Uni is hard. Sometimes, our attendance may fall, work may not get done and that’s okay. When your social media is full of people telling you to grab life by the balls but you’re feeling more like a testicular torsion, it fucking sucks. Here is your guide on how to survive uni when you’re struggling.
To go home, or not to go home
In my first year, I used to go home almost every weekend. This was not to see any of my friends at home but just to be in my own room. Being at uni, whether its a student house or halls, may not feel like home. And that’s okay. Or maybe going home does the opposite. That’s okay, too.
Immerse yourself in Bristol:
Coming to Bristol, it took me a while to fall in love with the place because I was so nervous about going to uni. But, when I observed and appreciated my surroundings, it got a whole lot better. Bristol is beautiful. Whether you need it to be busy or calm, Bristol will always be able to do that for you. Sit by the harbourside, watch the world go by on Brandon Hill, brave the chaos of Cabot or stretch out on the Downs.
Be kind to yourself
I know it sounds cliche but you seriously need to stop being so hard on yourself. Slow down, get that sweet treat, and binge-watch the whole of Love is Blind season 7 (purely hypothetical I swear). You’ve got time, nothing is urgent apart from looking after yourself.
Strip it back to basics
Figure out what you need to prioritise, assessments or anything compulsory, and just do those. Let go of everything else, and if you manage to get to them its a bonus.
Get those extensions and ECs
There is no shame in asking for extra help. Sometimes you need a few extra days or a few extra weeks so can get it done and thats okay. Just be careful not to let everything pile up at the same time. Submit ECs even if you’re not sure how “severe” what’s going on for you is. The exam board can take it into consideration, this could do anything from removing late penalties to scrapping that one bad 25% grade when you were really struggling.
Let yourself scroll
This may sound like backwards advice but don’t stress about your screen time. Let yourself scroll if it makes you feel better, sometimes you need a distraction and that is okay. It is natural for your screen time to go up when you need a distraction from your thoughts.
Meal prep / get those ready meals
When you have an evening with energy, try and meal prep. Eating is so important but cooking can be difficult when you’re in the pits. This way you can have something ready at dinner time. Ready meals are even easier, but of course come at a higher cost.
We are all lost. Not everyday we will be able to get up and face the sun, because that just would not be life. But as we shouldn’t forget and brush over the periods of sadness, we also shouldn’t forget and brush over the moments of those genuine smiles on our faces- it happens more often than you may think.
Speak to wellbeing here or call Samaritans on 116 123.
