Our university days are always going to be one of the best times of our lives. We had the freedom and time to explore ourselves and discover new things every day. We barely had bills or debts to pay off! Transitioning into adulthood can be a tough phase especially when you’re studying and then, suddenly realising that you have to be ready for a new chapter in your life. Soon you’ll have to start looking for a full-time job and manage a larger budget. However, we’re not here to scare you, but to guide you (after all, we’re your financial sidekick!). We’ve prepared some tips to make the transition easy so that you can start your adulthood comfortably!
Build Relationships
You may not realise this now but building meaningful relationships could benefit you in the long run and a university is a great place to start networking. Learn to network with course mates, lecturers and even peers from other courses. After all, you’ve got time and the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and even from different countries, whether they attend the same course as you or not. Take your time to get to know them and discuss ideas or learn what their plans are after graduating. You’ll never know that one or two could inspire you or lead you to a potential industry you’ve never heard of. This may spark a new interest for you to pursue.
Don’t forget to network with your lecturers as they may have experience in a field that you’re interested in. Talking to them may give you a better understanding of how the industry works. Who knows, they might even be able to put in a good word for you and get you your first job? You’ll never know what could happen in the future – some people you have connected with might be the ones who you co-found your business together with. They could even be people who invest in your company or introduce you to other networks that could benefit you. You could even be building friendships for life! So, don’t be afraid and keep connecting as you will learn a lot from the people you meet while at university.
Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
Getting out of your comfort zone often makes us uncomfortable. It’s normal to be afraid of things that we’re unfamiliar with. However, we often don’t realise that this is probably going to be one of the most beneficial experiences yet. Although putting yourself out there is tough, more often than not, the experience will help you gain strength from failure, confidence by learning how to problem solve and a newfound understanding of yourself as a person. Pressure creates diamonds!
We’ve put together a few ideas to help you get started:
Try new things
Take advantage of this time to discover new interests. Look out for activities, clubs or societies that you can try joining at your university. It doesn’t matter whether it’s something that interests you or something you were randomly pulled in to join. You should always just say “Yes!”. At the end of it all, you might even be surprised by the friends (who could also be potential business partners) you’ve come to meet and things you’ve discovered about yourself. So, don’t knock things you haven’t tried. You have the time, so why not now?
Try out for leadership roles
Most of us don’t know we’re leaders until we’ve been given the opportunity to take the lead. What’s a better time to try it out while you’re in university? There are many ways you can do this and to give a few examples: you can take the lead and propose an event in school that can help raise funds for the poor, or it could be as simple as being the head of a project in your class. You might face challenges and make mistakes, but this is all part of character building and rising to the challenge. Besides, doing so can definitely boost your resume and help you stand out from the rest. It can also be the start of your own entrepreneurial journey!
Try new work experiences
Most people don’t know this, but signing up for an internship during your semester break can help you polish your skill set and enhance your problem-solving capabilities. By doing so, you’re already ahead of your peers as you’ll have the first taste of what it’s like to be in the real workforce. You’ll also be able to discover what you like and don’t like at a much earlier phase, giving you a head start to narrow down on which industry you’re leaning more towards.
However, if you find yourself in a semester filled with a tight schedule, opt for a part-time job instead such as waitressing. Although it might not sound very glamorous, it could help build interpersonal skills. Alternatively, you could try freelancing as it can also help build your portfolio and the upside of it is, you’re working based on your schedule. This will show future employers that you may be a fresh graduate, but you know your way around the job you want.
All of these tips can be a way for you to learn about yourself, build new skills, and potentially earn some extra income! In short, there’s nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Practising Good Money Habits
You’re never too young to learn how to manage your own personal finances. Learning how to save and budget early has many advantages. For instance, a great sum of savings could give you the opportunity in the future to invest more. By saving at an early stage, you’re also taking advantage of compound interests. Additionally, your accumulated savings could also act as a capital if you’re interested in starting your own business soon. Train yourself to be mindful or your spending, budget them accordingly, and the basic financial skills you learn today will benefit you in the long run as it will come naturally.
Tip: Start by setting long-term and short-term goals that you want to achieve. Save and spend within your limits. Sometimes, a little goes a long way.
No doubt that university life can be hectic and crazy. However, it’s the best time to be experiencing new things and make mistakes in your youth. Your experiences at university will be those you look back fondly in your adult life, so be sure to make it worthwhile. Of course, don’t forget to live in the moment and connect with your friends. After all, it’s the human connection that brings us together that’ll make memories worth revisiting. Have fun and all the best!
