Starting university at Laurier in September of 2019, I could have never anticipated the kinds of things that I would learn in only a few months (apart from what I learn in my lectures, of course). It has been a wild ride and I wanted to take some time right near the end of my first semester to reflect on a few of the things that I have learned so far in my university experience.
No One Really Knows What They’re Doing
It sounds bad, but it’s true!
Everyone knows the feeling of sitting in a lecture and having no idea what your professor is saying. There’s nothing more satisfying than turning to the person next to you and asking them if they’re just as lost (more often than not, they will be). We’re all in this together and you’re definitely not the only person in class who feels like they’re probably missing something.
Additionally, with the wide range of majors that Laurier offers, it’s super easy to be confused about what you want your major to be.
Feeling like a Small Fish in a Big Pond When You’ve Never Met Anyone Else in your Program
Being a first-year student in Cultural Studies, I have yet to meet anyone who is actually in my program. Believe me, I’ve asked!
With so many options at Laurier, some majors are smaller than others and you might not find anyone else from your program for a while.
Always get to Class 10-15 Minutes Early
Don’t let this be you.
On my first day, I was three minutes early to class and had a seat where I could barely see the presentation slides. Never again. Since then, I’ve always tried to get to class at least 10 minutes early to make sure that I get a good seat. It sounds silly, but having a good seat helps me to learn and interact with the material better!
Use the Bathrooms in the Library if you Can
Every Laurier student knows the struggle of having to wait in a massive line on a busy day in order to use the bathroom in any of the lecture buildings. I’ve learned over my few months here to use any of the bathrooms in the library to avoid this. Plus, they almost always have paper towel in the dispensers, a major plus.
The Seats in Bricker Academic are Almost Always Taken
The struggle is real.
The good news is, if you sit on the floor, most places you’ll be able to get an outlet. Isn’t that technically the most important thing?
I hope if you are a first-year student there are at least a few things in this article that you can relate to. Additionally, if you’re an upper-year student, there’s probably many things in here that you’ve had to deal with for years!
Overall, Laurier is a great school. Go Golden Hawks!