Ways in Which University Changes You

Honing your social skills
You've just gotten out of school and you've possibly left your childhood friends behind. It may be in the dormitory or the classroom, but you're thrown into rooms full of people who are complete strangers. Sticking it out on your own only works for so long – trust me, I've tried. It may come in the form of a group assignment that requires you to choose team-mates or a crisis that needs help from others, but sooner or later you're going to have to approach new people. It may lead to beautiful new friendships and even a few train-wreck relationships. In the case of my best friend, it was a rat in her dorm room that sent her screaming into the room next door and into the lives of her soon-to-be closest friends ever. Soon, you'll realise you've honed your social skills and are much more comfortable with interacting with new people. 

Lowering your sleep requirements
Unless you're a rare gem who manages to shrug off the evils of procrastination, you will come to appreciate the superpowers of caffeine and marvel at how little sleep the human brain can function on when given the right incentive (the promise of satisfactory grades). 

Making you open-minded
This actually translates into a variety of things. Firstly, the number of people you meet from such a wide variety of backgrounds opens your mind to new ideas and information. You learn as much inside the classroom as you do outside of it and you find yourself open to ideas and opinions that you might formerly have disapproved of or been unaware of. Secondly – and you will not believe how much this is true – it will heighten the threshold of your patience. The number of times a team-mate will let you down in a group project or a new friend will intrude into your personal life when you're cranky will make you more tolerant than you could ever have imagined. 

Making you optimistic and confident
As you survive bad midterms, failed finals, nasty all-nighters and the stupidest of fights with friends and love interests, you realise that you're perfectly fine after every bad episode. You realise that you've come out unscathed, possibly even stronger and better. Finding that out about yourself makes you optimistic and confident about most things that you may have to face from that point forth, and it's the most empowering feeling in the world. 

They say university not only broadens your skill-set but also your mind-set. Whether you excel academically or not, you definitely come of out it with a brand new thought process and renewed zest for life.