At university, the days may feel long but the years are short - here I am at the end of my fourth year, and time really does fly! It’s only when I look back and reflect can I see just how much time has passed and how I’ve grown and changed at uni. I came to Queen’s straight out of my sixth form, which was only 30 minutes down the road. And while I had plenty of older friends who had helped me to paint a picture of uni life with their own stories, nothing really prepares you for just how different it can be. For me, it has opened up a whole new world, as I had independence both inside the classroom and out of it, as well as new people to meet and places to explore.

This has not been without stumbles and hard times as I have figured it all out - but if you’re considering what you may get out of a degree than just the content taught in the classroom, or if you’re eagerly awaiting results to allow you to take up your place and begin the journey for yourself, I thought it would be helpful to share what I’ve learnt about myself in my time at university, and what you might just discover too!

1. You can put yourself out there

Is there any experience that will forge an instant friendship quite like tying a bedsheet around someone you met 30 hours ago to make a toga for your night out? I’m not sure there is! Despite being pretty extroverted my whole life, I was nervous about making new friends when I came to uni, having spent the previous 7 years with the same group at school.

^{Medic's annual toga party}

However, freshers week was full of chance encounters and memorable bonding experiences like the one above, and I needn’t have worried. The start of university is a unique time where everyone is in the same boat as you and is keen to get to know people on their course, in their accommodation or with shared interests through clubs and societies - and I was surprised by how bold this made me! Looking back, I’m amazed at how easy it felt to put myself out there, whether this meant going for an impromptu lunch with my new tutorial group, chatting to whoever I sat beside in a lecture or getting ready for a night out with people I’d met the day before.

Not all the people I met in those early days have turned into best friends for life, but some have - and other close friends I’ve picked up along the way, through societies, placements or mutual friends.  Making friends can be particularly daunting if you’re anxious or shy, which is understandable - but expect to be pleasantly surprised about how many chances there are to find your crew, and how brave you can be in taking them.

2. Your own company is great company

However, all your time at university is not spent in the company of others. Even being blessed with good friends and family close by, I was surprised to realise how much time over the course of my 5 years at uni is spent, well, with myself!

Whether this is an evening where everyone else is out of the house, a walk to and from the library or a weekend when I have spare time around Belfast, little pockets of time arise all over the place. In my first year, these freaked me out - FOMO is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and the pressure to be constantly busy, seeing friends or filling silence can be strong. However, over the years I have realised that it’s really important to be able to spend time alone - and enjoy it!

^{Taking myself out for a hot chocolate and some reading - I would have never done this at school}

It’s nice to face these gaps in my day knowing they’ll benefit me - alone time can let you recharge so you spend better quality time with others, gives you time to process your thoughts and emotions, allows you to get to know yourself well, and relax – I’d say it’s a good life skill to develop in uni.

It’s one of my favourite changes I’ve seen in myself in the last few years. Don’t get me wrong, I still love and prefer spending time with others - but an hour doing errands solo? An evening to cook dinner with TV on in the background uninterrupted? A book and a coffee shop? Sign me up!

(This also largely happened without me realising-  but don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and realise retrospectively that you actually quite like quality time with yourself to R&R).

3. Who you are and what you value

Your late teens and early twenties are an important time to figure out who you are - and the world of new opportunities at university will lend a hand with this! While Belfast is a pretty small city, it was still a much bigger and more diverse setting than I grew up in, which meant that meeting new people and encountering new situations at Queen’s has challenged me to figure out my beliefs and what I value about myself and others.

^{University life allows you to experience diverse cultures and values}

Whether this looks like learning about new cultures or communities, figuring out how you value spending your free time, what motivates you or understanding what you need in your relationships with others, university is the place to figure it all out. As situations arise, you’ll come to know your gut reactions to things, as well as how to better deal with challenges.

I think this is one of the biggest areas in which a university experience helps you to develop skills for life outside the classroom - I’m much more confident in who I am and what’s important to me, and will carry that growth with me into new life situations and the working world as well.

4. Helpful life skills

Particularly if you move out for university, expect to learn how to take care of yourself!

While this covers the basics like cooking dinner and doing washing (please resist the temptation to take it home to your mum at the weekend), living independently helps you to learn plenty of useful skills that you wouldn’t expect. Yes, I can make a good pasta bake and know to separate my colours and whites. I can also now deal with fruit flies in the kitchen (hint – it’s apple cider vinegar in a jar, covered with cling film with holes in it), unblocking our washing machine drain and jump starting a car.

^{Independent learning is a staple of university life}

Independence is more than just individual skills, though. I’ve also found my time at uni has made me a better problem solver and in turn, made me much more confident in facing unknown situations. I personally know all these skills will be super relevant to my career as a doctor, and while I have developed these skills within my degree, standing on my own two feet has played an important role too - which is likely to apply to whatever your context is too!

5. Planning for the future

Time at university is helpful in figuring out what you want out of your career and setting goals for the future. If you’re starting out with no idea of what you might use your degree for, uni offers so many helpful ways to learn more- whether this is a placement year, Queen’s career fairs and advice services or simply talking to lecturers or others on your course, there are loads of ways to explore areas in your field.

Going through various modules is a useful way to figure out if there is an area you’re passionate about, as well as judging if you want something very hands-on or desk-based, depending on which parts of your course you enjoy the most. Placements in particular have given me an insight into the working lives of different types of doctors, which leads to thinking about what I value for my own career.

^{Career consultation is available for students at Queen's}

6. How to ride the rollercoaster

Over the three or more years you’re at Queen’s, all sorts of things can happen in your life. Throughout my years at uni I have had friends who have gotten engaged, friends who have dealt with family illness or death, friends who have travelled the world, friends with new mental health issues… basically, all the challenges and joys we meet in life can happen while you’re studying. Even in the absence of big life events, the rhythms of everyday life can be filled with ups and downs for your mood.

This is a skill I think we will all be learning life-long – but over my time at university I have noticed how I’m improving in knowing how to deal with ups and downs, as well as how to support others going through hard times. You’ll figure out what works best to cheer you up on a bad day, as well as how to celebrate and cherish the good, and what to say when times are tough for others. And when that can be difficult, a great thing about the environment at Queen’s is that there is a lot of support available, such as the health and wellbeing services or advice drop-in at the SU.

^{Queen's offers a wide range of student services and support}

You are also not alone - it’s likely a friend has been through something similar, or even if they haven’t, uni is a unique time where all your friends live close beside you on campus, so can be there to support you.

Overall, uni is an exciting time in your life, and there is so much fun and excitement to discover as you progress through your degree - the skills you pick up along the way are just a bonus!

 

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Kathryn Allen Medicine| Undergraduate Student | Lisburn, NI I’m a 21 year old student originally from Lisburn and starting my fourth year of Medicine at Queen's in September- I love my degree because it combines caring for people, learning fascinating things and working as a team. When I’m not busy surviving placement and exams, you can find me in one of Belfast’s great coffee shops with a friend, going to concerts to get my fix of live music, or curling up to read a book with a carefully curated Spotify playlist on in the background!