Gen Z Goes To University

I went to university 22 years ago. That’s before many starting university this year were even born!

It was a new town; I knew one friend and his twin and that was it! When I packed my bags and headed out to Sheffield, my heart was full of excitement, dreams and hope.

I was off to study a new course that was 40% Business Management, 40% Information Technology and 20% Engineering. I didn’t have a job plan post the degree, but I was going to be great at this course and find an amazing job afterwards.

I would end up meeting some great people, building great relationships and thankfully graduating successfully 4years later. That said, I didn’t always make the right decisions, and I spent money I didn’t have.

So, whilst this is a new generation with its own challenges, here are some general counsel that I hope you will find useful.

Remember the Goal

I have heard many describe the university years as simply for drinking, partying and socialising. All of that is great but there are surely better ways to spend £27,000 (or however much it costs to get a degree these days)! Therefore, it is key that you have a purpose for being at university and remember that always.

Whether your dream is to be a doctor, a lawyer, an entrepreneur or you don’t even know yet; do consider that future person looking back and what they would wish they spent these next few years doing.

Stay safe, keep your circle small, be kind to yourself and to others, learn to disagree and de-escalate respectfully. Remember to use social media sensibly; screenshots even within private groups will remain in circulation for years to come.

Professional Etiquette

If you’re studying to be an accountant or plan to work in the finance sector, then you need to look after your credit score. Same goes if you have plans to be the Director of a company.

Lawyers are required to have a spotless criminal record, so consider strongly the implications of “harmless cannabis”. In the same vein, if you want to be a teacher, demonstrate that you are interested by finding a mentoring / tutoring opportunity. “Demonstrate and show, rather than tell” is an invaluable piece of advice that people get too late.

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Strategically, would a placement year be of benefit you when you start to seek employment? Is that an option you could still pursue? Find out about internships and sign up.

Set up your LinkedIn profile and start updating it with your achievements. Follow people in your industry who inspire you, as well as organisations you would like to work for and with.

Another hint is to keep a journal of what you learn outside of your course. For example, “today I helped the Netball Society create a budget and this task taught me X, I found Y difficult”.

Too often we only think and talk about what we’ve learnt at milestone moments (e.g. when writing a personal statement). This could mean we a)haven’t done enough learning along the way or b) don’t remember what we have learnt which then makes the personal statement sound inauthentic.

Financially, look out for scholarships. Being granted a scholarship is an acknowledgement of confidence in your abilities. Even wealthy candidates are encouraged to go for it!

Social Media

Your generation has been exposed to this tool much earlier than mine. Personal email addresses were just becoming a thing when I went to university. I do sympathise with young people on this one because everything is recorded and shared; so, make a point of remembering this. Be sensible!

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Health is Wealth

Look after your physical health. You know the drill – eat right and stay hydrated. The fact that you can eat take-away food as often as you want is no reason to do so.

It is possible to go to university without passing out on drugs and alcohol or catching STIs. Keep safe; your body is a temple, honour it!

And please take care of your mental health; learn to relax and take breaks. Avoid toxic people and relationships. Be careful what you believe about yourself.

University is hard work and you may not get the grades your desire. You may even have to retake an exam to achieve this. Remember failure is never the end.

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Stay close to your family, they would always love to hear from you. And if you ever need to speak to someone else who doesn’t know you; organisations like The Samaritans exist in the UK. In other parts of the world, religious and not for profit organisations tend to offer counselling lines.

Please don’t ever suffer in silence.

Stay grounded, find quiet time for yourself and don’t stop praying (or meditating etc. for those who don’t pray).

Wonderfully Created

For some of you, this might be your first experience of leaving home. For others, you may have always been at a small school or part of a small close-knit community. University is full of a lot of many kinds of people. At first, it may seem daunting to find your feet, your voice, your tribe, or your people.

However long this takes, and wherever you find yourself, remember you are wonderfully created.

There is only one version of you. The combination of skills, talents and all your life experiences are attributed to you. Trying to be someone else is a futile and tiring exercise. Believe in yourself, use your voice and let the world meet the uniquely wonderful you!

Enjoy the Experience

Finally, unless you choose to complete a doctorate degree, then university for many people is the last stage before full-fledged adulthood hits; bills, jobs and ‘proper’ responsibility. So make the most of these years.

It is paramount to ensure that you get the best of your academic pursuit. However, do remember that when it comes to setting yourself apart from other candidates, employers want to know that there is more to you.

Post COVID restrictions, make time to travel, see different cultures, learn a language if you can. Get a part-time job if your course allows for it.

There will be lots of clubs to join too – sports, debating, photography etc. Participate and use this to build leadership, management and communication skills.

Whatever you find to do, make sure to enjoy the process.

So, there we have it!

Work hard, play hard, stay safe, stay positive and I look forward to seeing you at the top!

Just in case you were wondering, I did graduate with a Second Class Upper. I secured a fantastic placement year with British Telecom and ended up in a career that I didn’t know existed when I went to university – one for another day! I realised I was better in an office writing codes than in a contact centre.

I learnt a lot about friendships and that life will knock you down and situations will sometimes seem stark. But as long as you are breathing, you can and will rise again!

Grace Bono is an experienced Product Lead (Design/Development/Delivery) with nearly 20 years of experience in Financial Services. She is a mother and wife, with a heart and passion to see others achieve their best selves! She loves listening to books and is energised by politics that enable a fair society.