8-pieces-of-advice-for-our-younger-selves

8 pieces of advice for our younger selves

Sometimes in the UNiDAYS office we wish there was a Peter Pan element to this life and we could take off to towards the second start on the right, heading for Neverland and stay young forever. However, despite all our wishful thinking we somehow haven’t ended up as Lost Boys. So we thought that perhaps with a little bit of advice for our younger selves we could make Neverland feel a little closer.

1. Learn to listen more to people

You don't learn anything listening to the sound of your own voice! This one kind of speaks for itself… learn how to listen to understand and engage rather than listen to respond. Never underestimate how valuable this is.

2. Go on exchange for a semester

Learning about the world around you, experiencing other cultures and ways of doing things is so important for growth, acceptance and understanding in this life. So make the most of the opportunity when it is presented to you, there is no way you are going to look back and regret the time you spent exploring another country.

3. Immerse yourself in the student community

Be as social as you can with everyone. Having these student networks after you graduate will prove extremely beneficial! It is easier to be kind, than to be anything else. So practice a bit of social gratitude, put yourself out there and make sure you stay in touch with your mates from uni. Not only are some of these people going to be in your life for a long time but you never know who might turn out to be the next Eion Musk.

4. Surround yourself with positive people as it will help you grow into a better person.

Simple. We all know it, but sometimes we lose our way a little.

5. Use every opportunity as a learning opportunity

Even if you're not 100% sold on a job role, attend the interview and use it as a learning experience as well as chance to widen your network. This snippet of advice is so important. Over time you start to realise that interviewing is a skill and the more you do it, the better you get. So even if you are unsure about a job, go along and use it as an opportunity to hone those skills.

6. Don’t limit yourself to what you studied

So many of us have had that “a-ha” moment where we realised that what we were studying was not really going to be an career we pursued after university. So don’t feel like your major is a life sentence, keep your options open and follow the opportunities that present themselves.

7. Get some industry experience

As much as study gets your foot in the door, having a bit of real world experience is invaluable. It might make you realise that you really need to start learning how to use Excel or improve your small talk game.

8. You can only see your reflection in calm water

Look… we know this one is a little bit deep (and yes that was a water pun) you have to live a long life with yourself. Get to know who you are, your values and what you stand for... it is definitely better doing this earlier rather than later. Get to know what makes you comfortable, what challenges you, where you excel and what you are passionate about, it will be worth it.

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