It takes time to learn this so-called skill. Besides, it also requires a lot of guts. ( Especially when your lecturer is a scary, fierce women)

(8) Don’t Just Follow The  Norm

Many college students just follow what their peers do. They follow in terms of the way they act. the beliefs they adapt and the manner in which they prepare for exams. It is important to sometimes step out from the norm and think of different ways to perform a task. Be open towards different ideas and ways of performing something. Don’t be afraid of expressing yourself and being yourself. Allow yourself to voice out when you feel that your opinions need to be heard.

Allowing yourself to be yourself automatically inspire others, as you allow others to be themselves. We could celebrate each and everyone’s individuality and opinions.

(9) Lead Yourself

Be daring to try something different at times. It is valuable to have the skill of self-leadership. The meaning of self leadership refers to the ablility to act and take action to perform something.

During this time in college, I managed to lead myself to sufficient levels of fitness and reading more. It requires a fair amount of discipline but I realise that it will definetely help me in the future.

Lead yourself to take action. Lead yourself to be yourself. Lead yourself to learn more. Lead yourself to widen your social circle. Lead yourself to take initiative. Lead yourself to know more. Lead yourself to achive big goals. Lead yourself to study hard. Lead yourself to do those things which you love.

Stop listening to the critics and lead yourself.

(10) Have Some Serious Fun & Do Crazy Stuffs

*This is self explainatory*