Preparing for a New Life at University: Protecting your Mental Health and Beyond

These adjustments encompass unique stressors, including:

• Transition from a structured learning environment to a new teaching style, often in large group teaching settings
• Developing independence with effective time management, balancing academic and domestic commitments, and effectively managing personal finances
• Social adjustment, which can entail a pressure to establish and fit in with a new group of friends and finding a sense of belonging
• Loneliness and homesickness

It is important to remember that when you are starting your life at university, you are not alone; everybody is finding their feet, however cool and confident they may appear. Feeling anxious about this new life is normal.

Although during the transition period most students intensely experience the academic pressure to perform, as well as fulfilling the stereotypical student life, many students conceal their struggle from their family and friends. Most students who drop out of university tend to do so during the first few weeks, with psychological distress identified as the most common reason.

Fortunately, a positive transition experience fosters a sense of belonging, enhances wellbeing and leads to increased academic success.

Here are a few practical tips to help you adjust to the start of a new life at university.

Allow yourself the gift of time

• Be prepared, adjustment takes time, whether adjusting to a new language or a new environment.
• Be patient; building meaningful relationships with others takes time. Remember to pace yourself in everything you do
• Maintain the connections you already have with family and friends at home for support and to reduce loneliness.
• Make the most of opportunities to connect with others within your living and learning environments, to build and strengthen relationships with fellow students and staff.
• Be kind to yourself, make allowance for a few mistakes at the start of your transition, like going to the wrong lecture hall, losing your timetable, forgetting people’s names, etc.

Take a step back and look at things from a different perspective

Using different perspectives to look at distressing or upsetting situations can be vital in cultivating emotional resilience.

• Pause and take a step back to avoid immediate reaction
• Slowly breathe in and out a couple of times to bring your mind to the present moment, back from dwelling in the past upsetting event or playing future worst-case scenarios
• Notice what you are thinking and feeling
• Consider different perspectives / alternative ways of looking at the situation, and choose a less threatening/frightening perspective
• Consider the bigger picture, weighing the pros and cons of what you believe is the best thing to do
• Do what will work best for you in the short, medium and long-term

Being positive about this next stage of life can often be easier said than done. However, starting out with a positive mindset and being aware of your mental wellbeing, will help you to adapt to change.

Despite how daunting the thought of spending three or four years at university might feel, remind yourself that university will be a time of great opportunities – a place to make friends for life, to learn new skills, and to expand your horizons.

Look after your mental health

As part of orientation, make note of the mental health resources and support services. All universities have support teams who can listen and help. If you have a pre-existing condition, such as depression, anxiety, Autism or ADHD, inform the university student support and wellbeing team, preferably before you start. They can tailor support to suit your needs.

Early recognition and intervention to address any stress related to the transition period or support with existing mental health problems can greatly support successful adjustment to this critical life transition and promote the overall well-being of your first-year at university.

If you feel like you might be struggling with your mental health, make sure you talk to someone, reach out to a friend or family member, a tutor or a supervisor. If you feel you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can use the usual NHS emergency contact numbers, including NHS 111 and select option 2 for mental health.

Remember self-care

There will be many more responsibilities to manage when you are away from home, and it is important to find time for yourself to unwind and process the changes.

Alongside eating well, getting plenty of exercise, and getting enough sleep, partaking in the following can help to make your transition smoother:

• Set achievable goals for studying, and don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t always stick to them
• Balance academic commitments with engaging in pleasurable activities and taking time to relax
• Make time for connection with others.

Manage peer pressure

University life generates different kinds of social and academic pressures, such as being the best at everything.

• Identify early what pressures you are experiencing
• How does the pressure make you feel?
• Where does the pressure come from?
• Take time to reflect on what resources you have
• Journal your thoughts and emotions to reflect in a balanced way and help determine if you need more support or not

Pressure for grades – comparison and competitiveness

Learn to take things with a pinch of salt, including peer comments such as… “I got an A but did not spend much time studying”. This is unlikely for most students. Focus on your resources and your interests for what you are studying to achieve your best.

Be aware of comparison – it is made of tricky, rigid rules that are generally not tailored to your values and work against you. Consider what inspires you and what works best for you, bearing in mind that everyone is different. Inspiration is a flexible concept, something you can take and make yours, and determine how you want to get there, with your unique abilities.

Whilst you might find the time to explore new interests, it is important to look after yourself and your mental health. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you are being pressured into doing something you do not want to do, don’t feel embarrassed or beat yourself up for saying no. You can learn from these experiences and move on.

Remember, all universities have student support and wellbeing services that can link you into services available specifically for students.

Studentminds.org.uk  is a national charity for student mental health that can offer advice and support. It is also important that when you arrive at university, you register with a local GP, so that you can access local NHS services for both your physical and mental health needs.

This article appears in Preparing for a New Life at University: Protecting your Mental Health