What I would tell my first-year self

Friday, January 7, 2022
by Samanvitha A., 4A AFM student

As I come close to entering my final year at the University of Waterloo, I reflect and realize that there are many things I have learned not only about accounting and finance, but myself.

I have grown over these past three years and loved my time at university thus far, however, there are a couple of things I wish I had known to make my transition easier which I believe would be useful for any incoming first-year students.

samanvitha
The first piece of advice I would give is to make friends outside of your program and faculty. While you may be busy with adjusting to schoolwork and meeting people in your classes or program, it is important to build relationships outside of class and meet others. This will broaden your perspective and allow you to learn even more from your peers on different topics. University is the only time in your life that you will meet many people who are the same age as you and where everyone is making friends, as such it is an opportunity that should be used.

The second piece of advice would be to grow from your mistakes. Studying in university can be difficult, which makes it especially important to be able to move on from your hardships and learn. Many people will go through a tough learning curve at the beginning; however, it is important to have an open mind and learn from your mistakes to change for the better. Failure is a part of the process.

Hopefully, these pieces of advice will help you adjust and feel less nervous about going into university as a first-year student!