Abigel Lancaster
As we reach the halfway point of our Autumn semester and the excitement of the new academic year begins to wear off, students often find themselves overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done. Impending deadlines can be a source of stress for many, whilst first-years in particular might find themselves experiencing isolation or homesickness. The University of Nottingham’s ‘wobble week’ initiative aims to recognise the fears in students and give them the support to overcome them, both through activities which promote a sense of belonging and through highlighting the mental health resources and facilities available on campus. Even so, asking for help can be nerve-wracking for a lot of people, and some may not feel their worries and anxieties are ‘big’ enough to access support. Impact’s Abigel Lancaster offers advice for the struggling student and draws on her own first- year experience.
Many students internalise this sense of doubt over their academic ability and thus lack the confidence to contribute
One thing a lot of students struggle with is a sense of imposter syndrome. University is undoubtedly a very different environment to sixth form, and one which requires time to adjust to both academically and emotionally. Being surrounded by such intelligent and hardworking people who were equally as passionate about my subject as me was exciting, but I also felt a sense of anxiety over no longer being one of the ‘strongest’ academically. Many students internalise this sense of doubt over their academic ability and thus lack the confidence to contribute in seminars or utilise their tutor’s office hours, which in turn can have a significant negative impact on their university experience.
I think a vital part of combatting this sense of imposter syndrome is remembering not to compare yourself to others. This is easier said than done, and I admit I can still fall into the trap of feeling insecure over struggling to understanding content that seems to come so easily to somebody else. But I’ve found that there is so much more value in helping each other out where possible than viewing each other as ‘competition’, and this attitude has both allowed me to prioritise my mental health and helped turn course friends into friends outside the lecture theatre too. Learning how to plan and prioritise everything you need to get done in order to make the workload more manageable can also take time and there’s no shame in making use of the resources available. Your personal tutor can act as both an academic mentor and offer pastoral support and signposting if you are in need of it, and having that familiar face throughout the duration of your degree can be very useful in exam or coursework season. Getting in touch with disability support services if you have a more long- term mental health condition is also worth doing, as the ability to arrange a support plan tailored to your specific needs can be vital in making the workload seem less intimidating.
The danger of not putting things into perspective is that you push yourself too far and become burnt out
The danger of not putting things into perspective is that you push yourself too far and become burnt out. Obviously your course and how you do academically is important to you, and having this goal in mind is important in staying motivated. But, at the same time, if you don’t prioritise scheduling downtime, this might have the opposite desired effect. Your degree is an important part of your university experience, but it isn’t the whole picture, and I’ve found that achieving a healthy work-life balance has actually improved my performance academically compared to when I was solely concerned with how I was doing in assignments.
Joining a society can be a really good way to get involved in university life whilst also starting a new hobby, or continuing one you’ve enjoyed in the past. For me, writing for Impact has given me a creative outlet and an opportunity to write about topics that interest me outside of my degree, as well as introducing me to so many talented people who are also interested in journalism. Equally, a lot of my friends who are involved in sports societies say that the sense of community and positive impact on their mental health has been a massive part of their university experience.
I wish I could tell my first-year self not to be so worried
From a social perspective, university can also feel really isolating at times, particularly at the beginning before you’ve had the chance to get to know people. This is completely understandable, as for most of us, this is our first time living away from home and this huge adjustment will inevitably take time to adjust to. Equally, the drinking culture at university can often exacerbate these worries and make it feel difficult to form meaningful friendships. I wish I could tell my first-year self not to be so worried- everyone’s ultimately in the same boat, even if they seem far more confident than you are. Joining societies can help with these worries too, and I’ve also found that a lot of my friendships started by asking someone to go for coffee after a seminar, so definitely don’t be afraid to put yourself out there socially. Although it can take time, you will find likeminded people, and, slowly but surely, university will come to feel less like a strange, unfamiliar place and more like home.
If you’re anything like me, you might have also experienced some level of anxiety regarding the future and what you want to do after you graduate. These fears are certainly valid, and getting in touch with the Careers and Employability service can be a good starting point in thinking about the sector that you want to go into, as well as potentially finding relevant work experience. At the same time, I think it’s important to remember that university is a time of personal growth and self- discovery, so it’s okay not to know exactly what career you want to go into. Whenever I find myself particularly overwhelmed with the thought of what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, I have to remember the lyrics to one of my favourite songs, Billy Joel’s Vienna: ‘slow down, you’re doin’ fine, you can’t be everything you want to be before your time.’ As cliche as it sounds, when we become too stressed about the future we forget to enjoy the present. Having an idea of what we want to do after we graduate is great, but giving too much time to these worries is ultimately counter- productive and stops us from fully enjoying our student experience.
You are not alone in feeling this way
Overall, wobble week is a period which can be challenging academically and emotionally for all students. Though the stress that you are experiencing can feel incredibly overwhelming and isolating, know that you are not alone in feeling this way and do not hesitate to reach out for pastoral and/ or academic support if you feel you would benefit from it. Resources such as the support and wellbeing service and the chaplaincy can offer general counsel and a friendly listening ear, whilst more specialist facilities like disability support services work towards making university more accessible for those with long- term conditions.
Abigel Lancaster
Feature image courtesy of DaveKav via Flickr. Image license found here.No changes were made to this image.
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