‘Make the most of it’: does this advice create unnecessary pressure for new students?

Regardless of whether you’re an eager first year or nostalgic final year student, we have all at one point in our university journey received the advice ‘make the most of it’. A light-hearted, open-ended phrase which, when unpacked, holds much greater connotation and in some part, pressure. 

University, for many, is the first chance we get to leave our old life at home, to grow and explore the world freely. An experience which truly varies from person to person, but is difficult for everyone at one point or another.

For some, draining their course of all its academic recourses, building a 5-star CV and striving to achieve that impressive 1^st grade is what means the most. Whereas for others, filling their social calendar and attending every Wednesday social as either a pumpkin or a lobster is what comes first. Neither approach is right or wrong, and in fact, you can do both. That is the beauty of university, where you have the choice to do and be whoever you want. 

But alongside all the positives, university life definitely comes with its low points. Especially in Newcastle, where dark and cold days often put a dampener on the fun. Sometimes, the simple things, such as attending lectures or doing your washing are thrown out the window. Those days when you’re missing home, behind on work, have no food in the fridge... they make it much harder to ‘make the most of it’. This phrase, ‘make the most of it’ sort of implies a 100% success rate which sadly, is not realistic at all. 

Luckily, you don’t have to tick all the boxes to ‘make the most of it’ at university. Living on your own is hard enough without the added pressure of feeling like to need to be on top of the world all the time. For new students, I think the best approach is to write your own definition of ‘making the most of it’. Maybe this is making some new friends, joining a club, exploring the city, trying new hobbies. Make your definition simple, achievable but ambitious. 

Making the most of it doesn’t have to mean being go, go, go every day, saying yes to every night out, spending all your time in the library. Making the most of it means putting yourself first so you get the most out of your university experience.