A lot of people go to university hoping to get one thing: a degree. However, I think there are a lot of valuable things you can get out of university that have little to do with your formal education.

One very important thing you can find in university is a sense of community. People talk a lot about the importance of finding friends at university,  but I would argue being a part of a community is just as important. Chances are, you were a part of a community at home; you may have been on a sports team, or maybe you were a part of a club. Once you graduate from high school, you’re often ripped from these communities, which can be disorienting and lonely. University is awesome because it allows you to rediscover this sense of community. You could get this from a club, a sorority, the student council – there are so many possibilities. Finding a sense of community after high school can be pretty difficult, and university is a good environment in which to do so.

You can also experience new things at university. This might sound like a bit of a cliché, but it’s true. In high school, there are a lot of things you just can’t do, either because of the expense or because whatever you want to do isn’t available where you live. I’ve had so many invaluable experiences at UBC this year. I learned how to rock climb for free, I helped my prof out with his archaeological research, and I helped put together a zine. I helped plan a conference for LGBTQ+ youth in my hometown with a bunch of people for whom this was a part of their job. Had I not gone to university, I wouldn’t have been able to experience any of these things, some of which I’ve want to do for a long time.

Another thing you can do at university is figure out how to do adult stuff. Basically, you get to screw up without it being a big deal, because you probably still have the support of your parents. This year, I’ve had to learn how to budget for groceries (quick tip – don’t use up all your money because you might need toilette paper two days before the end of the month). I’ve had to look for housing, and I’ve also had to sort out my insurance. Of course you can still do a lot of these things if you don’t go to university, but it’s a nice stepping stone, because it’s designed for teenagers who may not have all the necessary life skills. After all, dorms, meal plans, and RAs exist for a reason.

So as you can see, university is good for a lot more than just getting a degree.

As I’m sure everyone is well aware, exam season is nearly upon us. Along with this comes numerous tips (including some from my fellow bloggers) about how to do well on your exams. This is probably because people want to be successful, and more often than not equate success to happiness. This of course leads to problems; when you don’t get the grade you want, you may end up extremely unhappy. So I’m going to offer some tips on how to be less stressed, and overall happier with yourself, regardless of your results.

The first bit of advice is to work hard. Working hard might not get you the results you want 100% of the time, but hard work is never bad for you. You’ll probably get better at whatever it is you’re doing, and at the end of the day, that’s a big part of the reason you’re in school. As well, learning to know when you worked hard is just as important. Some people (myself included) have a tendency to always feel like they didn’t work as hard as they could have, even if they studied for seven hours straight. Having pride in all of the work you have done is important, and will make you feel less stressed and happier no matter what the outcome was.

The next bit of advice is to realize you can’t control everything.  Many students tend to blame themselves entirely when they get a bad mark. This might be justified in some cases, but some of the time, your mark is out of your control. Your prof might be a ridiculously hard marker, or you might have gotten a flu that cause you to have to stay in bed all week. If you put all of your effort into an assignment, you shouldn’t feel guilty about getting a bad mark.

Another thing to remember is that worrying is useless, especially once you’ve completed your exams. There’s nothing you can do at that point, so take a well-deserved break and relax. Worrying won’t change your mark, and it will probably make you feel worse when you have to go check your marks.

The last piece of advice I have is that your worth is not defined by your grades. It’s so easy to feel like grades are the most important thing in the world, and that if you screw up, you’ll have nothing. To some extent, grades are important. But grades are not what determines your worth as a person, or even as a employee. If you work hard at whatever you’re doing, and are respectful, pleasant, and helpful, chances are you’ll succeed.

So good luck to everyone on their exams!