5 things you learn about yourself at university
Self-reflect and learn about yourself: discover what you鈥檙e passionate about, learn how to embrace change and what your best qualities are, and how to let your self-confidence shine through.
While you'll learn a multitude of things about many topics at university, you'll also have opportunities to self-reflect. Hear our students share what they learnt about themselves and read our five most important areas of self-knowledge below.
1. What you鈥檙e passionate about
鈥淚鈥檝e become so much more sure of what I鈥檓 passionate about鈥� says Simone, a veterinary medicine student. Nobody forces you to be at uni 鈥� you鈥檙e here because you want to be 鈥� so you鈥檒l quickly learn what drives you and what聽诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛聽get you out of bed in the morning!
The things you might have expected to find interesting may not turn out that way, and sometimes you鈥檒l be surprised at the areas that end up enthralling you. As engineering and law student Josh says, 鈥淚鈥檝e learnt new things about myself and what I鈥檓 actually interested in.鈥�
2. How to embrace change
Resilience is key to being adaptive and able to manage change. Salina, an arts student, can vouch for the benefit of embracing a change of heart. 鈥淚 came to the University of Sydney thinking I wanted to be a Law student, then I wanted to be an Economics student and now I鈥檓 an Arts student,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 definitely don鈥檛 advocate indecision, but I do advocate being comfortable with changing your mind.鈥�
When things don鈥檛 turn out the way you expected, medicine student Gratia says you have to be able to pick yourself up, and Kevin, a commerce and science student says 鈥測ou have to take a few rejections before you get like the right one. Sorta like dating.鈥�
3. That confidence comes from within
鈥淩emember to spend time by yourself,鈥� suggests Fei, a medicine student, 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 very easy to get carried away with everyone doing everything all the time.鈥� While you've made new friends and can rely on them, be kind to yourself and remember that your self-value and confidence comes from within. Arts and education student Mariam wisely reminds you that 鈥測ou鈥檙e just as worthy and you鈥檙e just as smart and you鈥檙e just as funny as anybody out there.鈥�
4. What you like about yourself
Whether it鈥檚 during a commute or in individual study time, you鈥檙e bound to be spending some more time by yourself. You鈥檒l soon get to know yourself like never before: Maha, studying nursing, admits that she鈥檚 still exploring herself and what she enjoys. Rather than seeing this as a hurdle, consider the opportunity as a time to grow into your own skin.
How do you know what you鈥檙e going to like about yourself? Joining clubs and societies 补苍诲听learning how to be independent聽will give you a good sense of who you are, what you can do, who you want to be, and the areas where you can improve.
5. How strong and capable you are
Being pushed into the聽deep end of independence聽at university can be a trying time, but adversity breeds success. You don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e capable of until you鈥檙e tested, and you might surprise yourself with hidden talents and abilities.
Arts and engineering student James explains that 鈥渂eing unsure and being curious about everything is not the worst thing that could happen鈥�. In fact, it could be the best thing that鈥檚 happened to you: many alumni looking back at their university days remember moments of difficulty as those that demanded the most strength 鈥� projects at the limit of their ability, demanding fieldwork, high-stress exam times 鈥� and proved the most rewarding.聽