University is a difficult time for most individuals; the reading, the classes, the deadlines and the constant reminder that you are slowly yet at the same time quickly becoming a fully functional adult, but for some it is more difficult that you'd at first expect and a lot of the time these people play it down. I, unfortunately, am one of those people. You see, I have many issues when it comes to university in general from attendance to the completion of assignments to the people that surround me in my classes. I suffer from slight social anxiety disorder, which is the persisting overwhelming of social situations, and honestly is a really common disorder, especially amongst millennials. This 'disorder' prevents me from participating in a lot of things that I would ordinarily enjoy doing such as; visiting bars. The very idea of going into a busy nightclub makes me want to break down, but as someone who doesn't drink alcohol it's something I can deal with, however, another one of the things I find almost impossible to do is talk with someone I am not familiar with on the telephone. For example, a few weeks ago I forgot my account password for the online store Boots.com (a store which sells the likes of cosmetics in the United Kingdom) and so I had to call the customer service centre in order to confirm that it was, in fact, me trying to gain access and not a hacker, which is standard customs, however, before having to make the call which literally took 1 minute and 24 seconds to get done I had an hour long panic attack session, in which I cried... a lot. To most people it doesn't make sense, my mother and brother don't understand it and I've lived with them whilst being like this for many years, so for someone who has not really come into contact with this situation before it is completely bewildering. This thing I like to call my issue, as i don't particularly enjoy calling it a disorder, for some reason when someone does say that to me it seems ridiculous as how can something you've lived with for a major part of your 19 going on 20 years of life be a disorder, it more so becomes part of you and is essentially part of your existence. But when it comes to university it becomes more than just an issue it becomes a major problem.
There have been multiple occasions where I have purely skipped out on the classes I'm paying around £9,000 per year to attend because I simply cannot face the idea of walking into a room full of people and what is even weirder is that I hate seminars more than lectures. You see when it comes to seminars I see them as more personal. You're sat in a room filled with a maximum of 30 people, of all ages. To me, that is 30 people who can see every issue I have, every flaw up close and personal. Whereas in a lecture there are hundreds of people and to them, I am just another person to fill up the chairs, I don't see them as scrutinising me because just there, like an extra in your favourite TV show. Each and every single lecture, and each and every single seminar is a struggle but each time I attend one I get that little bit more confident within myself. Then, however, it comes to a time where I'll be ill and it starts all over again. My first year at university was one of discovery, but not in a good way. You see many people say that university is the best years of their lives, but I don't think they have to deal with the social issues that many others, myself included, have to deal with. They don't have to walk into the seminar room and worry that the girl at the far left of the room with the danish braid is staring at you and not because she's admiring your the 1975 shirt. Most people don't have the thoughts that they definitely do not belong in that room because they're not smart enough (even though they, like everyone else in that room got into the university because of their intellect).
I got through my first year at university by the skin of my teeth and it is something that I will never admit to anyone. It's not because I wasn't doing good enough in the grade department because my grade book will show my average of 68% in assignments (taking into account 69% is a first) but because i was not mentally strong enough to cope with everything. Of course, there are external factors which affected my performance within the university as there are for many people, my uncle's passing, coming down with chicken pox, my step-father's brief institutionalisation and suicide attempt.
I am thankfully in my second year now. As trivial as it sounds it was a struggle to get here and I am still struggling with this year, after only attending 3 out of around 30 seminars within my first sememster but i do aim to improve on that this coming semester, it's going to be difficult but i know that if i try at least i have that to defend my mentality.
SAD, as it is abbreviated to does not necessarily affect everything, it can affect anything but not everything. There are good days, those days where you can leave the house and spend all day hanging out with the people you know and trust but there will always be aspects which frighten you, meeting someone new for the first time or going to a new place and you don't know where it is, but in those good days there is always some way to overcome that situation and take it without freaking out the way you usually do, or at least this is how it is for me.
I would just like to mention to anyone reading this, if you like I suffer from mental disorders which are holding you back from achieving your dreams and aspirations in life, there are always methods of keeping it under control, there are medicines and therapy that can aid you but ultimately it is to you to help yourself before you can overcome or learn to live with whatever is stopping you. I would never tell you that you can always overcome a disorder because that's simply not true but you can pass it, you can learn to cope with it and in some cases yes, you can overcome it but you need to be willing to make the changes you need in order to do so and that all in all comes down to the individual.
As someone who is reaching their 20th year of life, I feel like I have enough experience in some departments, especially when it comes to education to give some advice, and that advice is; never put anything before your health, whether it is physical, emotional or mental your health is THE most important thing and should come before anything else no matter what.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.
Have a good New Year and my best wishes for 2017.
Follow the links below to get in touch with me and keep up with my latest shenanigans.
