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It鈥檚 the start of the new year, and with it comes many other beginnings 鈥� starting new habits, a new job, or a new semester.聽

That鈥檚 right 鈥� it鈥檚 the first day back in university or school for many students. You鈥檒l have to forgo the blissful days of sleeping in, delicious festive food, and the warm cosiness of home; instead, they鈥檙e now replaced with 8 a.m. lectures, hectic schedules, and never-ending assignments and projects.聽聽

This shift can be jarring for most, especially international students. You鈥檒l have to start planning ahead on how to get your life together, which is no small feat when you鈥檙e alone, far from home, and learning how to be an adult for the first time.

Overwhelmed? You鈥檙e not alone. In fact, no matter what stage of life you鈥檙e at, it鈥檚 common to feel anxious about your first day back in university.聽

Perhaps you may initially feel a little silly thinking about how nervous you are, even as an adult, but rest assured the back to university jitters are totally normal. Source: AFP

The first days always get to us

Do you remember what it felt like on your first day of school as a child? Nervous, scared, and probably looking around for your parents.聽

And now, as a young adult 鈥� or even a fully grown one 鈥� you may feel the same emotions as you step into lecture halls.聽

Regardless if this is your first degree, if you鈥檙e returning to a programme you never had a chance to finish, or if you鈥檙e pursuing a course to upskill for your career, it鈥檚 normal to feel a hollow pit in your stomach every first day back in university.聽

You may not have the same classmates as you did last semester. The new subjects may even seem intimidating at first; you鈥檝e barely scratched the surface of physics formulas, and the upcoming semester has a quantum physics component. Scary, to say the least.

For some, learning situations will vary. Some are balancing school alongside their work and/or family responsibilities, and have to cope with these extra stressors alongside classes.聽

But no matter the circumstances, the classroom environment 鈥� even a virtual one 鈥� may look and feel a little different, even more intimidating than the last time you were there.聽

We鈥檒l keep it real with you. Don鈥檛 psych yourself out; always remind yourself why you鈥檙e pursuing a degree, and feel proud of the commitment you鈥檝e made. Learn to turn those jitters into motivation to approach the upcoming school year enthusiastically and confidently.

How to embrace and enjoy your first day back in university, according to your year聽

We鈥檝e broken it down into categories that you鈥檒l hopefully find helpful.聽

Second years 鈥� it鈥檚 time to lock in

To the second years, welcome back! Your first year in university most likely came with challenges of its own, but many still consider it a honeymoon year.聽

That鈥檚 no longer the case.聽

There is a big difference between your first and second-year experience at university. The level of study will step up a notch, and the standard required will be much higher than in the first year. Your workload will increase a lot as well.

In short, it鈥檚 time to lock in. Start planning your days around your classes and assignments, and note the office hours that your lecturers and professors keep. And while this author maintains that 8 a.m. lectures should be classified as a human rights violation, it鈥檚 still important that you don鈥檛 miss out on classes.聽

Learn to manage your time to fit your work and revision in blocks 鈥� this helps you adhere to deadlines while ensuring you鈥檙e prepared for assessments or exams.

If you鈥檙e an international student, you may want to start looking into companies to join, especially if your programme has an internship component.聽

This is particularly important for those intending to continue working in the country after graduating 鈥� the sooner you start, the better your chances.聽

On your first day back in university, treat yourself to your favourite beverage. You deserve it. Source: AFP

Third/final year students, the end is neigh

The end of your degree, that is.聽

Embrace the final years of uni, because soon after, it鈥檚 time for the real world. And it may not be very kind.聽

For the final year, most students will take on a dissertation, research project, or extended essay.聽

Of course, the top tip would be to start early; research topics you may be interested in covering, plan out your structure, and meet with your professors to discuss any questions.

This is also the year to make realistic plans. Unless you鈥檙e lucky, you may not find a job right after graduation. It鈥檚 important to understand that this process takes time, and job rejections are normal.

Devote your time into building your resume, or network with professionals through campus events or platforms like LinkedIn. Don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to your uni鈥檚 career centre, if they have one; remember that your uni resources are meant to be used!

Master鈥檚 and PhD students 鈥� welcome back!

