Confession #98087:
Admin please don’t filter this out????
Does this look familiar to you? If it does, then you’re on the right track to integrate into life in National University of Singapore (NUS). NUSWhispers is a place for anyone to get advice and share a story if they would like. It's great if you want to seek advice (from seniors or even professors) for a module you’ll like to enroll in, or just for getting a good laugh and getting through school. Just 1 year ago, I, too, was searching up tips and tricks to surviving university life. Now, let me share some tips I wish someone had told me before I started my first academic year.
#1: Try out new activities
University is a great time for everyone to try new things - life in NUS is full of opportunities to participate in activities that you’ve never took part in before. Check out the annual NUSSU Student Life Fair for the whole range of CCAs, even those you've never even heard of before. If you are staying in one of the Halls of Residence or Residential Colleges, you should definitely consider the CCAs there too. Although it is true that CCAs are not compulsory in University, it is beneficial to join at least one! You'll get to meet more like-minded friends and take a break from your busy school schedule. So, take a leap of faith and try something new during your time here!
Other than CCAs, there are a lot of faculty events that you can participate in. Keep an eye out for emails from your faculty club and you can surely score some freebies from their periodic welfare events!
#2: Take some time off for yourself
Don't be too pressured to take part in activities just because your friends are taking part in them. It's only normal for all of us to want some time to ourselves to recharge our "social battery". More often than not, freshmen would find themselves swarmed with activities and having little to no time for themselves, which makes it draining for the individual.
Learn to recognize which groups or communities add value to you, and who are those that you feel happy with! Don't bite off more than you can chew, and don't be afraid to drop those that are draining you. Ultimately, self-care is important in the completion of your university journey.
#3: Pick electives with caution
Personally, I found it much easier to enroll in modules that I had genuine interest in. I'm sure you will hear of certain modules being popular because of the easy workload, or because it's easy to score. However, remember that the bell curve exists too, and not everyone can score high in these popular modules. Don't forget that you can have an enjoyable time with modules that genuinely pique your curiosity too!
Just like Tip 1, don't be afraid to try something new. Have you always been interested to pick up a new language? Go for it, because now is the perfect time to do it. Being curious makes it a breeze to learn new things, and it'll be your constant form of motivation.
In addition, make sure to check the available timeslots for these electives. You don’t want to torture yourself by picking an elective with a timeslot that falls right before or after your core modules, which might cause you to miss your lunch break.
Hopefully, these tips will help you out somehow… Good luck!
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This article is contributed by Serafina Heng, a Year 2 Chemical Engineering Undergraduate at the National University of Singapore.
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