Tumblr
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Flickr
Tuesday 27 December 2016
Thursday 28 April 2016
10 Tips for surviving Sixth Form/College
I've seen so many blog posts and vlogs about surviving school but here in the UK we have sixth form or sometimes referred to as college, which are the last two years of mandatory education and when you're so close to the finish line it's honestly so difficult to carry onto the end of the line. So, i decided that as a follow up to my 11 tips i've accumulated i'd create a post about surviving sixth form/college with ten easy tips, many of them will be replicas of the tips i've already told you all about in the aforementioned post. So, without further adieu we shall begin.
1. Do homework on time; I don't know how much I'll say this but in 100% honesty I regret not handing my homework in when it was due. The majority of the time I did but those times I didn't it plagued my mind so much and I felt like such a bitch for not doing it. Also, no one wants teachers on their back constantly asking for the work you've missed or having marks on their student profile because in some sixth forms and colleges this can happen.
2. Don't procrastinate; depending on the type of person you are, however, procrastinating is generally a really bad thing and I would try and not do it.
3. Spend time with your friends. Nothing is worse than when you're snowed under with school, and maybe even a part time job and you haven't seen your friends in what feels like forever. Sometimes it's better to put things aside for a couple of hours and spend some time with the people you enjoy spending time with. Just because you see them in school doesn't mean you can't see them in your own time in a place you want to be in.
4. Turn up to classes. Some sixth forms / college's are quite open and allow people to leave during the day if they have free periods however, that doesn't mean you can leave and not come back for your next lesson. Turning up to class is vital to get through exams and course work projects. Sometimes, and this is rare you can even enjoy the class when you know what you're doing. Although, don't tell my teachers that.
5. Have a little you time, yes i understand that juggling school, homework, a job? and my recommendation of a social life is difficult without throwing in personal time but everyone needs time to themselves where they can just have 15 minutes where they sit and do nothing. But as advised previously don't procrastinate. These 15 minutes could be you doing anything, stick on your favourite Vinyl record, or read a book that you don't have to. Eat a bag of M&M's whilst staring into space, just give yourself a little time each day where you don't even have to look at a single face. Trust me you'll benefit from it.
6. Actually sleep. See if you balance everything well enough, you should be able to get some sleep. Sleep is vital to your health, everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep when you're 16-18. Sleeping for this amount of time can reduce risk in mental as well as physical health issues and believe me i wish i was more clued in on this when i was at sixth form, as it would have saved me a lot of agro.
7. Don't block everything out. Freezing is the worst possible thing to do when under school pressure, if you keep yourself on the ball then you shouldn't have a problem but if you do end up trailing behind a tad then that's okay, it happens. Just make sure that you don't just stop, keep going and eventually things will work out and you'll be back on track to getting great grades.
8. If you make mistakes then it's okay. You're only human you're allowed to make mistakes, it's natural. Just try your best to fix them, get back on track and walk away smiling and happy because you know you've helped yourself with a tricky situation. Mistakes always happen, it's whether you learn from those mistakes that really matter. Make sure you don't make the same ones over and over because then it's not a mistake it something that is wrong.
9. When you're in sixth form it's an age when you're quite touchy. 16-18 is generally the age when you're kind of sorted into what you're going to do with the rest of your life, what with university course choices or apprenticeships etc. But at the same time people go through a lot, it's when friends break up or make up, it's when you're legally allowed to do a lot of stuff you've never been able to and it's when a lot of people make some seriously bad decisions. Just because your friends are doing something doesn't mean you have to. If you don't want to try a cigarette you don't have to, if you don't want to get mortal on a school night, don't and always say no to recreational drugs. The ages of 16 to 18 are when a persons brain is most likely to develop depression and with the introduction of hardcore substances such as cocaine and even more soft core such as marijuana you are more likely to develop depression and steep into a downward spiral in your mental health status and that is never a good choice.
10. Do something you know you'll enjoy! I chose a subject i was entering blindly into and thankfully for me I ended up loving it and am now taking it as part of my combined subjects degree, however, i know many people who have entered into courses where they aren't happy in and have subsequently missed classes, failed exams etc. Doing something you want to do and know you'll enjoy just ensures that you'll do better in the long haul and you'll be more likely to get to do what you want to do after your years in sixth form / college.
So that was my top ten tips for surviving sixth form/ college. I really hope that this helps some of you, i know when i was just about to go on into sixth form i could have used some of these tips to help me get through my time. Just remember that in the long haul it's totally worth it. These years of your life are the most memorable so have fun and make friends, make memories that you can cherish for the rest of your lives and if you make mistakes don't worry, next time will be so much easier. I promise, and to those who will be starting university soon, good luck and hopefully i'll have some top tips for you before you start.
Thank you all very much for reading and i hope to be back up and making posts regularly pretty soon.
