Picture this: You’re scrolling on your phone at night, having an existential crisis, and you stumble upon a ‘how to be that girl in uni’ video on YouTube or TikTok.
At first, you’re intrigued. You watch the video. Then another. And another.
At this point, you’re fully immersed. You’ve watched countless videos with tips for being the ‘IT Girl’ in university. You’ve always wanted to be a hotter, more improved version of yourself, and now you know how to work towards it.
It’s too easy. All you need to do to become a ‘better you’ is wake up by 4 am each day so you can journal and meditate, develop an addiction to coffee (this is a real thing, I promise you), spend hours in the gym to get that body, magically resurrect your social life if it was dead, go to classes, do a wardrobe reset, start your skincare journey, and eat healthy while managing to get good grades.
Girl, be real! You will crash and burn.
This isn’t a sustainable or healthy lifestyle for you. It’s too demanding for a university student, and if you’re not careful, it will take a toll on your mental health as you try and fail to keep up with unrealistic standards. Sure, everyone wants to work on themselves, and no one is perfect. But these videos are definitely not the way to go about it.
Being ‘that girl’ isn’t about having perfect aesthetics or sticking to a twenty-point routine. It’s more about figuring out how to balance every aspect of your life, from school to fitness to your business (if you have one), and making this balance work for you.
So, if you still want to be ‘That girl’ while keeping it real, I’ve got some tips for you.
The “IT” Girl’s Guide to Navigating University Like a Badass
1. The 5 am Club is Not for you (Yet)
In those videos, our ‘That girl’ is often seen waking up at ungodly hours in the morning so she can journal, meditate, and, of course, watch the sunrise. That is not happening in university. Of course, sometimes you could wake up early so you can be well prepared for the day, but as a routine? That is so unrealistic.
Personally, whenever I was up before 6 am when I was in university, it was always because I had an early morning test. You cannot pull off waking by 5 am every day if you spent the previous night updating your notes, reviewing your materials, or watching TikTok(like we all do). You’ll only end up with a messed-up sleep schedule and headaches.
2. Skip the Micro-planning
Save your color-coded planner some space. That idea of you being able to plan every hour out is a joke. Uni is where plans go to die. Sure, for the first one or two weeks, your schedule may be going fine, but I can assure you that by week four, you’ve already forgotten what you were supposed to be doing between 10:35 and 10:45 am on Thursday. I advise planning out only the important deadlines or things you can’t afford to miss.
3. Make Smart Money Choices:
As a student, you cannot afford to be financially reckless. Can you really call yourself ‘That girl’ if you’re stepping out daily in designer labels while your bank account balance is in double digits? So, to keep it real while still looking like a Pinterest girly, you can opt for buying cheaper, unbranded pieces that still fit your aesthetic. Don’t buy counterfeit— Babes, you might not be a millionaire, but you’re classier than that. You can buy dupes for perfumes, locally sourced quality bags, instead of carrying a fake that can spotted a mile away.
Another great way to cut your spending is to choose home-cooked meals rather than eating out daily. Budgeting is also another hack for keeping your bank account healthy. Plan your income and expenses, then budget how much you’ll need for the month. Trust me, making these smart money choices will help you in the long run.
4. Tread With Caution:
Girl, you cannot be a gym girlie in school. I know it’s a trend now, and all the ‘ It’ girls spend hours in the gym, but please remember, you’re still a student at the end of the day. Exercise is necessary for wellness, but as a student, you need to be cautious of your limits. Being a student is difficult already. Adding that HIIT workout routine you saw online will lead to burnout.
To show yourself love, you could do simple exercises that seamlessly fit into your daily life. Whether it’s a walk to your bus stop, yoga, twenty minutes on the treadmill (if you have access to one) while listening to an audiobook, or a few crunches in the morning, make sure to keep fit in a way that is merciful to your body.
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5. Personalise your Reading Method:
If that one girl online reads with white music in the background as she takes notes in a room with blue lighting between the hours of 7–9 pm and it works for her, that doesn’t mean it’ll work for you, too. Figure out what actually works for you in terms of academic work.
Personally, I’m not the type to revise my materials every day. I work best under extreme pressure, and it works for me. You may be the type of student who understands better by listening attentively.
You may be the type who has to write out everything to remember. Just as we’re different humans, every student has a technique that works for them. What really matters is that you’re putting in the work required and acing your courses at the end of the day. If your reading technique isn’t giving you the desired results, challenge yourself and find another. Being ‘That girl’ in uni means putting in the academic effort.
6. Know You, Do you:
Try your best to figure out what works best for you. When it comes to your sense of fashion, your choice of makeup, your hairstyle, and even your skincare, what matters most is you. Whatever choices you make regarding this should be tailored specifically to you.
You should know what flatters you, what suits your body type and skin color, what hairstyle makes your forehead look small, and even what works for that annoying forehead pimple. Sure, you can discover all these things by looking at what works for others but remember that they have to work for you, too. Don’t just adopt or copy others. The girls online with the effortless style you’re so jealous of look that cool because they’re dressing for themselves. Do you— That’s what makes you ‘ That girl’.