One of the great opportunities arising from starting university is the chance to learn new skills and meet new people through clubs and societies. By your 2nd year you’ve discovered that despite being part of the hockey team, you spend more time drinking than playing. Getting people together for committee board meetings is more difficult than the meetings themselves. And your degree? Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that.
Come round to your 3rd year, and hopefully your CV is sufficiently plumped up and it’s time to rein yourself in a little. Me? I’ve dropped the late nights out for lunchtime meditation sessions, my spontaneous and carefree loan-spending for a part time evening job and my social life for some quality time in the library.
It sounds a bit depressing but actually there’s a lot to be gained from this. Firstly, spending more time on your work is rewarding. You get better marks on essays and can actually contribute well in classes. Secondly, it’s a time to calm things down a bit. Most people’s livers by now are not so forgiving that they can still say “I don’t get hangovers.” Plus, I like cosy nights in and waking up before midday. Providing you keep some balance in your life – be that through exercise or some volunteering, giving you a chance to socialise – your 3rd year might not turn out to be so scary after all.