Tumblr - this is the link to my new tumblr, where i will be posting things like this on, i've had it a while and just decided to get back into using it. You'll find some things already on there if you're interested in looking. My old tumblr, the fan account one is still up and i do still use it however, i feel like something more similar to this is what is needed. My older posts on here will still have the link to my old one but from this post out i will be linking to the new one called tea-and-talk.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Flickr
1. Do homework on time; I don't know how much I'll say this but in 100% honesty I regret not handing my homework in when it was due. The majority of the time I did but those times I didn't it plagued my mind so much and I felt like such a bitch for not doing it. Also, no one wants teachers on their back constantly asking for the work you've missed or having marks on their student profile because in some sixth forms and colleges this can happen.
2. Don't procrastinate; depending on the type of person you are, however, procrastinating is generally a really bad thing and I would try and not do it.
3. Spend time with your friends. Nothing is worse than when you're snowed under with school, and maybe even a part time job and you haven't seen your friends in what feels like forever. Sometimes it's better to put things aside for a couple of hours and spend some time with the people you enjoy spending time with. Just because you see them in school doesn't mean you can't see them in your own time in a place you want to be in.
4. Turn up to classes. Some sixth forms / college's are quite open and allow people to leave during the day if they have free periods however, that doesn't mean you can leave and not come back for your next lesson. Turning up to class is vital to get through exams and course work projects. Sometimes, and this is rare you can even enjoy the class when you know what you're doing. Although, don't tell my teachers that.
5. Have a little you time, yes i understand that juggling school, homework, a job? and my recommendation of a social life is difficult without throwing in personal time but everyone needs time to themselves where they can just have 15 minutes where they sit and do nothing. But as advised previously don't procrastinate. These 15 minutes could be you doing anything, stick on your favourite Vinyl record, or read a book that you don't have to. Eat a bag of M&M's whilst staring into space, just give yourself a little time each day where you don't even have to look at a single face. Trust me you'll benefit from it.
6. Actually sleep. See if you balance everything well enough, you should be able to get some sleep. Sleep is vital to your health, everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep when you're 16-18. Sleeping for this amount of time can reduce risk in mental as well as physical health issues and believe me i wish i was more clued in on this when i was at sixth form, as it would have saved me a lot of agro.
7. Don't block everything out. Freezing is the worst possible thing to do when under school pressure, if you keep yourself on the ball then you shouldn't have a problem but if you do end up trailing behind a tad then that's okay, it happens. Just make sure that you don't just stop, keep going and eventually things will work out and you'll be back on track to getting great grades.
8. If you make mistakes then it's okay. You're only human you're allowed to make mistakes, it's natural. Just try your best to fix them, get back on track and walk away smiling and happy because you know you've helped yourself with a tricky situation. Mistakes always happen, it's whether you learn from those mistakes that really matter. Make sure you don't make the same ones over and over because then it's not a mistake it something that is wrong.
9. When you're in sixth form it's an age when you're quite touchy. 16-18 is generally the age when you're kind of sorted into what you're going to do with the rest of your life, what with university course choices or apprenticeships etc. But at the same time people go through a lot, it's when friends break up or make up, it's when you're legally allowed to do a lot of stuff you've never been able to and it's when a lot of people make some seriously bad decisions. Just because your friends are doing something doesn't mean you have to. If you don't want to try a cigarette you don't have to, if you don't want to get mortal on a school night, don't and always say no to recreational drugs. The ages of 16 to 18 are when a persons brain is most likely to develop depression and with the introduction of hardcore substances such as cocaine and even more soft core such as marijuana you are more likely to develop depression and steep into a downward spiral in your mental health status and that is never a good choice.
10. Do something you know you'll enjoy! I chose a subject i was entering blindly into and thankfully for me I ended up loving it and am now taking it as part of my combined subjects degree, however, i know many people who have entered into courses where they aren't happy in and have subsequently missed classes, failed exams etc. Doing something you want to do and know you'll enjoy just ensures that you'll do better in the long haul and you'll be more likely to get to do what you want to do after your years in sixth form / college.
So that was my top ten tips for surviving sixth form/ college. I really hope that this helps some of you, i know when i was just about to go on into sixth form i could have used some of these tips to help me get through my time. Just remember that in the long haul it's totally worth it. These years of your life are the most memorable so have fun and make friends, make memories that you can cherish for the rest of your lives and if you make mistakes don't worry, next time will be so much easier. I promise, and to those who will be starting university soon, good luck and hopefully i'll have some top tips for you before you start.
Thank you all very much for reading and i hope to be back up and making posts regularly pretty soon.
Tumblr - this is the link to my new tumblr, where i will be posting things like this on, i've had it a while and just decided to get back into using it. You'll find some things already on there if you're interested in looking. My old tumblr, the fan account one is still up and i do still use it however, i feel like something more similar to this is what is needed. My older posts on here will still have the link to my old one but from this post out i will be linking to the new one called tea-and-talk.
Flickr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)