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It wouldn’t have come as such a surprise if I hated studying.
But I loved school. And from everything I was told, university was supposed to be even more fun: I’d get to study the subjects I loved and drop those I didn’t, go to cool parties and maybe even meet my soulmate.
It might take a few years, but you’ll meet great people at university. Millie Muroi is pictured front, right. Credit: Michael Shaw
On the first week, I sat next to a fellow student in a big lecture hall, exchanged pleasantries and never saw them again. Then the same thing happened in the next lecture. The smaller tutorial classes were better, but I still felt disconnected and disillusioned at how impersonal everything was. I missed seeing the same people every day and having a teacher who knew and cared about us all.
It didn’t help that my best friends had all moved interstate to pursue their degrees. I was the only one in our tight-knit highschool group who had chosen to stay in Perth, so while I recognised friendly faces across campus, I had to start building friendships again. I was a small fish entering a big pond … by myself.
Truthfully, I hated my first year. I went from excelling in my favourite subjects in school to struggling to figure out what I was doing wrong. I considered deferring for a year to figure things out. Looking back, that was probably a good option, and one that several of my friends ended up taking and, later, swearing by.
But as my second year rolled around, I changed my approach. I still wanted to do well in my classes, and as time passed, I got a better understanding of what I needed to do to succeed. But I also focused more of my energy on things outside the classroom.
Millie Muroi says joining the investment club at university was one of the best decisions she made.Credit: Ivy Chung
I’d dabbled in a few of the university’s clubs and societies in my first year, but found them to be superficial and uninspiring. By my second year, I’d found more niche clubs and volunteer opportunities that actually excited me.
One of these was an investment club recommended to me by a friend – and, I’ll admit, love interest – I met at a picnic after class. While investing was never something I thought I’d be interested in, I joined the committee (it’s always better to aim for committee positions than to simply sign up as a member because you’ll get to be more involved) and thrived in the club’s economics team. Within a year, what I think was mostly my enthusiasm, got me promoted to the club’s co-president, overseeing a $20,000 portfolio of equities managed by students.
I couldn’t tell you one per cent of what I learned in my classes at university, but the people I met and the skills I gained through being part of that club have stuck with me and helped me land all sorts of internships and jobs. It helped me find my passion and was the single most important part of university in helping me develop as a person.
That’s not to say studying is not important (of course, grades matter to some degree) but you don’t have to love your studies to get the most out of university and find your way to something you love.
I entered university with the firm idea that I’d become a high school economics and English teacher, and left with a burning passion for business journalism shaped by my extracurricular experiences.
There’s a lot of trial and error. You’ll get things wrong, say awkward things at networking events, struggle in some classes and sometimes feel lost.
Just remember that you’re never alone, and that while it might take a while to figure out exactly what’s right for you, there are so many different things you can try. Sign yourself up to things, make mistakes and see how doors start opening. And when that cute guy asks if you want to join an investment club you’ve never heard of, say yes, because while he may not be your soulmate, it might just lead you to something else you love.
More from Campus, a new student hub
A matter of degrees: Not sure what to study and need some course inspiration? Think being a lawyer for outer space territories sounds good? Check out these degrees you probably have never heard of.
Give it a break: Comedian Lizzy Hoo says a commerce degree can wait. In her gap year she mastered snowboarding, living off obscenely small amounts of cash and bailing friends out of jail. Valuable life skills, she argues.
The intern: If you want to get the job of your dreams Laura Chung says it’s not just study that matters – maybe sacrifice a few parties and swap with some internships. Your graduate job searching will thank you.
Result driven: From a hands-on paid gap year in the defence forces to scaling the tech world, get a pay packet sooner with these fast-track career qualifications – no university required.
Enjoy the benefits: Cayla may have moved away from home to study hard and earn a degree, but she also left university with lifelong friendships and an ability to belt out Mariah Carey songs like nobody else on long road trips. Win. Win.
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