Making the most out of your time at university is heavily dependent on your reason for coming to university. For most people, the aim of going to university is to get an education that will better prepare them for their future in the workforce. And for most of these students, it’s also about having a good time and making life-long friends. From being at university for 4 years and having a range of roles and positions that allowed me to interact with other students, here are some common things people do that enhance their university experience.
Join a University Society and/ Sports Club and COMMIT
The University of Dundee has a phenomenal Students Union and Sports Union. There are over 200 societies you can join and a wide range of sports clubs. I strongly believe that in this range there is something for everybody!
Personally, I started off my time at university focusing on my degree and career-related things. So I started 2 societies, the Civil Engineering Society and the Women in STEM Society. Creating these was an amazing experience and I got to meet so many wonderful people!
In the final year of university, my priorities shifted to just having a good time and chasing lingering passions like dancing. So I joined the dance club and that was one of the best decisions of my life. It made me so happy practising and performing at our annual show! I had no prior dance experience and learnt so much during the process.
Explore the city
It is very easy to get sucked into the university experience and forget about the city and its locals. I think it’s very important to spend time exploring the city and its culture. This could be anything from visiting the McManus Art Gallery and Museum to volunteering at local charities. Anything that draws you into the city is a great way to expand your university experience. If you can, eating out with friends is a great way to explore the city. I wrote a blog about my favourite places to eat and drink in Dundee.
Don’t limit yourself to what is familiar
University is one of the few melting pots of culture and socio-economic backgrounds, however, for most students coming into university is a drastic lifestyle change so a form of comfort might be sticking to what is familiar. There is nothing wrong with this but if you would like your university experience to be one of growth and expansion of your world view and perspective, you need to get out of your comfort zone. This might mean trying a new sport before or going to the many international events that happen at the university.
Find out about opportunities
At university, there will be no doubt opportunities that are available but not heavily publicised (they are usually the best ones). There are different ways to find out about these, for jobs and career development opportunities the university careers portal is the way to go, it also includes a JobShop where you can see part-time and full-time opportunities or vacation jobs. With regards to social events, the DUSA page is a good place to start as well as particular societies Facebook pages.
Start Looking for a flat early
This might seem a bit random but is one of the best bits of advice I can give you. Finding a good home environment drastically increases the quality of your university experience. However, good flats do go early so the quicker you start looking the better for you!
I hope this has been helpful and you are able to make the best out of your university experience!