30 things I wish I’d known before I started my course

Starting your university course can be daunting. Many will move far from home and into student dorms, live with other students they’ve never met before and live a totally different life than that from home. On top of that, you’ll be meeting people on your course, lecturers and navigating your way around campus. Students also face a whole new challenge of ‘going out on their own’ (and we don’t just mean cooking your own meals!).

From staying organised to looking after your wellbeing, there’s a lot we wish we’d thought about before starting our university courses. With many of us here at HA | Wisdom Wellbeing having gone to university; we’ve compiled a list of the top things we wish we knew, to get you prepared before going to university.

1. Track your workload

For some students, their course might be easy. While for others, it can be a huge transition from sixth form, college or returning to education. Before you know it, you have several modules and exams to complete, so it’s important to keep track of your deadlines and ensure you have enough time to study and/or complete assignments. Find a system that works for you - such as classic notetaking in a planner or use digital tools like Notion or Notes apps to document all of your course notes.

2. Just ask

If you’re not sure, ask! No question is a silly question, and it’s very likely one of your other peers may be curious about the same thing. It doesn’t matter if a concept has already been covered in your course – it’s better to ask and get clarification, than be left wondering.

3. Use university’s resources

Your university should have an extensive library of books to use for your assignments. Depending on your course, you may even have access to equipment rental, room and/or laboratory bookings. Use the most of these to ensure your work is as good as can be, or to simply try out new ideas as part of your course. This also goes for personnel such as careers staff – don’t wait until your third year to see what your options are! Use them in your first year to get a head start on how you can navigate your future career.

These resources will usually be signposted to you, but it’s up to you to really make full use of them.

4. Remember you’re not alone

University is a collective experience, irrespective of what course you’re on. All students want to make friends and enjoy their course so they can use their degree to go on to progress in their careers. So, if you’re feeling particularly anxious or like it’s taking a little bit longer for you to settle in, just remember that you aren’t alone in how you feel.

5. Budget

This is especially true if you are living away from home. After all, student loans are called so for a reason – you have to pay it back! Speak to your family or your student support service about getting financial advice on budgeting to ensure you’re on track with your spending.

6. Learn a few recipes

We know you’ll be having more instant noodles than ever over the next few years. However, having some easy yet balanced recipes can really help with your physical and mental wellbeing. Look for recipes that only require one pot or pan to make, and ensure you have meals that include a variety of colours and macro nutrients for balance.

7. Look for second hand course material

Course materials can be quite expensive, especially when you first start. Take a look at your reading list and see if you can find these online through second-hand sites for less. Alternatively, your university or course leader may be able to direct you to forums or online groups where you can get these materials from soon-to-be graduates from your course.

8. Manage your exam stress

Leaving your revision to the last minute, or not looking after yourself during exam season can wreak havoc on your mental health. Make sure you break your revision timetable into manageable chunks, and ensure you get balanced meals and enough sleep in. After all, a lack of sleep and adequate nutrition can greatly affect your energy levels and mood. This is especially so if you have a pre-existing mental health condition.

9. Get work experience as soon as possible

Don’t wait until your second or third year to consider work experience. Your time at university is a safe space to try new things and learn on the job too! Seek out your student careers advisor or turn to job boards within your area of study to see what internships and work experience opportunities there are. If they’re scarce, don’t be afraid to apply your learnings into personal projects to add to a portfolio.

10. Consider counselling

Most universities will have a student counsellor on site to support students with their wellbeing. After all, many challenges can crop up during student life, and it’s important you seek help if it becomes unmanageable.

If this isn’t possible, or you need help out of hours, see if your university has a student assistance programme. The service can provide you with free counselling and advice 24/7, 365 days a year, meaning no matter the time of day, you can receive help when you need it the most.

11. Practice self-compassion

It can be easy to engage in negative self-talk when you’re not feeling yourself. This can happen if your course isn’t quite what you expected it to be, you’re finding the work harder than anticipated, you’re not gelling with others, or you’re generally finding it hard to adjust to university life.

By taking the time to understand where your feelings are coming from, and normalising how you feel, you can give yourself the compassion you would for a friend or loved one.

12. The stress is temporary

The stress you feel with coursework and exams is all temporary. At the time, it can feel like the be all and end all, but it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

If I didn’t get the mark I wanted this time, can I repeat the module(s)?

Can I get extra support?

How can I make myself feel better in this moment in time?

What can I look forward to after my exams are over?

13. Get feedback

Feedback on your university course assignments are extremely important in order for you to grow. If you’ve noticed a tick or cross with no real explanation, seek this feedback from your tutor directly.

14. It’s fine to feel overwhelmed

From navigating living alone to achieving good grades on your course – it’s all going to feel quite overwhelming. It all leads back to not feeling alone (see point 4), and ensuring you normalise that everything you’re feeling is a part of the experience whilst you adjust.

15. It’s okay to take a break

Whether that’s taking time away from your desk, or a year out from your course – your reasons are valid. Make sure you talk to your advisors, loved ones and student assistance programme to see what your options are and how to deal with your mental wellbeing whilst considering your options. If you find you’re really struggling with the course’s workload, your student counsellor and/or course leader may be able to help you make it more manageable. Plus, if you have a learning disability or other mental health condition that affects your studies, you may even be eligible for extended time to complete your work.

In terms of a larger break, it’s not uncommon to step back from studying for a while (also known as a sabbatical), as it can help you decide whether your course is still right for you or if you wish to take an alternative route.

