Managing mental health at University

So you did what you were supposed to do and got into University. You may have even worked a summer job before you went in to cover the extra cost of living. Things are different now…you are excited to be independent but struggling to come out of your shell. You are stuck between partying and saving, covering the costs to join societies or dedicating your entire time and effort to studying, it’s a hard choice and you feel burned out…

I know exactly how you feel, part of that description resonated with me from before I even started University and part of it I witnessed my fellow peers and friends go through. You see University is like preparation for the real world, most people won’t even go straight into shared private rented accommodation and some people may alternatively choose to remain at home for the entire duration - the choice is yours and that can be a very daunting realisation.

On top of that, there is this massive expectation to be sociable in ways that you weren’t allowed to not only because of age but also because of upbringing. Naturally, you may feel like you want to rebel and fly off the rails because you were warned against doing that before or you may want to be a recluse because you can’t be bothered to deal with the demands of squeamish individuals who you believe you have superseded in life. My advice at this point would be to simply stop: stop thinking about what others think and live for yourself and also stop assuming that the University personalities are as divided as they actually tend to be - break these moulds, join a society that you can afford, host events inside your accommodation, go to the cringey parties that you’re going to laugh about in your third year, just please don’t buy a one time dress from Pretty Little Thing that will be at the bottom of your suitcase when the semester ends, I’m begging you…

But this blog is about managing your mental health and I’m going to be very honest here. University is very difficult…if you don’t enjoy your degree or like where you’re living you will struggle. However, you don’t have to make this your reality as there are so many support services that can help you. Have you ever spoken to a housing advisor about worries of not being scammed by greedy landlords looking to finesse students? Have you ever spoken to an independent mental health organisation close to your campus about various concerns you have for the next academic year? You don’t have to suffer alone and if you can’t find the services from a quick browse, you can speak to your personal tutor and course and module leaders to guide you in that direction of receiving the most suitable and appropriate help for your circumstances

I haven’t said much, in fact I’ve barely touched on the areas of concern that I have in relation to the growing importance of this topic but I have tried and so can you

From K xx