Chuks, recent MSc in Applied AI and Data Analytics graduate, shares some of the life skills you'll learn at university and how these skills can help you out after you've graduated. 🙌
Money management 💸
Money management is a very essential skill which everyone should have. However, this is not limited to life as a student. Possessing this skill will help you as an adult. You should be able to know the difference between your 'wants' and 'needs'.
Setting up a budget helps a lot in making the most of your money and reduces he risk of running into debt. All you must do is make sure it's realistic and you can stick to it. Working on your incomings and outgoings will help you. For example, setting out money for your mobile bill, food, insurance, halls, and groceries. Also, bargain hunt and look out for deals to help you shop smart.
Cooking 🍳
As a student, cooking and not always outsourcing food is the best and it helps in money management. How to eat well for less is a great skill to learn whilst at university. Learning to cook from scratch using staple ingredients, asking for tips from your housemates, and learning about the recipes. There's lots of help online for step-by-step guidance for cooking. Draft a menu for the week/month so that you can work on what to cook.
Networking and making new friends 🤗
University is a different world altogether, mixed with different people with different cultures and beliefs. You can network and make new friends by joining a society/club, going for hikes, career fairs, freshers' fayre, staying in touch with family and friends, attending social gatherings in the university and engaging in the Students Union actively.
You can decide to speak to one person every day and that way, you will get used to making friends. This will also train you to easily mingle with people anywhere you find yourself.
Broaden horizons 👏
Being at uni will expose you to different things that will help expand your knowledge. This could be participating in extracurricular activities that lead you to leaving your comfort zone and doing things that on a normal day, you wouldn't imagine doing. You can also achieve this by mingling with people that have different opinions from you. Embracing the diversity that it brings by learning new cultures, and adapting to new teaching methods and environments will, in turn, help you develop your interpersonal skills.
Building a professional digital presence 📲
As a student, you can learn how to create an online presence on different platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter/X etc. that best suits your career, and you can sell yourself and your skills to the public. Also, you can be taught how to write a professional CV, tailoring your skills to applications, etc. Always book a session with the Career and Employability Services at the University.
Share the life skills you learnt, or the ones you're hoping to learn, below!
