5 tips to help you thrive – a guest post by Georgia Mai
- PRIOR TO MOVING
There’s a few things you need to get in order before moving away to university. Doing these few things prior to moving will take a lot of pressure off you!
Firstly, I recommend that you visit your university before you move. Now, I know this seems like an obvious thing, and you probably already looked around whilst you were deciding on universities, but this visit isn’t to see your future classroom or meet to meet your future lecturers – this is to visit the town that you’re soon going to call home. Learn the routes you will be taking to and from uni and where the local supermarkets are etc. Whether by foot or public transport, this is important as it will prevent any stress of getting lost and you can also look into getting a travel card or whatever your town provides to save you money once you are a student.
Also, take this time whilst you’re getting to know your town to meet your mental health team (more about this in tip 2) this is a big deal because moving away is one thing but moving care teams is a whole new level, you want to know your team know exactly what your needs are and that you are going to feel comfortable with them.
Lastly, a bit of a obvious one but commonly forgotten, make sure reregister with a GP! - MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
When moving away, it’s important to insure that your care is being transferred. If you are under a mental health team you can do something called ‘joint care’ which means you will have 2 teams, one in your home town and one in your university town. Having joint care means that when you go home your care will continue the same as before, and vice verse. If you aren’t under a mental health team I highly recommend you do this next step, and if you are, this may also be useful for you too just to give you that extra bit of support; Universities throughout the UK normally offer some sort of student support service and within this service they normally have a mental health team. This team can help you with any day to day struggles you have and they may have a visiting doctor/psychiatrist that they can book you in with if you’re symptoms are get-ting too serve and may need to try some medication or talking therapy.
Finally, for this step, DSA! I honestly can’t type it loud enough! I’m sure you have been through the terrible process of applying for student finance but this is something great that they offer. Disa-bled Students Allowance, abbreviated to DSA, is an organisation to help support students with a disability during their time at university. If you’re thinking it’s too late to apply because you have already sent off for you Student Finance then I’ve got some good news, you can apply whenever you want by simply sending off any evidence you have of your disability, in this case, your mental illness.
DSA can provide equipment such as dictaphones (to help people who struggle with concentration), specialist software for your computer such as mind mapping programs (which are great for people who struggle trying to arrange the millions of thoughts racing in their head), in some cases laptops and printers and often a personal tutor to help with anything you need whilst studying, such as ad-vice on time management, proof reading, research help and much more. I have even heard one case of the DSA paying for a students taxis to and from University because their anxiety prevented them being able to travel on busy public transport so it is defiantly worth applying as not many things in life are free like DSA is. - MONEY AND ASSIGNMENT ORGANISATION
Organisation is mental illnesses biggest enemy. If you struggle with explosive or obsessive thoughts it is essential that you try to organise them. I know this can be hard but here’s a few suggestions:
Note down your outgoings e.g. accommodation (and the dates of when the payments need to be made), travel, food shopping and leisure, I suggest a little chart or table in the back of your diary (which is also a good way to keep your thoughts and plans organised!) then you need to create an income column where you can pencil in your student loan, bursary, money from family, savings and job income and the dates you receive all of these. Doing this will show you a clear picture of what you have to spend and will prevent any stress and anxiety about money.
Budgeting is also essential and is surprising easy, look out for deals and coupons and any student discounts places may offer.
Assignment wise, try your best to keep up with work that is set. If you need extra help with some-thing then don’t be afraid to ask, and always ask for help sooner rather than later. Your tutors will appreciate that you need a little extra help and they will be more than willing to give this to you. (some universities have something called a PLP, a personal learning plan which can help with things like extended deadlines). Like the table or chart I mentioned for your money organisation, one for your assignments would also be a good idea. In my first year I made my own calendar and had it stuck on my bedroom wall of work I had due, so I could clearly see how long I had left to fin-ish work. I would set myself realistic goals of things to get finished by certain dates to break down the work load. I honestly don’t think I would have got any work done without it so I recommend one for you! - GET INVOLVED
This is a hard one but it is a must. At university there are a million and one ways to help you settle in and make friends, join clubs that you’re interested in and even clubs that you’ve never even heard of. A lot of Universities have some sort of mental health society that you could be part of, writing about and sharing your experiences and meeting people who are battling the same war as you are. Step out of your comfort zone, do things that you never thought you would, you are in a new city, it is time for the new you and don’t forget to unitise your university city/town, if you’re like me and are moving from a little town where nothing ever happens in to a major city (mine being Manches-ter) enjoy it! Do everything your city has to offer because being a student doesn’t last forever - SELF CARE
This is my last tip but maybe the most important one. Self care is crucial, whether you are at home or moving away but sometimes when you’re not in your usual surroundings you can forget the simple things.
Something I have avoided this whole post is alcohol, I’m not at all saying don’t drink because of course, this is something we all do, and it is a well known part of being a University student but you don’t need to get wasted to have a good time with your friends. Alcohol and mental illness do not mix well together but as long as you know your limits you can avoid any alcohol caused depressive episodes.
I’m sure your mum has told you this one over and over again but I’m going to side with her here… Eat well and have enough sleep! You cant cure your mental illness but eating well and getting enough sleep can help improve it. I’m not going to go too much into this but just make sure you aren’t skipping meals or pulling all nighters to get your essay finished in time, this will just cause a knock on effect of feeling crappy.
Lastly, and this is the most important thing to remember…ENJOY YOURSELF! This is a once in a life time thing you’re going to do and it’s only going to be as amazing as you make it. Stay confident, stay positive and enjoy creating your future!
Be sure to check our the Anxiety UK Student’s Guide to Understanding Anxiety, available to download here. You can also take a look at our Student Membership package here.
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