Stand out and stay out

Uni is not the time to blend in

Almost every American movie about high school follows a character on their never ending quest to fit in - until they realise that they should just be themselves. As cringe as it sounds, it is true. When you get to uni however, my advice is not to waste your precious time figuring this out. It’s a fact, uni is not the time to blend in.

Why do we want to blend in?

Since our first days in nursery, we have a built in desire to make friends, to find our group of people, to fit in. We spend a good chunk of our formative years trying to figure out where we fit in like a jigsaw puzzle, which isn’t bad since it’s nice to be part of a bigger picture. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have friends, or connect with the people around you. But there is a difference with having friends and blending in with a crowd. Some of the most successful people you know will have a circle of people around them who are as equally successful, but they do not merge with each other - they are their own person. Part of maturing is realising that you are your own jigsaw puzzle and have enough pieces to make a complete picture.

I get it, standing out is embarrassing. Being the first to do something feels cringe. But, everything is cringe until it isn’t, that’s how your TikTok algorithm works, that’s how the world works. The more you concentrate on building yourself, you might even find others around you who are also not to shy to stand out.

Why is it better to stand out?

I mentioned that uni is not the time to blend in because that’s the point I’m at right now, but it really applies to anyone reading this. If there is something you want to do in life, a goal you want to achieve, a person you want to become - you can’t do that by doing whatever everyone else around you is doing. Quick example, if there is a competition for a group of people you are surrounded with, how on earth do you think you are going to win if you are doing everything that everyone else is doing? Well, that’s life - professional life at least. Especially for creatives whose individuality is their unique selling point.

When in uni or any stage of your life, try your best to overcome the fear and embarrassment because success and opportunities is on the other side. As I look back and reflect on my time at uni so far, I have noticed patterns in some of the opportunities I’ve been blessed with - many arising because of actions I took when choosing to act differently. For example, posting on TikTok can be seen as cringe, and even now I still get shy, but I don’t stop because I have been able to do so many content. creation jobs as a result.

Standing out doesn’t mean doing anything crazy. It doesn’t even have to be extraordinary. It’s really just taking steps towards your end goal, regardless of how it may look like now. Posting videos on Instagram when you are a mega influencer is normal, but when you are just starting and creating for your loyal 50 followers, it’s a lot harder. That’s the middle section where many would stop, but those willing to make a personal brand, that’s where the real work starts.

Ways to stand out:

Unfortunately, if you were expecting a clear cut list on the best ways to be seen, you came to the wrong place. A lot of times, I get asked, by younger students, “what should I do to stand out”, “what will make my application different from others?” the answer is not about actions, but more about your mentality. You act different when you first believe you are different. You attract more when you believe you are made for more. This deserves a whole blog post on its own really - check back tomorrow.