5 Things I've Learnt: As a Freshman in University!

1. SPM Results No Longer Matter

Sure, you spend the first 17 years of your life worrying about how your SPM results is going to turn out. But one you enter college/university, no one will give you any special treatment based on your results. In my case, studying in architecture requires creativity, sense of logic and skills; not how many As you got for your SPM. In fact, if you think so highly of your result, you’re only risking yourself to higher disappointment when you fail to score your subjects the way you did in school.

2.  Tolerance and Consideration is Key to Surviving 

Back in my first semester, I was lucky enough to experience life as an architecture student in UiTM Shah Alam, where the studio was where we spent most our lives at. Without tolerance, I don’t think I would be able to care for my fellow Kosmikians as much as I do now. I realised that the trend among teenagers nowadays is to be savage af, but honestly, don’t. It’s not worth your time to have enemies and have fights with the people that you will be spending your life with for the next four years. Just have fun together and live a peaceful life as a family.

3. Always Take the High Road, Avoid Making (Negative) Assumptions 

I’ve never really liked it when people make ridiculous assumptions behind my back, and I’ve also learnt that people don’t like it either when I do the same to them. When there’s miscommunications or misunderstandings, the first thing that we usually do is to find someone to blame. I’ve learnt that this does not solve anything, in face it will only make matters worse. Always try to understand the problem from both parties before making any conclusion.

4.  University Is Not About Competition

I’m the type of person who would usually compare myself with people with better grade/achievements in order to motivate myself to improve, and I still do so, but ever since I entered this course, I’ve learnt that university is more about helping each other and motivation each other so that everyone can succeed together. Architecture life has thought me so much about being selfless, and not to work on succeeding alone. It’s all about graduating together at the end of our 4 years journey together. 

5.  Everyone Is Busy in University

I’ve often felt super guilty because of how rarely I contact my friends from highschool. I used to make time for them all the time and yet I fail to do the same ever since I got in UiTM. This sense of guilt took a toll on me and sometimes I would just spend my days crying over matters like this. When I met up with Sarah (one of my bestfriend from high school) recently, she told me how she felt the same, and thats when I realised that all of us are extremely busy after all. But this doesn’t mean that friends can’t stay friends, in fact it makes us even closer as we appreciate each other even more due to the distance. I’m extremely grateful over the fact that despite seeing each other so rarely, every time we contact it feels the same as it did back in high school.

All in all, I've learnt a lot in my first and a half semester so far, and there's still much more for me to learn before I finish my freshman year. I look forward for the next 3 years here!

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