Hello everyone! My name is Phoebe (she/her) and I just graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Queen’s University, majoring in Life Sciences and minoring in Statistics. I’m so excited to be sharing some advice for new undergraduate students throughout the summer :) If you’re about to enter first year, you’re probably super excited and want to know what it’s like to study at Queen’s – and how to succeed academically while having fun too!
Now that I’ve graduated, here’s what I’d tell my first-year self:
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As clichéd as this will sound, the first piece of advice I’d give my first-year self is to slow down and enjoy your time at Queen’s. The four years will fly by so quickly. When you reach the end, you’ll miss it all - even the late nights studying at Stauffer Library! A university degree is about learning content, but it is also about individual self-growth and self-discovery. It is so easy to get lost in the hustle and forget to enjoy all that the university experience has to offer. Take breaks, join clubs, explore Kingston, and put the books away from time to time!
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Put yourself out there. All my friends agree that we wish we had put ourselves out there more first year. First year is scary, and it is so normal to feel like a small fish in a large pond, but don’t be afraid to try new things! Some of the closest friends I’ve made were by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Meeting new people and talking to strangers can be a little scary, but where else are you going to be surrounded by so many like-minded people? Studying at Queen’s will be the most exciting time of your life, so why not put yourself out there? Even if - worst-case scenario - you embarrass yourself, no one will remember. Queen’s is such a big university that you’ll meet new people every day. Best-case scenario? You made a new study buddy, floormate, or best friend for life. They’ll help you get through the academic ups and downs.
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It’s okay if things don’t go as planned. University is tough, and maybe your projected plan or major changes. That is completely okay. In fact, it is much more common than you think. Moreover, it is not the end of the world if you get one bad exam or assignment mark. Nobody coasts through Queen’s getting an A+ in every single assignment for four years, so prepare yourself to respond to challenges positively. Your professors, peers, and teaching assistants (grad students who help run tutorials and grade work) will listen and help. As I said before, university is a time of self-growth and self-discovery – but that doesn’t mean you have to do it all alone. As long as you take time to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going and find out what you can improve on moving forward, then you’re set (and don’t forget the staff at Student Academic Success Services can help you get back on track!). As soon as you learn to dust yourself off, pick yourself back up, and learn from your mistakes, you’re set.
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Figure out how you study best. If there is one thing you take away from all of this, this is it. When I first entered university, I was so certain that I knew how to study effectively. My approach had worked my whole life, so why wouldn’t it work now? I was okay during first year, but in my second year, once I selected my major, I hit a bump in the road. The amount of information you are expected to understand and apply in a short amount of time at Queen’s is nothing that you will have ever experienced before. Use your first year to try different studying methods and find out what works best for you in the university setting. Trust me when I say that trying to figure it out in your upper years will be that much harder. Everyone will hit at least one bump in the road, so it’s great to have explored different paths to success in year one.
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This leads me to my last tip: use Queen’s resources and ask for help! It can certainly be overwhelming the number of resources Queen’s has to offer, and I know that my first-year self was too stubborn to reach out and ask for help. But just do it. Maybe SASS can help you in a workshop or appointment. Maybe you can connect with our friends at the Yellow House, the campus centre for equity-deserving students. Or maybe you'd like to connect with fellow students at the Peer Support Centre. Trust me, everyone at Queen’s wants to help you succeed – no matter your background, experiences, or grades. We were all were there at one point or another. The staff, students, and professors are awesome here and will want to look out for you, but at a big university, it's usually up to you to reach out and ask for help first.
Your time at Queen’s will be unforgettable and you will have your up and downs, but take a deep breath, you got this. Enjoy the ride, and check back soon for more of my thoughts about my four years at Queen's!
Phoebe, Class of 2022