Campus life is calling: How spending time on campus can benefit your career and life

I get it – your time is poor – juggling one too many part-time jobs, trying to have a balanced social life, doing your best to keep on top of your university – a long commute to university is the last thing you need.

Forget frantically digging through your wardrobe to find something to wear and take your chances on public transport. All you need is a half-stable internet connection, and you just roll out of bed, swing open your laptop, find the zoom link and… ATTENDED: is marked beside your name.

Where working at home is the new norm in this post-pandemic world, it’s easy to get comfy. While most classes are back in person, many subjects have an online option saving you the stress of coming onto campus.

But while campus might be out of the way, it might also be worth the effort.

Standout & Succeed

In this post-pandemic world, making an effort to routinely come into campus can quickly help you to stand out from your peers. Engaging with your tutors and lecturers in person will allow you to establish professional relationships with them and your peers. Networking in the classroom can open countless doors, from your dream job to lifelong friendships.

You’re paying for it

This one is simple. All the facilities and resources that are available on campus are paid for by student fees. The study spaces, chill-out zones, microwaves, beanbags and rooftop gardens are paid for by YOU. Get out there and make the most of it.

Build Real Connections in Real Life

After enduring a few too many semesters without the possibility to meet face-to-face, we all know how hard it is to build professional and social relationships via your laptop’s webcam and speakers. Nothing can replicate the polite introduction between peers during your first lecture that week-on-week grows into friendships that outlast the classroom.

Making friends at university is good for your mental well-being, will motivate you to come to campus more often and can lead to unexpected career opportunities. You never know who the person sitting next to you in class will be working for (or who will be working for them) five or ten years from now. Get onto campus, start conversations with those around you, and see where it leads you.

Support your university

Getting onto campus and getting involved to bring UTS to life is a way of supporting the student body. Even just wandering around campus, getting something to eat or using the library tells management that students want to make the most of our campus and should continue to invest in and improve its facilities.

Becoming a member of a student society and breathing life into campus creates an inclusive place where anyone can find their niche. Finding a new hobby, passion project, or networking through clubs is good for your life and also beneficial to your future career.

While online classes are a good choice for many students – especially those of us who live far from UTS or work full-time – 1 or 2 days at our campus a week can make all the difference. So, whether all your classes are online, or they’re all in person, come back on campus and make the most out of your university experience. 

Photo courtesy of UTS Careers