Humber College’s second and third-year students talked about their experiences as first-year students and mistakes that every new student should avoid.
And, in this busy month of exams and final assignments, a faculty member also gave some advice to the first years.
“One thing I would tell myself in the first year would be that not everything has to be perfect,” said Alicia Reichenbach, a second-year student in the Early Childhood Studies program.
Reichenbach said that it is important for first-year students to make connections and try to find their people as soon as possible. She said that post-secondary education is hard and cannot be done alone.
“The thing to remember is to just be yourself and that is how you will find the connections that are right for you,” said Reichenbach.
Jessica Urzua, a Humber College second-year Culinary Management student, said that managing time between studies and work can be challenging for first-year students.
She said that students need to balance their studies, social life, work, and most importantly their physical and mental health.
Urzua further said that writing down critical paths and important dates will help in planning out study time and assignments. She said that for international students, it is a big change as they are in a new country.
“Just try to step out of your comfort zone and join that club, go to that event, speak to that student sitting next to you because you never know how that one opportunity can benefit your future,” said Urzua.
Sheeza Amir, a Humber College CICE program student, said that one mistake she made as a first-year student was not speaking up. Amir said that first-year students should be aware of the resources provided by the college.
With so many first-year students coming from outside Canada, Reichenbach said that there are a lot of people at the college and advised students to try to find that one person with whom you connect.
During the pandemic, Humber shifted to hybrid learning posing a new challenge for first-years, being both online and in person.
Urzua talked about the importance of attending every class.
“Make sure you attend all your classes because missing one class can lead to you following behind,” she said. For Amir, in-person classes are great for new students for making connections.
Reichenbach talked about the importance of staying in the loop. She said joining class group chats helped her to participate in class discussions.
“When you participate it helps you to understand the class material better and also shows your professor that you are engaged in the class,” she said.
Urzua talked about the importance of doing your best throughout your studies.” There will be classes where you don’t get that top mark, but your instructors will know that you worked hard,” said Urzua.
Humber Journalism Professor Jim Coyle said that students need to focus on learning skills and said that every skill is a learnable skill. He said that only those students can succeed who are passionate and focused on their studies.
“In our society, focus and concentration are diminishing”.