In connection to study start I would definitely suggest to try to make to as many social events and as much of the intro week as possible. The shipping programme is fairly small and this is a part of its charm. You get to know so many of your fellow students within the intro week and its a good way to focus on the social aspects before getting more into the academic aspects associated with the semester start.
Something that I feel like I would have benefited from knowing is that it’s okay not to find the transition from high school to university easy. It’s a big change in your life and a step out of one’s comfort zone. I struggled with understanding that I couldn’t always be great at every topic of every course. The more math heavy courses such as statistics and microeconomics definitely threw me off but I got through it with the help of my study group (and remember that a re-exam isn’t the end of the world). University is an adjustment but it’s one that’s worth it in the long run.
Something that makes my everyday life work is a balance between academics, my social life and work life. It’s a difficult balance to find and it’s different from person to person but just keep trying until you find yours. You’ll definitely realize if you feel like one or the other is being neglected or overdone. But it’s a balance that is a must for me to have.