Corban Lugt
Bachelor of Architectural Studies student Corban shares what his first year at university was like.
"I’ve always known that I wanted to study architecture - that was really solidified in high school when I found my creative side. I have always been more technical, so when I realised I could combine this with creativity in architecture, I knew that was definitely the path for me.
"Like many other first year students coming into university, I was pretty nervous and I didn’t know what to expect. It was good starting out in the halls of residence because at least we were all going through it together, even though we were doing different degrees.
"I was also excited to move away from home, have a fresh start and make new friends. At first it was a bit difficult to find my way around campus, I was nervous about missing a class or walking into a lecture late. But there are maps you can use to find your way around and you get used to it pretty quickly.
"Becoming independent was quite difficult. I was used to my mom doing all of my washing and cooking and having to do all of that myself was a bit of a shock at the start. But it got easier as the year went on.
"It was also a challenge to manage my time with a class schedule, study and balancing that with a social life because I feel that is very important as well. The first semester was a bit hard, but from the second semester I had learned to manage my time and then everything was a lot easier.
"The biggest challenge this year was managing the workload. At first I thought I’d be alright, but then realised it is quite a lot to manage. But it’s not that bad as long as you manage your time well.
"To be honest, the architecture degree is even better than what I expected it to be. I didn’t expect for it to be so social and friendly. I thought it would be competitive. But the reality is that your friends and peers want to see you do well. You’ve got a really good peer support system, which I really like.
"My highlight of the year is definitely all of the friends I have made. I think next year I will prioritise my study even more, I really want to focus on the quality of my work.
"My advice for new students is to just not worry too much, because everything works out. So just take everything as it comes!"