Over the past few days, I’ve been pondering about my life direction and how it came to be. How my life turns out the way it is today is a blessing none other than from God. Yet, there are a few times I imagined myself going back to 10 years ago when I started my undergraduate study. What would I do if I could turn back the time?

I will share 5 lessons that I have learned too late as a student and why you should embrace them as soon as possible.

A gentle reminder – These are my personal feelings, thoughts and opinions.

1. Focus On My Study

As a student, I never failed to attend the early morning lectures (I usually arrive in the nick of time). But, During the lectures I’m always sleepy and blurr during lectures. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to completing my tutorials and assignments. 

Cancelled classes means more time to sleep and play time. In contrast, I should take more time to finish my assignments and revise what I’ve learnt during the lecture. There are some people that can procrastinate and still excel at their studies. 

Unfortunately, I am not that genius to pull this stunt off. Because of the lack of focus on my study, I flunked several exams and I have to extend my study semester. As a result, I graduated a year later than my peers. 

2. Sleep Early Every Day

My mama used to say, “sleep early every day and you will be ever ready“. The truth is I never listen (Forgive me if you read this ma 😀!) and because of that, I fall asleep in class especially when the subject is dry. Even if I manage to stay awake, my mind wanders around to outer space. Sleep early, your body and mind will thank you for that!

3. Do Some Networking

There is a misconception that you come to college or university only to study. A college also act as a bridge for you to build a network and learn more about your future career.

This is something that I came to regret after finishing my undergraduate study. I lack the confidence when I pursue my Master Degree and when I’m going for a job interview.

Take part in your local career fairs. Prepare your resume and submit it to the participating companies. They might even conduct an open interview at these fairs. Take your chances to go for the interview.

You will gain more confidence and experience in the process. They will keep your resume and interview profile in their database. This gives you a higher chance to get employed by the same company once you graduate.

4. Develop Talent & Skills

When I was a student, I fell into a trap whereby I have the mindset that my only career choice is in engineering. This causes me to focus only on my field of study which is a dangerous mindset.

A survey shows many Malaysians work in fields unrelated to their degree. I am sure that this issue is not only prevalent in Malaysia but a global issue.

So, you have to realize this danger and develop other skills as a back-up. Learn to write, shoot beautiful photos, speak in front of an audience, learn to code. Identify your talent and skill, develop it. So you will be in a better place if you end up not getting into your career choice. There are a lot of opportunities in this world where you can use your developed talent and skills to work.

5. Do Part Time Jobs

I still remember during the Semester break. One of my classmates became a brand mascot while I sleep play and eat. Until the Semester break ends.

By the start of a new semester, he became richer and was able to buy a new phone while I could only envy his achievements.

By doing a part time job, he is able to meet and talk to people which improves his interpersonal skills. This skill is very important in all fields and may help you to secure your first job during your job interview.

Conclusion

These are the 5 things that could make or break your future career. It is a dividing line between getting a reputable employer or the risk of getting a bad employer. High quality employers tend to opt for high quality students. 

My advice to you – Do these 5 simple things and see how much you will progress in the real world. I wish you all the best!