I'm a University Student... Get Me Out of Here!

 

Transitioning to university can feel like you've stepped foot into a jungle.

 

In this new environment, you’re faced with the trials of getting enough sleep, dealing with homesickness and adjusting to a new academic life.

 

But fear not, with this guide you’ll find out how to complete each of these trials and succeed in every challenge the jungle throws at you.

 

 

Trial 1: Surviving Sleep Deprivation

A restful night in your new university habitat is key to thriving amidst the academic wilderness and equips you with wellness.

Gallego-Gómez et al. (2021) found that students who had inadequate sleep patterns and habits were typically associated with poor academic performance. In contrast, improved sleep quality was associated with better mental health (Scott et al., 2021).

 

The important question is: how exactly can you achieve a good night’s sleep? Despite the noise of drunk freshers, it is quite possible! Here are a few tips to help you get your beauty sleep:  

→ Create an optimal sleep environment, ensuring that your bedroom is dark and quiet, ready for you to awaken to the dreadful 9ams🌃 (Johnson et al., 2018). 

→ Include physical activity in your routine (Dolezal et al., 2017). You could benefit from daily walks on the university’s campus, surrounded by lakes and open fields🤸‍♂️ (About | Campus, n.d.).  

→ Stick to a consistent sleep schedule 😴 (Mayo Clinic, 2020).

Despite these prompts on achieving quality sleep, it is important to acknowledge that they may not always work. If you constantly struggle with your sleep, the university offers a wide range of wellbeing support services, which can be accessed both online and in person (Student Support at Warwick, n.d.).

 

 

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Trial 2: Battling Homesickness

Homesickness can vary from mild discomfort to more extreme thoughts of depression and anxiety, and severe cases threaten to negatively impact your education and wellbeing 😭(Thurber & Walton, 2012).

Therefore, it is important that you are aware of strategies to help cope with such feelings.

→ One strategy is doing activities with friends like going to society events can be a good distraction and can help highlight the positives of moving away to university to create new memories 🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑 (Thurber & Walton, 2007).

Homesickness could also be prevented by practicing staying away from home while having minimal contact 📵 (Thurber & Walton, 2007). 

→ For example, you could go on weekend trips to family or friends’ houses as well as getting used to exploring new places by yourself such as museums and galleries 🖼️ (Thurber & Walton, 2007).  

English et al. (2017) found that 94% of students experienced homesickness during the first 10 weeks of term so it's important to know that you are not the only one who feels this way. They also found that overall homesickness did decrease over the first term of university so feeling homesick is nothing to worry about!

 

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Trial 3: Attacking Your Academics

University calls for a new way of learning. You’ll have to attend lectures, work independently and juggle deadlines, all whilst avoiding the dreaded “burn-out”. This may seem overwhelming, but with our advice you’ll win the fight against university work in no time!

Completing your assignments on top of contact hours can be a struggle, so managing your time effectively is super important. Research shows that students who are good at preplanning their uni work think that this has helped them to do better at their studies (Alyami et al., 2021).

→ Grab a post-it note and pen, plan your day out, and you’re one step closer to academic success! ⏰ 

Approaching uni work will feel different to secondary education. There’s more emphasis on independent work, and research shows that being able to regulate your study behaviour has the biggest impact on adjusting to university academics (van Rooij et al., 2017).

→ Having a regular study routine could help a smooth transition into uni work. 📝

In an environment where prolonged, work-related stress is the norm, it’s not surprising that research found 55.16% of students experienced academic burnout (Liu et al., 2023). Feeling no motivation is not ideal when the work is piling up (Freudenberger, 1974). Research shows that reacting to stressful situations, not just ignoring them, helps to prevent burnout, which in turn positively affects academic performance (Vizoso et al., 2019).

→ When you’re feeling the pressure of a deadline, it’s important to just start working. 🧯🔥

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Congratulations!

 

You’ve followed our guide and are now crowned winner of the university jungle! 

 

But just because you’ve won this series (first-year), it doesn’t mean you’ll never have to face these challenges again. That’s why it’s important to remember what this guide has taught you, as you’ll never know when you’ll need these survival skills again!