Natalie: Missing the bus

I was feeling really optimistic about my Monday until the bus I was walking towards decided to depart one minute earlier than scheduled, leaving me less than pleased and 20 minutes late to my 8am lecture. What a brilliant way to start the week.

But if there’s anything I’ve learnt these past few years at uni, it is resilience. My time at university, just like my week, did not start off as well as I had hoped. No doubt reading this blog or in other interactions with successful uni students, you have heard countless stories of people immediately embracing life at university, making infinite friends and leaping into all the opportunities Monash has to offer. My story is a little different.

I had a less than ideal first year. Although I enjoyed my classes, performed well academically and made a few friends, I also turned down opportunities to meet new people, to receive a peer mentor, to get actively involved in a club or social sports or anything else on offer, and there were times when I could go the whole day without saying a single word to anyone, feeling entirely lost and anonymous. I realised that if I continued down that path I would still finish university with a double degree, but not much else. This realisation, combined with a sense of determination to change, allowed me to transform my university experience. Since then, I have held committee positions for a student club, been involved in student development programs, most notably the BusEco PAL program, volunteered as a mentor, travelled overseas on a study tour, recently rediscovered my enjoyment of netball through social sport, and have made a number of friends in the process.

My point here is that it's alright to have a false start, it's alright to 'miss the bus'. Having a less than ideal start to uni meant that I was able to go through personal growth in overcoming challenges such as my inclination towards introversion and my lack of confidence. In saying that, Monash recognises that the transition from high school to university can be more difficult for some than others and they offer support such as peer mentoring, which I have personally been involved in – with this year being my third consecutive year as a mentor – that aim to help students through this process of change.

Starting university and making the most of everything on offer is easy for some, but for others it might be a little bit more of a journey. If you find that once you’re at uni and you feel a little overwhelmed, lost or 'late', don’t fret. Have a look at student support services and don’t be afraid to start again. You can always catch the next bus.