A Nerd’s Guide to Surviving First Year in Tertiary
A Nerd’s Guide to Surviving First Year in Tertiary
By Martha Chauke
Let’s clear the air first; you are a “nerd” because you made it to tertiary (uni, varsity, college or any institution of higher learning) when many didn’t. Congrats! This is going to be the BEST year of your life. (No joke!)
So, you’ve heard all kinds of weird and wonderful things about tertiary (from the entire world by now.) Your folks lectured you on the importance of studying extremely hard and graduating in record time (they are right, it’s extremely important.)
Let’s explore everything they didn’t tell you…This is a fresher’s guide to help you prevent first year from being the BEST two (or three) years of your life…
- Tertiary Isn’t High School
Of course, you know this already (be honest, you do!) What you don’t know is the key difference between the two. In tertiary, no teacher or principal will ever call your parents or chase after you for bunking lectures or not submitting your work. In fact, in tertiary, the lecturer gets paid in full month-end whether you attended class, slept right through it or didn’t show up the entire semester or year. Simply put, lecturers act blind until you need 1% extra in order to qualify for your exams. Then, you’ll realise they also have eyes at the back of their heads.
- Learn To Cook ASAP!
Eating take-aways every single day of your tertiary life is bad for your pocket and health. If you don’t know how to cook, take baby steps and learn how to prepare quick & easy meals first like eggs, canned food, carbs or microwaveable food. Anything home-made is a healthier and cheaper option for you than fast food. Guess what? You might even have leftovers to devour after class (more saving!) Learn to compile a grocery list then head to your nearest supermarket and compare prices before choosing what you want to buy. No name or “store brands” are usually cheaper and should save you money. Tip: always check the expiry date for every item before paying for it.
- You Don’t HAVE to Buy Brand New Textbooks
Textbooks are expensive! Only buy new textbooks if you REALLY have to. Buying second hand ones (in good condition) will stretch your budget enough to afford all your study material for the year. Second/third year students, doing the same course, should be selling these, as well as second hand bookshops. Remember: Don’t sell your textbooks next year, before asking your lecturers if you won’t be using them in 2nd year. (Sometimes you do!)
- The Dreaded Budget!
Do some research or simply ask your parent/guardian how much your tuition fees cost. You’ll find out its crazy expensive! That’s why you need to BUDGET every month before spending your money (True Story!) Put aside money for rent, electricity, grocery, transport etc. before hitting the clubs.
- If you Play Hard you need to Work even Harder
First year is mostly about adjusting to number of UNlimited things like freedom, alcohol, sex, smoking and a whole lot of other crazy stuff. Student Night can be every day of the week, Monday to Sunday. Not only on Wednesday or Thursday nights! So understandably, it’s tempting to want to party/club every single day of the week (who’s going to stop you?) Love yourself & avoid binge drinking! It’s going to leave you cashless, feeling miserable and regretful. (…and your aim was only to have FUN)
- Maintain your Nerd Swag?
Don’t “mix” drinks – stick to one type of alcohol throughout the night. Don’t move from beer to shooters to vodka & something interesting. It’s a blackout & TB (Terrible Babalas) application. If you feel like you had one too many, stop drinking and drink water. (You need to maintain that Nerd Swag!) That’s what makes you cooler – You do cool things the right way.
- Know Your Rights
Don’t let people walk all over you. Don’t let people who think you are a wishy washy student get away with whatever they like (some people take chances out here!) Know your rights as a tenant (if you are renting) and as a student (some lecturers & students abuse power.) Always read the contract a landlord gives you before signing it (no matter how desperate you are for accommodation) you would rather lose the place then your folk’s hard earned cash and still be accommodation-less. If you don’t understand the contract, take it to someone that can read through it before you sign it.
Know your rights as a student (especially female students) so you can tell when someone is infringing upon any of your human rights. It’s a sad reality but sexual assault in universities exists as well as countless cases of “lecturer and student” relationships. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and speak up about problems you stumble upon on and off campus with either student committees (SRC), trustworthy lecturers/Head of Departments or Health & Wellness centre staff. Familiarize yourself with your institution’s student discipline procedures and policies; don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand anything whatsoever!
