If something is worth doing it deserves our passion and full engagement. Our team is passionate about what we do, what we represent and the ideas we champion. We’re also a diverse bunch with our own passions and ideas. These are some of the personal passions from our team and things we wished we knew when we first started uni.

Sara S’s Passion (Panache Editor):

My love affair with reading began after Mum’s old copy of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens in the ebony book cupboard, which was always mysteriously padlocked. Persistent searching through several bedroom drawers produced a miniature bronze key. This find enabled me to spend many enjoyable days with Charles Dickens, Anna Sewell and Jules Verne from when I was as young as eight. Soon I was devouring books so voraciously, my mum banned me from reading fiction books while other kids were banned from watching excessive TV.

What Sara wished she knew:

You might experience what I term “grade shock”, unless you are clued in. Do not expect the same grades you had in high school, especially if you are a high achiever. The standards expected in uni are different and I find using appropriate referencing properly helps with this issue in research based assessments.

Vince S’s Passion (President):

My interest in philosophy stemmed from the conversations with my dad. Eastern philosophy gave me a new-found perspective on why things change and how we can make change for the better. It discusses virtues, morals and ethics for a better world. Now I love all schools of philosophy which continue to challenge my thinking and broaden my perspective.

What Vince wished he knew:

Routines instantly put us in the right frame of mind for fighting procrastination and cramming behaviour. An effective morning routine (e.g. getting some exercise, planning out your day) will give you time to centre your thoughts, before you morph into that busy uni student living life on the run.

Know your limits and take regular breaks. Most of us can pull an all-nighter or two, but it all takes a toll on our minds and bodies (quite insidiously most of the time). Be sure to catch up on sleep you lose and take decent 30-minute breaks between every couple hours of studying.

This is the third and final part of this feature. We hope you received some novel insights.