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Advice From Students to Students

The IEG Satisfaction Awards is the only student-powered overview of universities. They promote student-centrality in higher education and empower students to share their views. From the 2014 edition, 1000+ reviews were collected from students to recognize the best universities for student satisfaction across 8 categories. Students were also given the option of giving advice to future students based on the lessons they’ve learned. 

Here are the top 16 pieces of advice students from all over the world had for their peers: 

”Be clear about what you want, your efforts will decide what you deserve.” Student, Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business “Taking part in extracurricular activities is essential; not just to meet new people but also to take a break from class hours.” – Student, Queen Margaret University “Always be open to meeting and learning from new people. Aim for a full experience across academics, culture, and social activities. I enjoyed the First Year Experience program as I got to mentor students and meet other students from across the university.” – Student, University of Witwatersrand

“Talk to people early in the year because the more time that passes the fewer people are going to want to interact.” – Student, Hawai’i Pacific University “Manage your time effectively; set up a timeline for completing tasks in each of your courses. Set aside adequate time for homework, study, sleep, relationships, and work.” – Student, University of IAU.

“Especially at the beginning of your college career, try to attend every event that they offer for incoming freshmen. This is the best way to make new friends in your class because everyone else is also just as scared, lonely, and confused about beginning their college careers. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to anyone in your class. Introduce yourself and break the ice, because you don’t know who your lifeline at the end of your week, course, or year can be.” – Student, University of Texas at Austin “Make an effort to know your professors, as uncomfortable as it makes you feel walking up to their podium or their office, or even emailing them. Let them know who you are among the crowd. It makes a lot of difference in your coursework. If you ever need any help, they are willing to help and go out of their way for you. As long as you make an effort, they will too.” – Student, Kingston University “If you’re an international student, I would greatly recommend joining a debating society. It helps improve your English and it’s a fun way to meet other internationals.” – Student, Erasmus University Rotterdam