Student life and wellbeing

It’s the time of year when students across the UK receive their exam results and make decisions about their next steps, whether they are going to go to college, university, apply for a job or an apprenticeship… it can feel quite overwhelming!

When discussing the next steps, it’s important to take your time and process what’s happening, whether you got the results you were hoping for or whether you didn’t. The most important person is you! Take all the time you need to decide what you want to do next. Our founder Sian took a year out after getting her A level results, she worked for a year and then re-applied to university, and she tells us it’s the best decision she has ever made!

If you’re heading to college or university, it can take a while to settle in, you might be meeting new people and making new friends, studying something you have a passion for but haven’t studied before, you might even be moving to a new location, away from friends and family! It can feel daunting but also exciting! (We promise you won’t be the only one feeling this way!)

So, given the changes we can experience and the decisions we need to make…. How can we look after ourselves and settle into student life? We’ve included a few helpful hints and tips to help you along the way:

1. Journaling

Often writing down our thoughts, worries and feelings can be helpful as it feels like it’s leaving our minds. We can journal anytime of the day but sometimes, writing down our thoughts before bed can help us get a goodnights sleep. This could be something to start before you head to college or university by thinking about:

• What are your hopes and dreams for student life?
• What do you hope to learn about yourself or the subject you’re going to study?
• What are you most looking forward to?
• What are you worried or anxious about?
• Is there anything that I can do in this moment to help me feel less worried or anxious?

2. Talk to someone you trust

If you’re feeling down, stressed or anxious, it might be helpful to talk to someone you trust. This might be a family member or a friend and let them know how you feel… sometimes, hearing a familiar voice can be helpful and often universities during the first few weeks will offer activities/get togethers/classes etc to meet like-minded people and help you settle into your new chapter. Most universities also offer wellbeing support, and it can be helpful to speak to them too.

Remember, it’s normal to feel unsure or a bit lonely because it takes time for us to build friendships and connections (just like your first day of secondary school). Most universities have societies which are clubs/groups for like-minded people, and they range from different sports (e.g. football, netball, swimming) to academic subjects (e.g. Psychology, debates, Geography) to ones you’ve probably never heard of or thought of (e.g. the bake off society, scuba diving society or even a Taylor Swift society!). Sometimes, it can be helpful to try something new or something you enjoy.

3. Don’t compare your self to others

Okay…. We know it’s easier said than done! There seems to be an expectation that college and university will always be the time of your life, and this can often create pressure to have the “perfect” experience and sometimes if things aren’t that easy then we might feel a bit disappointed. We might compare our exam results to others, comparing our experiences to our friends or what we see on social media (we’re looking at you Instagram and tik tok!). However, what we see on social media is not always the full story and we are more likely to post all the great things in our lives rather than when we’re feeling anxious, sad or disappointed.

At college and university, we will have ups and downs, there will be amazing experiences and others that aren’t so good. Remember, this is a completely new experience for you and there will be lots of people in a similar position. Do what’s best for you!

4. Practice self-care

We love self-care and it can really help us stay on top of things and look after our mind and bodies. This means, looking after ourselves physically (such as going out for a walk, exercising, eating healthily etc) and mentally (such as breathing exercises, relaxation, watching your favourite TV show to unwind or even getting enough sleep etc). It’s finding what self-care activities work for you!

5. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you need mental health support

This is super important, if you’re noticing that you aren’t feeling like yourself e.g. feeling more tired, anxious, snappy, tearful, it’s best to reach out sooner rather than later (and we know it can feel difficult to do this but trust us, it’s a good step to take). 

You can reach out to us – although our in-person practice is based in Hampshire and Berkshire, we see people who need our help from all over the UK, no matter where you live. You can book in for initial appointment with us to talk about what you’re experiencing and one of our friendly therapists will be able to talk you through what support would be helpful for you.

The most important thing is to look after yourself, enjoy your next chapter and do what’s best for you.