Nervous to start uni (1 Viewer)

[mamehapumpkin]

Does anyone else feel nervous? I actually really don't want to start at all. I'm going usyd, and when I went there for open day I just felt so out of place and kind of uncomfortable. Like I just didn't like the feel of it and stuff but to be fair it was only open day. I also had difficulty getting along with people because a lot of people I met were from high ranked schools and were just very different compared to people from my high school (I come from a low ranked, low socioeconomic background/school). I couldn't relate to them much but of course I am generalising here. It's just different from what I'm used to in several aspects. Basically I just have a sick feeling and am nervous about it all. I am also scared I will fail my units.. Do you think this will change? How do you/did you feel about starting uni?

 

[Amundies]

Re: people, when uni actually starts it becomes better. It sucks that you had a bad open day, but whenever you get into situations where you try and force yourself to make friends will not go too well most of the time (imo anyway). Once uni starts, you'll be going to lectures/tutorials with people with similar interests as you and making friends will become very easy. Also regarding the different kinds of schools you and those around you attended, uni means that you're now all on a level playing field. The high school they went to and their ATAR counts for nothing now.

Tbh I've already been to uni for a year and I still have a sick feeling that I will fail units Failing isn't too common though, if you attend lectures and tutes you're pretty much guaranteed to pass.

Tl;dr you're making the transition from high school to university, and uni is new so there's nothing wrong with feeling nervous. Just make sure you try and keep a positive attitude and everything will just fall into place.

 

[Queenroot]

Don't mix with the stupid snobby cliques they have going on from selective schools

 

[Krypton]

OMG i feel the same way! Just really nervous about starting uni and the weird thing is I haven't seen or met anyone from my uni yet - "moving interstate" which sucks because I'm missing my family already It all sounds soo scary - I feel like going back to high school lol

 

[rach18]

Hi! I can totally relate to what you're feeling. I come from the outer western suburbs so I felt incredibly intimidated going to USyd. However, it's been really pleasant so far, I'm in my 3rd year now and I've met a lot of friendly people from all types of background. I'm sure everyone is nervous about starting uni, no matter where they come from. It's also normal to be scared about failing units, admittedly I've already failed one last year, however so did a few of my friends... I definitely recommend staying on top of your workload but first year units are usually easy anyways.

So yes, your feelings towards uni will definitely change! Join a few clubs, don't be afraid to talk to people in tutorials and lectures, and just enjoy yourself, you're only at uni for a few years and next thing you know you'll be graduating

 

[anomalousdecay]

A lot of people are in a similar situation. As a result, many people are willing to meet new people just like yourself. Meet others and form friendships at uni! Join societies! Be proactive!

 

[kasakiki]

Starting anything new with a new bunch of people will always feel awkward. People in your degree will come from lots of different backgrounds - you'll find people who are very similar to you and also very different. This is good, gives you the chance to see how other people live and think! The uni will also have about a trillion resources they will tell you about that you can use if you are feeling overwhelmed or need a hand with stuff. Overall, if you are friendly towards people and do your work, you will be completely fine! Good luck guys!

 

[waterlml]

i feel the same thing

 

[fizzbylightning]

Tbh I feel like USYD gives off elitist vibes but that is a generalisation - I have incredibly great friends who welcome anyone regardless of background. Try and avoid those elitist types because you wouldn't want to mix with that type anyway. I think I great consolance is the fact that the USYD campus is huge and filled with so many people so there will undoubtedly be people there for you who you will click with. You will also find people who you wouldn't have thought you would ever meet - it's a great opportunity to do whatever you want and go with whoever you want. In terms of nerves, try not to be battle them but try not let them get in the way of being yourself. If you are yourself, you are most comfortable and you can make friends with whomever you like and whether they like you or not is their problem, not yours'. Ie. Don't change yourself to get others to like you. All the best! First year really is exciting and this nervous thought is a common one so you are not alone.

 

[enoilgam]

Re: people, when uni actually starts it becomes better. It sucks that you had a bad open day, but whenever you get into situations where you try and force yourself to make friends will not go too well most of the time (imo anyway). Once uni starts, you'll be going to lectures/tutorials with people with similar interests as you and making friends will become very easy. Also regarding the different kinds of schools you and those around you attended, uni means that you're now all on a level playing field. The high school they went to and their ATAR counts for nothing now.

Tbh I've already been to uni for a year and I still have a sick feeling that I will fail units Failing isn't too common though, if you attend lectures and tutes you're pretty much guaranteed to pass.

