heyo! this might be an out-of-the-blue request but could you perhaps give to a fellow mediocre student that is going to enroll in their first year of a physics degree (with a focus on Astrophysics and Astronomy) some tips on how to survive university? I am going to be a first-generation student so the advice that has been given to me is rather scarce... Anything from simple tips to your personal view would be appreciated!
oh exciting! Im also a first gen student so I also felt very lost and alone at the beginning.
making friends: socializing and networking specifically at the beginning of the first semester is terrifying but almost everyone feels that way, freshers are desperate to make friends so connecting is easier. Also you will find yourself in situations that are perfect set-ups to start off friendships: group projects, people looking for study groups, freshers events, clubs,... just do yourself the favor to participate here and there! Also dont stress yourself about making these friendships within the first weeks, you meet new people throughout your time at university. Also not sure what your housing situation will be but dorms are also a good place to start connecting with people!
feeling very lonely at first: totally normal but be prepared for it, find hobbies and activities you can do on your own that keep you busy, maybe join a sports club or find weekly community meetups? Maybe regularly call friends or family? I wasnt able to avoid feeling very alone even though I was prepared for it but knowing that the odds are good that it wont be like that forever helps!
physics courses are hard: they are doable but time consuming. Keeping a study routine that is low maintenance but consistent is worth more than doing several insane 16 hours study sessions during exam season. And try to find a study group to go through the materials and for solving practice problems, preferably people that you feel at ease and motivated studying with.
Balance and mental health: please take care of yourself! Dont overwork yourself but also dont slack off because thats a good set up for spiraling; you have to find a system that works for you to balance uni, free time, sleep and maybe work, and dont listen too much to what others do, everyones needs and bodies are different so what works for others might not work for you! Tho whatever you do dont cut back on sleep if you can. Additionally having a safety net can be helpful, universities often offer free (or more affordable) counseling!
Feeling out of place: Especially if one isnt a child of academics it is very easy to feel like you dont belong but thats absolute bs. You have every right to be there. You might have to work harder than others which sucks and is very unfair but you will look back and see how much progress you have made. And something I have experienced is that family is often very discouraging, my parents are repeatedly trying to talk me into getting a job because they dont see the point in going through +5 years of university to end up doing something in physics/astro. So feel free to just trust your own head and gut feeling sometimes. At the end of the day it is your future. And self check for imposter syndrome because that can make your time at uni very very hard. If you talk to people about it I can assure you that 75% will share that feeling, and these conversations often help identifying that it is literally just your silly little brain acting up a bit.
if anyone comes up with anything else feel free to add to this list! And i hope some of these were useful, anon!
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