16. Break tasks into manageable steps

Overwhelm, as we mentioned previously, is totally normal to feel. To make things easier to cope with, it’s worth seeing how you can break your revision or everyday tasks down into more manageable steps. For example, if you have a piece of course work due but you haven’t started yet and the deadline is looming – what can you realistically complete in the days leading up to it? Or if you have exams coming up – how many chapters of study material can you complete each day up until your exam date?

17. Don’t skip lectures in your first year because your grades ‘don’t count’

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of ‘living the student life’ and not taking your studies seriously from day one. While it’s true that most courses don’t count your first year into your final grade, if you build a habit of complacency, you’ll find it difficult to knuckle down in your second year.

It’s important to enjoy your student life, but good habit forming early on will make the rest of your course studies way easier to manage in the long run.

18. Find your course’s social media groups

If your course has a social media page, forum or other online community, it’s worth joining it to get the latest updates on what’s happening on your course specifically. It can serve as a notice board for any additional lecture notes, coursework and exam deadlines, work opportunities and much more!

19. Reference your work as you go

No matter what course you study, there’s a high chance you may need to write essays and/or dissertations. You have to be able to cite any references you use when making claims in your writing. However, it can be all too easy to forget to do this.

By not keeping a record of your references and adding them as you write, you run the risk of mis-referencing your work and potentially losing marks.

20. You don’t have to go out all the time

Student life is synonymous with party culture. If you’re not a party person and don’t enjoy alcohol, it can feel like you’re missing out on bonding with other students.

Seek out societies that fit your personality and have alternative social events such as meals, games and other activities that don’t involve staying out to the early hours. It’s a great way to meet friends beyond your dorm or your course too!

21. Enjoy it as much as you reasonably can

Similarly to our last point, it’s important to find other ways to enjoy student life if you’re not into a partying lifestyle. Here are just a few ways you can enjoy university and your course:

• Seek out volunteering, work experience and internships in your subject area

• Join societies

• Suggest different student dorm activities that don’t involve partying and/or alcohol

• Go to university or dorm events such as film nights

• Join in on the freshers fun sober

• Host game nights or seek them out

22. Work out whether you need a part time job to supplement income

Whether you’re living away from home or require course materials (or both), you’ll need to look at your financial situation to see if you need any supplemental income. See how many hours you can reasonably work between your studies but still leave room for self-care and study time.

23. Manage your time and energy

This goes hand in hand with our last point and many others on this list. Managing your time and energy can be an art form, but it’s totally possible. If you know you have a full day of lectures or workshops, ensure your evening is filled with relaxing or low-stress activities. Alternatively, if you have a freer day, you can afford to do something a bit more active or energy intensive.

24. Don’t compare your university experience to other students

It can be easy to compare your university experience to other students, particularly if you perceive them to have more friends, a better course or something along those lines. Just because something isn’t quite working out for you at the moment (whether that’s your course or social life), doesn’t mean it’s going to be a reflection on your entire university experience. Discover what you can control and take steps to improve your situation. Whether that’s engaging in new activities to meet new people or even switching courses to something that aligns more with your interests.

25. Track your wellbeing

It can be all too easy to get swept up in university life, social activities and keeping up with your course. Make it a point before starting to have systems in place to track your wellbeing. For example, our Wisdom app is perfect for people who want to track their wellbeing. Complete with tracking features such as water intake, steps and even your mood – you can track your wellbeing over time to spot trends. Plus, you can gain access to insightful articles on all things mental health, helpful podcasts and guided meditation for those self-care nights-in.

26. If you pull all-nighters, make sure you look after yourself the next day

We don’t encourage pulling all-nighters, but we’d be lying if we said we haven’t done them ourselves during our studies. What we wish we knew before studying on our courses, was that all-nighters can really wreak havoc on your mental health. By not having adequate rest, your body is unable to fully rest, you’ll struggle with concentration and make slower decisions throughout the day.

So if you do pull all nighters, make sure you stay hydrated and try to catch up on your sleep deficit as soon as possible!

27. Don’t feel guilty for not wanting to consume alcohol

A lot of partying at university is centred around alcohol, which can be hard to deal with if you’re sober or don’t consume it for other reasons. Sadly, some students may find this ‘odd’ and try to pressure you into having a drink. Remember that you don’t have to justify your reasons or feel out of place purely because you don’t want to consume alcohol. There are many ways to enjoy student life sober – even at parties!

28. Food is fuel

Remember when we said learn a few recipes for a balanced diet? Remember to actually make and consume them! While there’s nothing wrong with treats to get you through stressful times during your course, it’s important to have snacks, drinks and meals that are nutritious and help with your cognition. After all, food is fuel not just for the body, but for your mind too.

29. You may feel lost

When you start your course, you may feel starry-eyed and enthusiastic. But for some, they may realise they’ve made a mistake picking their course or realise it further down the line. It’s important in these moments not to panic, but rather, understand what about the course is making you feel unsure.

• Is the course not aligned with your goals?

• Is the course not quite what you expected it to be?

• Are your tutors widely unavailable?

• Are you not receiving the support you require?

No matter the reason – it’s important to speak with your course instructor, or a counsellor to get to the root of the issue to help decide what your next steps may be.

30. Look after your mental and physical health

The biggest takeaway we can give you is to simply look after your mental and physical health during your course. There may be times of doubt, uncertainty, stress, anxiety and overwhelm. But the most important thing you can do is ensure you have access to support and take time for yourself.

How a student assistance programme can help with university life

University and course-specific struggles can really take a toll when left unchecked. A student assistance programme is greatly beneficial for students who require mental health support from trained counsellors. It can help students deal with in-the-moment crises, on-going mental health problems, finances and even legal advice. It’s also accessible 24/7, 365 days online or over the phone, meaning you can access support from a time that suits you.