Daniel Seow, Content Team Editor

Going to university is one of the most important times of a person’s life. It could be your first time leaving home and becoming independent, or the beginning of a dream career. Some people claim university to have been the ‘best time of their lives’. After all, it’s not everyday you get to move to a fresh environment, get to meet new people and learn more about yourself in the process. The university journey itself, however, can be a daunting prospect to some. 

According to a 2022 survey on students from the mental health charity Student Minds, 57% of respondents self-reported mental health issues, with 27% disclosing that they had a diagnosed mental health condition. During their educational journey, students may encounter stress, anxiety and/or other associated mental health issues. This can be due to a wide range of factors, from financial difficulties, heavy workload, or simply missing home. Although mental health issues may seem to come hand-in-hand with the rigours of studying and university life, not all students will suffer from these issues. I was, however, one of those burdened by anxiety and stress in my early days.

When first starting at university, one of my biggest fears as someone who didn’t socialise much was being unable to make friends and find a group to be a part of. Anxiety seeped into my life at university, adding stress to my degree workload and leading me to worry repeatedly about my undecided future. This took its toll on my motivation to do anything productive, exacerbating the issues further. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic ended up being a blessing in disguise for my mental health, allowing me to step back from university to look at my situation with fresh eyes, as well as properly establish a strong support network for the rest of my degree.

With the help of friends and family after lockdown, I reevaluated my goals and motivations and set about making sure that I didn’t regret any of my choices. The second half of my degree ended up being the most enjoyable and productive part of my time at university, with my academic stress managed by a combination of my support network and being able to try out new activities.

The most important part in my journey of managing anxiety in university was being able to notice when I was burning out or building up stress, acknowledge it, and then do something about it. I found that the first step of noticing the problem was always the hardest – it took me an entire change in perspective during a global pandemic after all! However, once the problem was dragged into the open, I could finally find different solutions to it: spending time with family and friends, joining a sports team or playing gigs with friends. I gave myself control over what I did, rather than being dictated by stress and worry.

My experience is only one of many – different solutions work for different people after all. However, if I were to go back to 4 years ago to my former self, I would tell myself these 3 things:

Always be open, especially to new people, activities, and change. Opportunities will always come in a new environment, and you can choose to take them or leave them. These choices will often open up new doors and paths you may not have considered.

Prioritise work-life balance and understand when it is the right time to work or to take a break. My initial focus on academic work unfortunately meant my mental health fell to the wayside, leading to a buildup of stress and anxiety. Figuring out my work-life balance was greatly beneficial not only to my mental state, but my academics as well.

Establish your support network and never be afraid to reach out for help. I was extremely lucky to have friends and family supporting me over the course of the pandemic, as well as my tutor and members of the careers team at my university. There are also other university services and charities available for further support.

University may seem like an exciting new horizon, an unknown journey that you have no control over. However, I believe that having the knowledge to manage stress and anxiety will allow you be able to manage your mental health and make the most of your invaluable time at university.