How To Survive University
Chris Williamson (host), Jonny (guest), Yusef (guest), Narrator, Narrator, Narrator, Narrator, Narrator, Narrator
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Jonny, How To Survive University explores survive Uni: Party Hard, Study Smart, Lift Weights, Avoid Regret Chris Williamson and guests Johnny and Yusuf share brutally honest, experience-based advice on how to navigate university life without wasting the opportunity. They argue first year should be used to explore widely, party hard, meet lots of people, and make mistakes—while still doing the minimum needed to pass. From there, they stress building simple systems for studying, using tools like Evernote/Drive, and treating uni as an expensive investment that demands some structure. They also dig into relationships, sex, fitness, finances, and family, repeatedly returning to the theme of maximizing long‑term growth and minimizing post‑uni regret.
Survive Uni: Party Hard, Study Smart, Lift Weights, Avoid Regret
Chris Williamson and guests Johnny and Yusuf share brutally honest, experience-based advice on how to navigate university life without wasting the opportunity. They argue first year should be used to explore widely, party hard, meet lots of people, and make mistakes—while still doing the minimum needed to pass. From there, they stress building simple systems for studying, using tools like Evernote/Drive, and treating uni as an expensive investment that demands some structure. They also dig into relationships, sex, fitness, finances, and family, repeatedly returning to the theme of maximizing long‑term growth and minimizing post‑uni regret.
Key Takeaways
Use first year to explore widely, not to chase high grades.
They argue you only need to pass (e. ...
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Combat Parkinson’s Law with small, daily study habits and clear systems.
Work expands to fill the time allowed, so instead of cramming, they recommend 30–60 minutes of focused work per day, keeping on top of lectures, and using tools like Evernote/Google Drive plus structured note‑taking and regular recall rather than endless re‑reading.
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Avoid locking yourself into relationships too early or out of fear.
Going to uni with a partner—or jumping into a corridor romance in week one—often limits social exploration and adds anxiety; they advise staying single at least initially, and if you are in a relationship, ending it quickly once you know it’s not right instead of clinging for comfort.
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Prioritize safe sex and normalize sexual ‘failures’ to avoid spirals.
They strongly push buying and keeping condoms handy, getting STI tests in relationships, and understanding that erectile issues—especially when drunk—are common and usually psychological; laughing it off and depersonalizing it prevents long‑term anxiety loops.
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Start lifting or doing sport early; your 18–25 body is a unique asset.
They see this age window as “free steroids”: building muscle now creates a life‑long physique base, higher maintenance calories, and more confidence; they advise consistent training (or joining a sport/CrossFit box), mild surpluses rather than “dirty bulks,” and using simple tools like slow cookers for cheap, decent food.
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Treat your degree as an expensive investment, not a vague phase.
With tens of thousands in debt at stake, they urge you to ensure you at least pass, consider whether your course actually fits you (and switch if needed), and use uni time to build parallel skills (coding, copywriting, business, PT qualifications) that can out‑earn the degree itself.
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Be deliberate about who you live with and how you manage your space.
They caution against picking second‑year housemates in October based on the first few people you met; better to wait, choose fewer, better housemates, document move‑in condition for deposits, and even pay for professional cleans mid‑year and at the end to avoid huge losses and stress.
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Notable Quotes
“Your grades in first year do not matter. If you get 40%, that is all that matters.”
— Chris Williamson
“Uni is the epitome of Parkinson’s Law—you take as long as you allocate to the task.”
— Yusuf
“Hampering that first year of your life at university with a relationship is like arriving not having enrolled on your course.”
— Johnny
“It is normal for you not to be able to get it up when you’re pissed. The problem is you don’t know how common it is.”
— Chris Williamson
“Between 18 and 25, there is no excuse for you not to be in good shape—you are a walking ball of steroids.”
— Yusuf
Questions Answered in This Episode
How can a student realistically balance ‘going all in’ socially in first year with avoiding academic disaster, especially in demanding courses like medicine?
Chris Williamson and guests Johnny and Yusuf share brutally honest, experience-based advice on how to navigate university life without wasting the opportunity. ...
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What practical steps can someone in an unhealthy relationship at uni take to end it without imploding their social circle or support system?
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How might these study and system tips change for neurodivergent students (e.g., ADHD) who struggle more with routines and delayed deadlines?
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Is university still a good investment at today’s prices if you don’t plan to build a business or learn extra monetizable skills on the side?
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For students who are shy, introverted, or non‑drinkers, what are the best alternative structures to events companies and heavy party culture to build a strong uni ‘family’?
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Transcript Preview
Welcome back. Johnny and Yusuf from Propem Fitness are here again. Today-
(laughs)
... we are going to discuss how to survive university. How many degrees have we got between us? One and a ... uh, you're a chartered accountant. Yeah.
An ACA.
One and a ... you're now a bachelor of medicine.
Oh, yeah, true. Well, I'm, I'm a, a ... is it a health science diploma that you get after halfway through? And then ... so 1, 1.5-
You're the only one that knows. Don't ask us.
Oh, okay. (laughs) true.
(laughs) You've got, you've got kind of two. I've got two. So there's five degrees between us, in like cumulative amount of like what?
How have you got two?
(laughs) Masters.
When did you sneak a second one in? Oh, I see. Right, okay.
I done a master's, ma- master's.
Master's.
Master's.
So we've been at uni for like, what, f- twelve years between us? Something like that?
Time.
Yeah.
Bare time, bro. Bare time.
Made every possible mistake that you could make-
Yeah.
... at university. Been waste man, been super productive, and everything in between. So-
I re-sat a year at uni.
Did you?
Yeah.
What for? I would have never guessed that.
So ... well, uh, it's part of what I want to talk about.
Fantastic.
Went just basically ... came out of first year hard, with momentum.
(laughs)
Went into second year with s- with the same momentum.
Stiffy.
And then about a third of the way through, thought, "Fuck," and then failed something.
(laughs)
Shit. (laughs)
Well, so we've got a lot to get through today.
(laughs)
Um, for those of you who don't know what I do, I'm a club promoter.
(clears throat)
And for the last 12 years or so, in one form or another, I have had to look after freshers. They are usually the moneymakers for us in terms of guest listers. So what that means is that, uh, every year I get one year older, but the age of the people who work for me and the situations that they encounter-
Mm-hmm.
... pretty much stay the same. It's just faces and names that change.
Just the diverges.
Yeah.
D- does that make you feel-
Just, just to be clear-
... more old?
Th- those people also do get older, is what Chris is saying, is that he's working with different people.
(laughs)
Yeah, they're, they're not frozen in time.
So he has the perception that they are getting older.
Is that ...
(laughs)
I'm aware of that.
Chris is okay, honestly.
Aye, I'm well aware.
What I'm saying is that-
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