Nothing is as interesting as freedom especially if you have been living with your parents all your life. This is why most freshers make certain mistakes in their first year. Always remember the reason you are in school – to study and obtain a degree. As a rule, never allow yourself to be deceived by what you see on campus. Most of them aren’t real. This article will focus on the costly mistakes university students make in their first year.
Most of the mistakes students make on campus are as a result of bad company. Therefore, the first rule of survival on campus is to choose your company wisely. And the friends you move with can either contribute to yourself or be instrumental to your downfall.
Furthermore, if you make these mistakes in your first, they may affect you academically, physically, emotionally and psychologically. So, check out some of these mistakes University students make in their first year.
READ MORE: Fresh Undergraduates Guide: 5 Types of students to Watch Out for in UniversityTop 10 Costly Mistakes University Students Make In Their First Year
Lack of Proper Guide
One of the mistakes University students make in their first year is that they don’t have proper guide. As a matter of fact, they behave as if they were the first people to get admitted.
Funny enough, some of them think once they see their name on the admission list, that is all. Unfortunately, this has led to the downfall of many students. Some end up dropping out of school.
As a rule, what every fresh student should do is to ask intelligent questions about their school, department, and other areas. Therefore, you need to be guided in the following areas as a fresh student;
Resumption date
Clearance date
Required documents
Updates on course registration
School fees payment deadline
Reading pattern
Structure of examination question
Marking scheme
How to avoid missing scripts or absent cases
Understanding how to cope with school stress.
Giving Room For Distraction
As a first-year student in any Nigerian University, giving room for distraction is the beginning of your failure. Sincerely, there are different distractions on campus and they come in different forms. Try to identify these distractions and distance yourself from them. Some of the common distractions you may encounter on campus are;
Social activities
Pretty girls and handsome boys
Parasitic relationship
Campus fellowship.
It is always important for you to set priorities as a student, this will enable you to make use of your time productively.
Social Life
This is one of the most common mistakes university students make in their first year. Having a social life on campus is not only good but necessary. However, don’t allow too many social activities to distract you from your study. So, by the time you want to make friends with everybody and attend all shows that come your way, then there is a problem. Try to minimize your social life and don’t allow it to overshadow your studies.
Skipping Classes
Skipping classes is another mistake students make. They will always say “Who Class help”. Well, if the class is not helping anybody, then what are you doing in school?
Start Reading When Exam Is close
This particular habit is common among most students. They will not read until the examination timetable is out. They will end up reading aggressively and some may even fall sick. In fact, most Nigerian University health centers are always occupied during examination period. This is as a result of unnecessary reading stress students drew to themselves.
Focus more on Dressing
This is also among the costly mistakes University students make in their first year. They will rather be slaying than taking their studies seriously. In fact, they can even spend their school fees and textbook money on fashion.
Going To Night Reading In Group
This is very common among 100L students. They will always go to night reading in groups. And they end up spending more time joking and discussing and less time studying.
I Know It All Attitude
Most first-year students always have this ” I Too Know Attitude”. They will never humble themselves and learn. However, when their first result is published, most of the ITK students will humble themselves unconsciously.
Not Taking General Courses Serious
Most first-year students in Nigerian Universities never take their general courses seriously. Some will assume it is very simple and end up reading a day-to-exam. While others simply hate doing General Courses.
However, if you don’t take your GST courses serious, it may affect your GPA.
Trying To Please Everyone
The last mistake University students make in their first year is trying to please everyone. This is simply not possible. Always do the right thing and forget what people think about you.
