I’m in the process of putting together a new 20-part series of posts over 20 days, which are all lists of 20.  As a taster, I want to give you 20 reasons why you need to take the student experience seriously every single day.

I had wasted days at uni.  These weren’t just relaxation days (which are necessary), they were a complete waste of time when nothing worthwhile was done at all.

Luckily, I didn’t waste many days.  But I still look back and shudder at what I could’ve done with those precious hours I did waste.  I can’t get that time back.

photo by billaday

20 reasons to get serious about uni: from Fresher to finished

1. Because, quite simply, every second counts.
2. The first year does matter to grades – If your first year grades don’t count toward your final degree award, many students take it easy. Who cares? But you should care, because a serious effort from the outset means you’re likely to have much better grades when the marks do count.
3. Fun is serious (when done right).
4. Serious is fun (when done right).
5. Your future is better managed in advance… – Don’t wait for life to bite you on the bum.  Half the fun is chasing life for the goodies!
6. Each year is different – With each new academic year comes a new set of possibilities.  You’ve moved on, the learning structure moves on, and priorities change.  Taking each year as a different stage in your experience helps ground you and make the most of your time.
7. Each term/semester is different – Another time of change, whether it’s modules or activities.  The start of every new term is time to take stock and appreciate how you want/need to move on.
8. You can start planning your career right now – The sooner you take this seriously, the more time you have to show off your potential and talent.
9. You can actually start your career right now! – Why not go the whole hog and start a company or reach out to businesses and make your degree a deeply vocational dream?
10. Don’t have a career planned? Even if you’re studying mainly for the learning, like I was, you should still consider your future plans and dreams.
11. ‘Careless’ is different to ‘Fun’ – You can go absolutely crazy having fun.  It’s when you stop thinking about your actions that you’re liable to do something careless.
12. A careless past can come back to haunt you – Still don’t think it’s worth taking fun seriously?  One day you’ll wish you did.
13. The later you take life seriously, the more opportunities you’ll miss.
14. This is a unique stage of life. Cherish it.
15. Blink and you’ve missed it. I’m warning you.
16. The quicker you focus on the student life, the quicker you’ll settle.  That goes for everything, not just study.
17. You’ll have more time to think of a great postgraduate route.  You may never need leave uni again. 😉
18. You don’t want to give anyone the excuse not to take you seriously.
19. A lot of issues that you’ll encounter again and again in life can be experienced at a more relaxed pace, or in a less demanding way at uni.
20. It’s costing you money to study.  A wasted day is wasted money.

You may have heard news of a Sheffield Hallam student being ordered to  carry out 250 hours of community service after urinating on a war memorial.

The first year, Philip Laing, had been drinking large quantities of alcohol both before and during an organised pub crawl.

District judge Anthony Browne did not give Laing a jail sentence because he had “never seen anyone more contrite” before him.

I’m not surprised.  After just a couple of months away at university, he wouldn’t have imagined all this.  There are plenty students who get carried away and do ridiculous things due to a mixture of cheap drink, excitement, a sense of new freedom, and a want to fit in.  Enjoying freedom and wanting to fit in do contradict each other, but we’re contradictory people in many ways.  It’s complicated…

As well as getting carried away, there’s the matter of cost.  Students on a budget (i.e. the majority) often find that soft drinks can cost a lot more than an alcoholic drink.  A quid for a pint of beer, or three quid for a pint of Coke?  Make that three pints, please.

Over at the Times website, someone commented on Laing’s actions, suggesting, “The guy chose war wreaths, not lamp post, not kerb, he knew the value of what he was de-facing”.

I disagree.  If he was truly making a statement by choosing a war wreath, I very much doubt he would be so contrite and devastated at what  unfolded after the event took place.  Even if he did have some thought about where he wanted to pee, I bet it was pretty nonsensical, drunken gibberish.  Alcohol does that, especially in large quantities.

As the judge said, the behaviour, and the drinking which preceded it,  is the responsibility of Philip Laing and no other person.  But to imagine he had an agenda is almost certainly misguided.  He was out on a bender.  The organised pub crawl, by Carnage UK, gave students the opportunity to buy alcoholic drinks for £1.  Unsurprisingly, Laing became ridiculously drunk and cannot remember the evening.

Scarier still, Laing had been drinking whisky BEFORE going out that night.  But some people do drink before they go out (I’ve known plenty).  And they get very drunk.  And they do stupid things.

Pretty much everyone I know who drinks to get drunk agrees it’s daft and can be dangerous, but that’s not enough (at first, at least) to stop some of them.  With events companies promoting cheap nights of partying, it’s clear that we won’t see the end of drunken antics any time soon.

If Laing’s act had been deliberate and out of hate, that would be deeply shocking.  However, a moment of drunken stupidity is more careless and irresponsible than anything else.  While the actions were not accidental, I’m sure they were not deliberate either.  He deserves his punishment, he seems to acknowledge that, and hopefully he’ll think twice before getting too drunk in future.

Next week, I’ll post on enjoying yourself without getting drunk.