What would you do if you won the lottery? Cars, watches, houses, maybe even fame? Maybe you would help others. Maybe you would aim for world peace. But here is a question I bet you have never been asked: have you ever actually bought a lottery ticket?
“To win the lotto, you have to buy a ticket.” It sounds obvious, almost embarrassingly so. And that is exactly why it is overlooked. The most important part of any outcome – success or failure – is the decision to start. Nothing happens unless you take the first step, and once you do, whatever follows exists because you jumped.
Now, scratching lotto cards is not the point, but applying this principle to university life is.
University hands you something rare: a reset button. You arrive largely unburdened by past labels, expectations, or versions of yourself you have outgrown. You could be quieter, louder, braver, or more curious. You could try things you never imagined yourself doing. But none of that happens by accident. Reinvention requires action – and often, discomfort.
Taking the jump does not mean making dramatic, life-altering decisions every day. Sometimes it is small – joining a quiz night even though you do not know anyone, sitting next to someone new, speaking up when your instinct is to stay quiet, or even saying yes before you feel ready. These moments seem insignificant, but they add up. They are the “tickets” you buy – and eventually, one of them pays off.
Sometimes, these risks pay off in ways you could never have predicted. A casual conversation turns into a familiar face. A familiar face turns into a friend. Many of the friendships that people cherish in university did not come from careful planning but from moments that almost did not happen at all – an invitation that could have been declined or a seat that could have stayed empty. It might feel like a gamble, but ultimately, you miss 100% of the shots you do not take.
Of course, it is scary. Doing something unfamiliar always is. There is the fear of embarrassment, rejection, failure, or simply not being good enough. But here is the paradox: university is arguably the safest place to take risks and be adventurous. Everyone is figuring things out. Everyone is pretending to be more confident than they feel. The stakes are lower than they seem, even when your nerves insist otherwise. And more often than not, you do not fall. You adapt. You learn. You land on your feet.
If taking the leap still feels too daunting, here is another reason to try. Contrary to popular belief, successful people are not always the most skilled or the most magnetic; they are simply the ones who engage with the world more. Increased engagement increases your likelihood of success – your ratio of experience and luck improves. If stepping out of your comfort zone does not appeal to you socially, maybe it does pragmatically.
So jump. Talk to the stranger. Join the thing. Take the chance.
You do not need to know exactly how it will turn out, you just need to be willing to show up.
Visual: Esther Ndebele
