Hey LC!
First off - congrats on attending University. This will be undoubtedly one of the best times of your life - so cherish all of these emotions. You have every right to feel nervous about attending University for the first time, its such a unique experience (especially compared to high school) but I can almost guarantee that after a few weeks, at most, you will feel very comfortable with this new university culture.
Can I ask what you're studying? I think
generally University/College is a bit challenging for everyone as there is less guidance from instructors compared to those who teach in high school. As a uni student, you're required to figure out a lot of things on your own - especially studying time management. (That was a hard one for me, but I got the hang of it after a while) Some core classes can be large and the student/instructor relationship can often times be non-existant, while other smaller classes can be very intimate and very rewarding. Like I mentioned above, university is a culture and can sometimes take a while to get used to. You're going to meet a lot of great new people, study some fantastic material and stay up really late studying. xD You're going to have a lot of new experiences while attending University - that which I would compare to riding a roller coaster. It can be scary and it can be a lot of fun, but regardless of the emotions you experience, you will look back and remember all of the things you discovered - about yourself and about life.
Your dad is partially correct when he tells you that University can be hard. But with all respect to your dad, unless he's a student or a teacher, university is a lot different now from when he attended. Heck, its a lot different from when I attended and I graduated in 2004! I struggled with some subjects, but then I excelled in others. Ultimately my goal was to do the best I could and not worry too much about receiving straight A's. I think it's very important to strive for your best, especially if you want to attend a good university, but to not stress out too much if you don't do well in certain subjects. I've mentioned a few times around TT that I work as an Art Director now - but when I attended university for the first time I was studying subjects like Statistics and Psychology. Needless to say, I didn't perform well in those subjects but I was outstanding in Art History and Philosophy. I took these as signs as to how I should progress in my schooling and I ended up transferring to a design institute where I earned a design and photography degree. Even in that program, I did not perform well in certain subjects, but excelled in others. I didn't graduate at the top of my class either, which initially, was discouraging because I thought my marks would affect my job search. I landed a design job just 1 week after graduating because I had the determination to make something of myself - regardless of my grades.
In short what I'm trying to say is: find balance within your new university life. Do the best you can and always strive for better. If you fail (not literally, just figuratively), pick up your socks and try to do better next time. Let your mistakes and successes guide you and trust your inner-self, you're smarter than you think! I don't believe university will be intensely difficult for you. I believe it will be a challenge and you will definitely have some fleeting moments of stress, but overall it will be an
amazing experience that you will never forget. Stay dedicated to your studies, but learn to balance that with fun. Only you can determine how your university experience will pan out. Good luck - you'll do GREAT!
