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....................... T... ............................................................................................... E..N ........... ST....U..D .. .. .. .. .... With thousands of freshers starting their first year of university this month Hassan Joudi asks several students starting their second year “What advice do you wish you received 12 months ago?”
Setting out to UNIVERSITY C
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hortly after sitting my last exam and finally completing my first year of university, all my classmates and I received an email inviting us to be buddies for freshers on our course next year. I suddenly remembered my buddy and the help I received from him during my first week because, needless to say, starting anything new in life though inherently exciting is challenging.
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As the new academic year 2009/10 starts so does the cycle of freshers’ arriving and settling in to their new places of learning. Advice from people who were just recently in your position is invaluable, which is why I’ve asked eight students who are just about to start their second year of university to answer the question “What advice do you wish you received 12 months ago?” Unlike the older generation who have already developed habits and set in stone their personality, as young people we are extremely mouldable. In a comment about the youthful generation Imam Ali (as) says: “Surely the heart of the youth is like the uncultivated ground – it will accept whatever you throw onto it [and that is what will grow from it].” In our younger years our parents would primarily try to control what our uncultivated ground received, but now at university most of that control lies with us. From all the advice from my fellow second years that follows, one gem that caught my eye was the advice to not forget why you are there [at university] in the first place. All activities we do should be for the sake of Allah (swt) and while remembering this bigger picture is easier said than done, we should always strive to keep our intentions sincere 8
Voice of Unity
Oct - Dec 2009
Sajed Amirinia University: University College London Course: Urban Planning, Design and Management As much as being open-minded may seem obvious, it’s important for one to always have this anchored within them. Pre-judging people and their understanding of the world without getting to know them is a huge error. Instead, there should always be an attempt to genuinely comprehend the other. This doesn’t necessarily mean to compromise one’s own values but to have the capacity to realise that there’s a myriad of views that exist – many of which you may not have been familiar with. To think critically and follow the truth at all times is an invaluable tool to university success. Secondly the dictionary is an extremely helpful but oft-neglected tool. My learning was greatly enhanced as soon as I started carrying around a pocket version with me to lectures. You may come across unfamiliar or ambiguous words at times, and being able to check them straight away is a good advantage.
www.voiceofunity.com
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