By Suhel Singh Randhawa
Going from high school to university brings about so many new experiences; living away from home, making new friends, being self-dependent, and more. However, socializing in university plays a significant role, both in one’s professional and personal life. Making connections while in university can forge lifelong friendships and can even help you find your dream workplace.
Transitioning from high school to university has always been a big change, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it a little more difficult. Now that we are back on campus, students can make friends more easily. Joining clubs on campus is one of the best ways to break through some of the social anxiety that the pandemic may have caused. Participating in intramural sports also goes a long way, because it is easier to bond with others over sports or activities. And of course, there is always the simple approach of talking to the person sitting next to you in class.
International students whose first language is not English may be hesitant to socialize with people from other backgrounds, or voice their thoughts because they have limited experience with conversational English. The best way to become better at conversing in English is to listen and practice. Watching TV shows and movies, listening to podcasts, and just making an effort to converse in English goes a long way. I used to feel this way a few years ago, but then I started watching WWE and listening to the commentary, and it really helped me become familiar with some slang words and expressions common in the English language.
Working in groups is a big part of the university experience. Whether it is at your job, or on a project for a course, working in a group is very common. Group work can be challenging for a number of reasons, especially for ESL students, but it can bring about the best solutions to the worst of problems and can improve relations with one’s coworkers and classmates.
Group-work brings together people from diverse backgrounds to work together on a specific task and to achieve a common goal. This intellectual diversity provides very creative and useful solutions, bringing forth a variety of bright ideas. This can, however, lead to conflict as some people may not agree with an idea, or may fail to understand it. In such situations, communication is always key. Everyone must be welcome to communicate their ideas and thoughts freely and respectfully, and final decisions can be determined by a consensus or what the majority of the group agrees on.
We might come across group members who do not work well together or fail to contribute to the goals and expectations of the project. To prevent such an occurrence, you must make sure that the division of work is clear and specific, with individual responsibilities being listed properly. Organizing regular check-ins with teammates to monitor the progress of the assigned work also helps ensure that work is being done well.
Although some people think that they work better solo, or they may not be comfortable. Working in a group, it is important to understand that working with others is an important skill to develop. There will always be supervisors, subordinates, clients, suppliers, and so on that you will need to know how to work with effectively. Working in groups is an essential professional and social skill that everyone should develop. University is a place to learn new concepts, gain new experiences, and get out of your comfort zone to become your best self. You may have some unpleasant encounters but keep working towards your goal; it is surely worth it.
In the end, it is all about the effort you put in. You may fail at first, but success will come along soon enough.