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What I wish I had known at 18
As this year’s new intake of students begin university life, we asked speakers at the FT’s Weekend Festival — authors, comedians, academics and FT columnists — to tell us what they wish they had known when they were 18, and for their tips on getting the most out of university.
Martin Wolf, FT chief economics commentator
The answer to that question ‘what do you wish you had known at 18?’ is nothing. I already knew that university was going to be very exciting, intellectually rewarding as it turned out to be for me — I was at Oxford for six years. It changed me very profoundly intellectually. I’m sure I didn’t know what was going to happen to me and if I look back on my life now — this is more than 50 years ago — all pleasure and excitement comes out of the things you never expected.
Jamie Susskind, barrister and author of ‘Future Politics’
The first people you meet are not necessarily going to be your best friends — don’t worry about it. Don’t get caught up in trying to go to the parties everyone’s expected to go to, rather, try to find people with whom you can forge close connections and who will be with you decades afterwards.
You may identify them by doing more listening than speaking. When a lot of people get to university, understandably, they want to tell their new friends who they are and where they are from — but it’s as important to listen, and drink in all these incredibly different people from backgrounds that are completely unlike your own.
Phil Wang, comedian
Break up with your girlfriend or boyfriend, don’t stay together. Leave everyone behind. Your love is not special, there’s a wider world out there and you should take advantage of it. Also, join some societies. I didn’t do that, and I wish I had. It’s possible to feel that you don’t deserve to be there. You should be aware that everybody feels that way. Either have a balanced experience or excel at something, but don’t be mediocre at one thing. If you’re going to be average, at least be average at a bunch of things so you have a full experience.
21. We can learn from the second paragraph that Martin thinks his university life was _____.
A. Nothing special. B. Totally unexpected.
C. Interesting and rewarding. D. Confusing.
22. According to Jamie, how can we make friends in a university?
A. Develop close relationship with the first people we meet.
B. Go to parties as more as possible.
C. Tell others our personal stories.
D. Listen to others and be friends with people different from us.
23. What does the underlined word “mediocre” mean in the fourth paragraph?
A. common B. normal C. content D. bored
