• Question: how would you say the pressure of university (and on some cases going for a phd) affected you emotionally and mentally?

    Asked by emiliiak on 16 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: Ashleigh Johnstone

      Ashleigh Johnstone answered on 16 Jun 2023:

      This is a really interesting question! I can sometimes set myself high standards, so I found that I was sometimes internally getting quite competitive with my friends when I felt under pressure. I actually learnt that everything is a whole lot more fun when you just try your best and recognise that everyone has different strengths and stop seeing friends as competition. I wish someone had told me this at the beginning! So I would say that if you feel the pressure of school or university, be kind to yourself, talk to your friends and family, and just try your best 😊

    • Photo: Helen Dudfield

      Helen Dudfield answered on 18 Jun 2023:

      It is true that a PhD is a very hard achievement and one that has many stops and starts. I think it’s key to be able to commit time and energy to it and to recognise your mental well-being is key too. I do say it’s a badge of resilience to achieve a PhD as well as scientific excellence

    • Photo: Ben Ford

      Ben Ford answered on 20 Jun 2023:

      It is always good to remember that a degree (be it undergraduate or PhD) is just one aspect of your life. Achieving it does not require you to dedicate your existence to it. It requires good discipline and a consistent application of effort and time. Personally, I have not experienced any negative impacts of studying – I really enjoy it. I think being very strict with your time is the most important advice I could give. It is once you are putting too much pressure on yourself, playing catch-up, or rushing things last minute that most often causes distress. Working hard gives you time to take time away from it. Uni is not meant to be easy but, also, something being difficult is not the same as something being bad.

    • Photo: Chloe Tasker

      Chloe Tasker answered on 21 Jun 2023:

      Great question! It has been a lot for me, especially during time when I had a lot of things going on at once! But it has made me realise that I can persevere through a lot and get things done when I need to! Since the start of my PhD, I’ve tried to be really strict in my routine by making sure that I work 9-5, and keeping my evenings a weekends free (similar to a regular 9-5 job). This has really helped with my mental health as I have dedicated time to not think about uni for a bit, and focus on myself! Another thing to focus on is the fact that you will never be the best, so just try being the best version of yourself! You don’t need to be perfect to go far in life and do well in uni!

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