Make the most of your time at university

Going to university will give you so many opportunities and experiences — making new friends, perhaps living on your own for the first time, and studying in a different country. Balancing your time, desires, and responsibilities can seem hard at first, but don’t worry. We are here to help.

Here is a checklist with the “musts” on how to make the most of your time at university while getting ready for the next stage in your life — entering the job market:

1. Enjoy the day. The day has 24 hours. You only need 8 hours to sleep, which leaves you with 16 hours left for other activities. Have fun and get your work done!

2. If you’re going to study abroad in a new city, make sure you get to know it. Plan outings with your new friends to cafes, parks, and events in different parts of the city so you can enjoy everything your new home has to offer.

3. List the existing learning opportunities outside classrooms, adding pros and cons for each one. For instance, part-time internships, student associations, conferences, networking events, brand ambassador programs, workshops, and boot camps. Choose a few that you’re interested in pursuing, and start trying them. 

4. Understand what the various sub-areas within your general field of studies are, and how they are evolving in today’s world. There are so many careers out there, so learn about and understand all the opportunities that will be available to you.

5. Start continually evaluating your growth. Start noticing personal growth. When you are no longer growing or when you find a new opportunity you can grow with, then it’s time to jump something new.

6. While following all of the previous points, try getting to know and bonding with your new friends and leave some time to have fun like you deserve. 

7. Learn new skills online. As we all know, universities only give you the basics, and learning a new skill can complement what you learn in the classroom. There are several platforms you can use such as Coursera, Udemy, Lynda, and others that you may find more adapted to your field of studies.

8. Create a LinkedIn profile. And keep it updated to better connect with your industry’s experts and companies. Wondering what to add to your profile if you’re still a freshman? Add your education background and be transparent, saying that you are looking to connect with others to learn and design your career path.

9. Connect with your coolest and most insightful professors. They should be the ones interested in teaching you. Try to learn all you can from them, especially if you’re interested in the subject and the teacher is approachable.

10. Build your own thing. Whatever it is, it doesn’t need to be profitable. It can be a blog or an event, but just something to experiment all of the aspects of having something built by you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes!

11. Book your place. Book your bedroom, apartment, or studio with Uniplaces and live with people from different countries. This will allow you to practice different languages and have a complete international experience.

12. Travel and connect. Travel through low-cost airlines and by train to get to know other places and connect with locals. Spend the minimum amount of money possible to be able to travel to more places and to feel the country’s culture more intensely.

13. Consider learning even a little programming basics. Even if you’re not a developer, learn at least the basics of programming languages. Every industry’s future will be digital so learning a little will give you more knowledge.

14. Be curious…keep adventuring and exploring. 

15. Keep in mind one final advice — don’t live by the book, and create your own path! 
We hope that by following this checklist you will have a full university experience, learn at every opportunity, and get started on a career path before you graduate. And remember: if you need accommodation, your next home is waiting for you on Uniplaces.