Hey everyone. How are you doing?
I may have mentioned in my previous blog posts that I’m coming so close to the end of my course. I’ll be honest, it’s a stressful time of year, especially since we’ve all been made to stay at home for the past few months due to COVID-19. I’m glad that things are starting to move forward though!
And me? Well, I’ll be honest, I’m carrying some of the weight on my plate so today, I thought it might be a good time to talk about student worries in general, because I think it’s important to address the realities and commonalities surrounding student life.
First up…
Students often worry about failing
I’ve got so much work outstanding at the moment and for me, worrying about failing by the time I reach the end of my course is real. If I consider the reasons that I worry about this one, I’d say that I’ve placed expectations on myself to have completed my course by now. The fact that I haven’t done what I thought I should have been able to do has probably been the one thing that’s triggered my fear of failing altogether. However, if I look at this from another angle, I’m persevering and that, to me, means I’m already winning!
“There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Chris Bradford
Students often worry about money
It’s no secret that the cost of education isn’t cheap and students often find themselves under constant financial pressure from the get-go!
For many students, juggling finances with a heavy study schedule is enough to cause the student experience to be a stressful one. It’s useful to reflect on why you started the course in the first place and remind yourself of the end goal.
Managing finances is an ongoing life skill that many of us may never really get 100% right. I mean, we all make those impulsive purchases that we end up feeling guilty about later, even if you’re not a student. The answer isn’t simple for lots of us but by tracking your incomings and outgoings, doing your best to avoid impulse buys and making use of discounts in every form, it can help to minimise your money worries.
Students often worry about making friends
When I first started uni, I wasn’t really thinking about making friends more than I was thinking about getting through my course, but making friends is a common worry for students. I enrolled on a part-time course, so I guess the pressure of making friends straight away wasn’t a major worry.
I remember walking into my first day of class at University College Birmingham and being met with a friendly smile from the tutor and the people on my course. Then as a group, we did an ice breaker exercise and I started getting to know some of the ladies on the course, some of whom shared similar interests and backgrounds.
Making the effort and getting to know people is good for making positive connections during your course of study, but if you’re going to be at uni for the next few years, you shouldn’t feel pressured or worried, as you’ll form friendships over time.
Student life can be tough and the worries might even continue post-university. Did I mention that I’m approaching the end of my course? Yep, so I know a little about that.
You might like to read my previous post about 5 ways to positively fuel your day, to help reduce those worries.
Putting all of the above into perspective, I’ve made a decision not to be so hard on myself. Small manageable steps and we’ll get through it!
Thanks for reading and have a great week, until next time.
SBS