Uni would teach me endless amounts of expertise, huge intellect and a lot of professionalism.

When I was done with that, I would feel very grown up and start a successful career.

That's roughly what I imagined a few years ago as the result of my studies.

It didn't quite work out, but I still learned a lot.

However, there are some things I would have liked to know earlier, so I would like to share the most important of them here.

Small spoiler - most of my learnings do not come from the lecture hall and maybe it gets a bit sentimental.

1. Understanding the university system is at least as important as the course content.

Where can I get which information?

How can I extend the deadline for my term paper?

All this may seem trivial, but it is often not easy at all.

At first I was intimidated by the bureaucratic processes at the university, the more than 90 pages of examination regulations seemed like an insurmountable mountain.

For me, the course catalog was regularly the final boss in my bachelor’s degree.

No matter how annoying it all is, if you don't know how to register for exams, that you have to pass statistics in the first three semesters or which form has to be signed by whom, additional hurdles build up - often very high ones.

That's why it's good to invest time as early as possible to understand how the university actually ticks.

2. Networks are super important!

That may sound like a very old career guide, but for me it was one of the keys to a successful path through my studies.

It's not about calculating your career from the start and making silly small talk, but about finding allies so you don't get lost in the university jungle.

Networking at the university does not mean passing business cards back and forth, but exchanging ideas with other students.

Both the old-fashioned study group and the digital folder with old exams, as well as about a thousand coffee dates with fellow students made my studies much easier.

Some of the people who reminded me to hand in my homework in the first semester are now some of the most important people in my life.

Of course, the latter is not mandatory if it happens

3. The university politicized me - and that's a good thing.

At the beginning of my studies, one of the things that impressed me the most was how many people are politically or socially active.

At every corner, signatures were collected or attention was drawn to grievances.

In the first week of lectures I went to a demo for the first time in my life and a few days later I sat in a plenum for the first time.

I was intimidated at first, but soon became excited.

In the following years I tried out a few things, gave up some things and, above all, learned a great deal.

About social movements, about democracy and about working in a team.

Now I'm convinced: Social commitment is extremely important and makes the world a little bit better.