One of the biggest things in many young adult’s life is starting university. University for me so far has contained some of the best days of my life, but also some of my most challenging. Although I have met some amazing people at university, I can feel lonely. Although my course interests me, I can feel unmotivated.
“…there is so much to do, so much to join, pressure
coming from all angles”
But what are some of the struggles at university that make someone feel this way? I think it lies upon the nature of university life, there is so much to do, so much to join, pressure coming from all angles. One minute you are writing essays, the next you are looking for houses, and the next you are going to work so you can afford groceries.
“University can be overwhelming…There are lots of
things to be anxious about…”
University can be overwhelming. I think being at university has made me more in touch with my mental health. I sometimes find myself unable to get out of bed because I know when I do, the pile of things to do seems insurmountable, it can be easy to push things aside and tell yourself you will deal with them later. There are lots of things to be anxious
about, you may feel like there is pressure to join groups because ‘its what everybody else is doing’, or even the struggle to find somewhere/ someone to live with. A lot of these struggles I didn’t know about before coming to university, in fact I didn’t really know much about university life at all, which is why its so easy to become anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, these are all valid feelings and I think student mental health should be talked about more.
“Whenever I feel especially anxious, especially lonely, I
remember that I am not alone in my feelings.”
I hope that this blog reaches people who struggle at university, because I understand the rollercoaster being a student can take you on. But whenever I feel especially anxious, especially lonely, I remember that I am not alone in my feelings, and that talking to someone about it, whether it be anonymous or in person, is a great first step. We are all in this together.
Student mental health resources for England
- Student Minds www.studentminds.org.uk
- NHS Help for teenagers, young adults and students – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Mind About student mental health – Mind
York Ending Stigma
To find out more about our work and to join us to end mental health stigma in York, please refer to our website https://yorkcvs.org.uk/york-ending-stigma/ or email us on yes@yorkCVS.org.uk