5 things I learnt at university that are actually useful at work

University can be so much more than just getting a certificate.

| Andrew Koay | Sponsored | February 17, 2021, 05:57 PM

Two years on from graduating, I can’t help but look back on my days at university with a good dose of nostalgia.

Apart from the carefree vibes and abundance of spare time, there was also a sense of satisfaction that came with learning something new and complex.

However, now that I’ve entered the working world, how much of what I’d learnt is actually useful? Was studying just purely for the paper certificate?

To be completely honest, much of my day-to-day work is learnt on the job.

But that doesn’t mean that my time at university was a complete waste.

On the contrary, though it wasn’t immediately obvious, it’s clear that much of what I learned at university helped to prepare me for working life.

So, here are five things I learned from university that I actually use on a day-to-day basis at work:

1) Learn how to collaborate

Some people love them and some people hate them, but one thing unavoidable for any university student is group work and projects.

I personally didn’t love the idea of being forced to collaborate with total strangers; in any random group of five students there are bound to be differing levels of work ethic.

There’ll be the megalomaniacal perfectionist who insists on everything being done their way to their specifications; the group project ghost who fades into the background during meetings; the last-minute man who uploads his slides five minutes before the presentation, just to name a few.

But to be honest, that’s how it often is in the working world as well.

As long as you are working with other people, there will be idiosyncrasies and varying approaches to work.

Making any project successful involves navigating — and sometimes managing — these different personalities.

University represents an opportunity to hone the skills necessary to do just that in a relatively risk-free environment.

What’s the worst that could happen if your team fails to pull it together?

At university, you might have to endure an embarrassing presentation and a bad grade. That’s still better than getting in trouble at work where your employment might be on the line, or there’s actual money at stake.

Image of people in a group having a discussion Image by Headway via Unsplash

2) Build a professional network

University is a great opportunity to meet people whom you’d probably never have met other than for the fact you happened to take a class together.

The unique thing about making friends at university is that you’re probably going to run into individuals from different courses and even different countries.

But apart from making friends, meeting lots of different people is also a good chance to build a professional network.

Since I’ve started work it’s been incredibly helpful knowing people from other companies and industries who are just a text away.

Being able to sit down and have a coffee with them has provided useful insight into topics that I previously had no knowledge of.

3) See things in a different light

The other thing that meeting people from diverse backgrounds does is that when you actually have a conversation with them you’re likely to hear different perspectives on things, opposing opinions on issues, and varying approaches to problems that you may not otherwise be exposed to.

Something else that will broaden your worldview are actually the theories you’re learning about at university.

Whenever you’re reading someone’s paper or listening to a lecturer expose the merits of a certain theory, you’re actually taking in a new perspective.

Having an open mind and broadening your world view can only be a good thing once you enter the working world and find yourself interacting with different people.

Your mind is opened to seeing situations in a new light and that inevitably leads to greater creativity.

When it comes to your career, this will pay off when you encounter a work-related problem or challenge.

4) Learn how to communicate effectively

If group projects split opinion, then presentations certainly unify them — no one likes giving a presentation.

I can remember one particular presentation at university where the nerves of speaking publicly about a subject I really didn’t understand sent me stumbling from one word to the next.

Eventually, the presentation ground to halt as I tried to recall what exactly the next sentence on my script was.

The whole experience was torturous.

The problem is that presentations don’t just stop at university.

For most working adults, presentations are quite a regular part of life; believe it or not, giving a presentation to your boss can be a whole lot more nerve-wracking than presenting to your classmates and lecturer.

Once again, university provides a pretty safe space to get better at your presentation skills.

But perhaps beyond giving a slick PowerPoint show, you’re picking up the indispensable skill of effective communication.

Being able to clearly get your point or ideas across at work could be the difference-maker between having your suggestion accepted or rejected.

The reality — as I’ve learned myself — is that it’s not always the best ideas that win, but the best-communicated ideas.

And if you think about it, giving presentations and writing essays or reports is all about that: arguing for a certain point of view and doing so in a way that your reader can understand.

5) Access technology and resources

Universities aren’t just good for the pure information you’re getting fed through lectures, they’re also equipped with resources that you’d have to fork out a fortune to own yourself.

The obvious one is the university library, but don’t forget programmes and other technology that you’ll want to master as well.

Learning and experiencing how to use a Bloomberg Terminal could be invaluable for instance if you plan on pursuing a career in the finance industry, for example.

If you’re lucky, your university might even incorporate the use of these technologies into their classes.

It’ll go some distance in making those first few days at work way less daunting if you’re already familiar with the tools of the trade.

Image of woman giving a presentation Image by Airfocus via Unsplash

Learning at James Cook University

All these skills mentioned above are inculcated in students at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU) — who are currently holding their virtual open house.

For example, JCU incorporates cutting edge technology and innovations into classes wherever appropriate with their blended learning approach.

Part of this includes having research-active academics teaching the programmes offered at the university.

This ensures that students are soaking in relevant content during lectures and learning from real-life examples.

Furthermore, JCU’s learning spaces are designed to leverage and incorporate technologies into the classroom setting. A learning centre is also available to students with full-time advisors on hand to provide centralized support and guidance.

Prospective students can find out more by visiting JCU’s Accessible 24/7 Open House here.

Writing this James Cook University-sponsored article made the writer miss his university days.

Top image by Pang Yuhao via Unsplash