You either came straight from your bachelor鈥檚, or chose to return to school after working for a while. Either way, you鈥檙e most likely a mature student 鈥� older than 23 years old.聽

Regardless, there is an adjustment period when you return to the classroom as a mature student. It may not be easy to step back into the circle of reading, writing, and a full course load.聽

Pursuing an advanced degree will offer many new intellectual opportunities at every turn, so try to avoid overloading yourself with commitments as you readjust to student life. Your programme will involve a lot of independent research, so our best tip is to start early and maximise chances for feedback from your professors and peers.聽

But at the same time, be sure that you make time for yourself. Join communities or seek out friends; who says you can鈥檛 mingle with the young uns? It鈥檚 good to balance focusing on your initial objectives and remaining open to new possibilities.

Remember, it’s only your first day back in university. You’re not running out of time; by learning to manage, you’ll notice you can achieve even more than you though you could. Source: AFP

Great general tips for your first day back in university聽

If you don鈥檛 find yourself in any of the categories above, we have some general tips for you, too.聽

• Manage your time well

This is possibly the most crucial aspect of your academic journey and beyond. We’ve mentioned it before, but we’ll say it again.

Learning how to manage your time will help you balance your workload with other commitments, while also challenging any negative thoughts and fears you may have about falling behind.聽

In fact, people say they don鈥檛 have enough time to get everything done within a day.聽

While this can sometimes be true, it鈥檚 also a matter of how we spend our time; nearly 60% of the world uses social media and , scrolling TikTok or envying jet-setting influencers. We run around without routines, attempting to live life in the moment, but failing to meet our commitments accordingly.聽

Many things can be solved if you adopt a 鈥渄o it now鈥� rather than an 鈥淚鈥檒l do it later鈥� attitude. Start your assignments ahead of the deadline, schedule your meetings accordingly, cook your meals before you get hungry, and pick up the laundry on the floor when you see it.聽

You may be surprised that some of these tasks take less time than you expected, and you won鈥檛 have it at the back of your mind moving forward.聽

Need tips to get started? Check out our tried-and-tested time management skills, compiled from some of the busiest people in the world.聽

It’s likely that there are many others in the same situation as you — nervous about finding friends in a new environment. Source: AFP

• Communicate your feelings

No one understands the university experience like your fellow students. That鈥檚 why, if you鈥檙e nervous about your first day back in university, it鈥檚 a good idea to reach out to those who would understand how you鈥檙e feeling. After all, you鈥檙e not the only one who may be nervous!

Introduce yourself to your new coursemates, and find comfort in the shared experience of attending new classes.聽

Not ready to approach strangers? Try to meet with your classmates from the previous semester to catch up on what they’ve been up to over the festive break. If they鈥檙e part of your new semester 鈥� even better; you can chat about things you鈥檙e looking forward to about your course, or anything that you鈥檙e unsure about.

If you鈥檙e open to meeting new friends with similar interests, seek聽 communities or clubs that you may be interested in. Not only will you be able to find like-minded peers, but you鈥檒l be able to network and maybe even find opportunities to build your skills and add to your resume. 2025 is the year for growth for you and me.

Don鈥檛 be afraid to seek out other resources like alumni or seniors, either. You can get an idea of what your upcoming semester will look like by talking to those who have been in your shoes.聽

If you feel like you need professional help to deal with your anxiety, most universities have in-house counselling services for free. Don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to them, as they are experts in handling students facing challenges similar to yours.

it takes years to develop your craft. do not romanticize the idea of an ‘overnight success’. be a student. grow organically. get really good. hate your work. start over. find new ways to express the same ideas. the student becomes the master. your time will come.

鈥� blue (@bluewmist)

• Look after yourself聽

Naturally, self-care plays a large part in your university life. But we鈥檙e not here to talk bathbombs and scented candles 鈥� our biggest self-care tip is to avoid putting too much pressure on yourself.

It takes a lot not to worry, overthink, and essentially imagine the worst-case scenarios at times. But more often than not, it鈥檚 never as bad as we first think.聽

Try not to start your semester with set thoughts on what you need to do, or what grades you need to achieve. Sometimes, your plans don鈥檛 always play out as expected, so it is important to give yourself a break if they don鈥檛, instead of beating yourself up over them.

It’s only your first day or week back in university — you still have time.

Instead, try focusing on smaller targets you can work towards from your first day back in university. It could be something as simple as starting your study chapters earlier, or being more open to new opportunities and people that come your way throughout the year.聽

It鈥檚 great to have big dreams, but don鈥檛 burn yourself out in the process. Most importantly, don鈥檛 dwell long on any mistakes; rather, take them as a learning experience, and reframe your perspectives for a fresh start.聽

Once again, happy new year, and best of luck in with your first day back in university!