- Expect to make new friends and allow yourself to be open to new friendships; you’ll never make new friendships if you act as if your ‘friend tank’ is full. You can never have too many friends, they might just come in handy when you need them most!
- Expect to be poor, prepare for life in the poor world. Learn to budget and prioritise your money and don’t be scared of your student loan, it’s an investment into your future.
- Expect to gain weight easier. With all the sitting around on your butt all day staring at a laptop screen and rewarding yourself with chocolate when you finish your essay, it should not come as a surprise that yes, you can gain weight at university.
- Expect challenges and hurdles, university is actually a big step up from high school and you have to work much harder to get the marks you deserve.
- Expect to feel lonely sometimes. It’s crazy that even though you could be surrounded by thousands of other University students just like you, you can feel like you’re alone amongst huge crowds. Don’t dwell in your loneliness, rise above it and conquer any insecurities that may arise, you will be better off and will be more prepared for life after university, yes, it does exist.
- Expect your integrity to be challenged. There will be plenty other people out there that you will come across who were raised with different values and beliefs to you. Don’t try to fit in with other people, be yourself, and stand by who you were raised to be. Be true to yourself, know who you are and stand up for yourself.
- Expect to be put outside of your comfort zone. Anybody who ever did something amazing started out just a little afraid. Don’t crumble under the pressures of a new environment or new people; embrace this time of your life!
- Expect to have heaps of new adventures! If we don’t have expectations for great things, then great things won’t happen! So, expect for fun times and take hold of all opportunities for Kodak moments, memories to be made, and smiles to be shared.
Be expectant, and be ready. University is a rollercoaster, but one of the best kinds!