University is hard, it’s not one of those things that you get right off the bat, no matter who you are. Moving away from home, making new friends, having difficult classes and insane course loads - it is probably one of the scariest times in your life. But I have good news: each year that you come back, you will evolve and grow, and by the end of it, you’ll have completed the evolution of a university student.  

To begin, we have the bright eyed, bushy tailed first-year student, who comes to orientation and thinks ‘wow university really is like the movies’. It is such a magical time that kind of sweeps you off your feet and makes you instantly fall in love. Once that fades, we’re left with a scared student trying to find their way to their 8:30 calculus class. The one that gets up just 5 minutes before class starts and skips breakfast just to have that extra 15 minutes of sleep. The one that has a power nap between every class and lab and can’t find any time for themselves. The one that compares themselves to every single person at the university and thinks they’re not good enough to be here. They have a hard time to balance school and a social life and find themselves mentally drained at the end of each night. And when summer vacation rolls around, they’d never been more relieved.  

Then the school year comes back around. They are well rested and ready to tackle a new year. They feel excited to come back and see the friends that they made in first year. There is a newfound confidence and eagerness to get started with another school year. This year, they decide to join some clubs, meet new people, and step out of their comfort zone. A lot of that self-doubt and fright starts to slip away and the university experience becomes more enjoyable. This year, they even get up and have breakfast before every 8:30 class. University life just kind of seems to fall into place a little, after all, they’ve already had one year of practice! However, even with all the positive changes, they still question whether they are good enough, or smart enough, and it always sits in the back of their head. 

This is where it gets good. Third year, almost done their degree. They’ve moved off-campus with a friend and are keen to start their independent life. They get involved with orientation and even move back early to get a jump on things. They feel like they’ve finally got the hang of the whole university thing. They continue to be active in clubs and try to fully immerse themselves in their university community. This is the year that things just click. They don’t spend their nights upset that they didn’t get the same grade as their friend on that midterm. They do their best and spend their time focusing on themselves and making sure that they are happy. They meet more people, spend time doing things they love, and finally find that sweet spot between academics and social life.  

They are now going into their fourth year of university. They just ended a summer in Sackville working for Mount A. They made the leap to live in Sackville even during the summer when in first year, that never would have crossed their mind. They are now facing their last year of university and feel prepared to take it head on.  

University has been one of the biggest learning curves in my life, but I truly would not want it any other way. Since being the scared first year who constantly told herself I was not smart enough to be here, I have grown immensely and learned how to make the most out of my university experience both academically and socially. This is not a change that happened overnight. Many long nights trying to finish that one hard lab question, putting myself down, and believing I was not as good as everyone else have ultimately led me to where I am now. I have an incredible support system, and most importantly, I have learned how to be there for myself like my friends and family are. It takes time, but it is so worth it in the end. And that is the evolution of a university student, at least this university student.  

Written by Mihya Baker, a fourth-year student and member of the Health & Wellness committee of Orientation 2021.