Tl;dr you're making the transition from high school to university, and uni is new so there's nothing wrong with feeling nervous. Just make sure you try and keep a positive attitude and everything will just fall into place.

Definitely agree with this - if you are social, but dont force things you should be fine.

Also the fear of failure never went away for me - when I got my final semester results the relief was real.

 

[bec3]

I'm yet another person who could relate last year.
Let me start by saying I've made the most incredible group of friends at uni and don't feel that way at all now. So yes, it does get better- if you let it.

I go to the Cumberland campus, which can make it a little easier to make friends but there are still differences in socioeconomic status and schools.
However, I know that especially when I was at main campus I felt like it was "better" than me. Everyone seemed to be really well-off and I felt really out of place. Even at my campus I am one of only a few who live in the western suburbs, was on the E12 scholarship, and didn't go to a private school or a catholic school. I didn't know anyone going to my campus and was so worried that I would be completely alienated and have to resort to eating my lunch alone in the library on my first day (lucky me had a 3 hour break).
Of course I didn't, I made some wonderful friends instead!

But here's a few facts for you:

- You deserve to be there. You got the marks, you put in the work and you should be really proud of yourself.
- There are decent people everywhere. Sometimes you've got to go hunting for them, but they're there. Don't waste your time on anyone who is boasting about their fabulous school/atar/amazing home. I actually haven't met a single person who was a total snob, even though I thought that was the vibe of usyd.
- You'll be in a course with others who feel a similar way, even if they don't come from the same circumstances as you. They could have the amazing home and all the prestige in the world but still be dreading their first day. You're going to have similar interests which gives you a big advantage.
- It's actually really interesting to have friends from that kind of background. The people I've met have demystified my whole perception of what it is to be wealthy. I thought they would be looking down on me. But guess what? They absolutely weren't!

Try and approach it with a sense of curiosity. It's a level playing field now that you're here in uni. There's no more school rankings or atars.

In regards to failing your units, I thought I was going to do that too and completely bomb out of uni because everyone had scared me into thinking it was the hardest thing in the world. I've passed first year, so I'm pleased.
The trick is to try and stay on top of it. My biggest enemy was procrastination so if you can get a handle on that and focus on your time management then you should be all set to pass.

Good luck, have faith that there's a lot of decent people out there feeling just like you

 

[Chronost]

Did you feel uncomfortable at USYD open day or other universities too? Maybe you just didn't like the overall feel of USYD? Either way it's too late to transfer for the time-being (until mid-year) , make the most of it and develop friendships and join societies, there's always that elitism in certain people (and seems to correlate to certain degrees), but you'll find the majority of people very chill and could care less whether your from here or there.

 

[ShadowLighte]

I'm pretty sure everyone is pretty nervous unless they've either covered most of the unit content so they're confident in not failing (not sure how though) or they have a crap ton of friends in their lectures/ tuts or they just don't care.

Tomorow will be my third day and I'm still nervous. Been to 4 lectures now and I guess lectures are okay, that's not what I'm really nervous about. The tutorials I think, are more scary. But I mean, like the others have mentioned, everyone is pretty much in the same boat. It doesn't matter that they'd come from a "better" school or whatever, they're still transitioning into uni all the same. Everything will be new to them too.

I'm actually from the western suburbs so I know how that feels. Pretty much everyone at MQ is better off than I am. I think after you're in the actual classes, that nervousness goes away and you realise that there are some pretty nice people, even though they might not look like it. Maybe they put on a tough face because they're also nervous and don't want to show it. Either way, if you're generally friendly to the people who talk to you and you tell yourself that it's just another class and it's nothing to worry about, I'm pretty sure you'll settle in just fine

 

[humanitieslover]

Hey Don't worry!! Please trust me- majority of people are in the same boat. When I first started last year I was so scared and intimidated by everyone around me. I remember walking into my first tute feeling completely out of place and thinking oh god...I'm gonna hate Uni. hahaha trust me, it'll only get better! Look around you, there will be people feeling the exact same way but trying their best not to show it. It's completely fine to strike up a conversation with the person next to you! Ask them what they're studying, how they're finding Uni etc! That's how I made a couple of my friends The best way to meet people is probably in tutes because you'll be spending the most time with them each semester. You've also got clubs and societies where you can meet like-minded people. In regards to the whole socio-economic background- I've met people from the most diverse range of backgrounds. People at University should never judge based on a someone's background, and if they do, you don't want them as a friend anyway! It's too bad you had a less than great Open Day experience, but as long as you keep an open mind, I'm sure you'll love Uni!!