When you leave for Uni, you’ll likely have to manage a lot more for yourself than you were used to back at home – cooking meals, doing laundry, managing bills and rent on a tight budget etc – all whilst trying to juggle the workload of a new course! Naturally, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.
But be encouraged that whilst it seems tricky at first, most people soon get the hang of all these new life skills and, of course, they will help you to become an independent and mature adult. Don’t be afraid to turn to your family for advice and support – they will want to encourage and help you, and often your personal tutor or Uni welfare officer can also be a good source of help if you’re finding things difficult.
Is there anything you can do though to help minimise the stresses of student life?
- Prepare before you go: Strengthen your faith and confidence in God’s word through prayer and good Bible devotions. Also ask family or friends to help you develop some practical skills before you leave for Uni – for example to learn how to budget and manage your weekly finances when you’re at Uni (there are useful Apps which can help you with this). Practice cooking some easy, but healthy low-budget meals; start to do your own laundry over the summer so you’re used to managing it yourself; and once you know which Uni you’re going to and where your accommodation will be, register with a GP early so you know where to go for help if you feel unwell.
- Stick to a healthy routine: Free from the constraints of home, students sometimes slip into bad habits of staying up late at night, sleeping in for too long in the morning and eating too much junk food etc. Not getting enough sleep, exercise and healthy food can lead to you feeling more tired and stressed. So, plan a good routine and stick to it. Make sure you plan in time for personal prayer and Bible study so that you focus on God each day; schedule in work hours so you have allocated times for proper focussed study, but make sure you schedule in time to exercise and to relax with friends as well. Keeping Sundays as the Lord’s day for church and rest will refresh and prepare you (both physically and spiritually) for the busyness of the week ahead. If you find self-discipline difficult, consider asking a Christian friend to keep you accountable and help you to maintain a good routine.
- Trust God in your friendships and relationships. Difficulties with friendships and relationship break-ups are sadly a very common cause of poor mental health in young people. Away from home and family, students can easily become over-reliant on a particular relationship and then feel devastated if that relationship ends. It’s important not to embark upon a romantic relationship without much prayer and good counsel, and to conduct yourselves in a pure and godly manner whilst considering if they might be the right person to marry. And should it not end in marriage, we need to remember that God is good, He is in control and we can trust in His good plans for our lives.
- Remember that God is in control: Most important of all, remember that God is in control. Most people feel stress when they feel out of control or weighed down by too much. Remember that in fact we are never in control, but thankfully our loving Sovereign God (who is good and can always be trusted) is always in control. So we need not be anxious (Matthew 6:25-34). We can and should ask God to help us to use our gifts to the best of our ability – to give us discipline and wisdom so we study diligently and can serve Him faithfully in our different settings – but we can trust God for the results and for everything else in our lives.
Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour your heart before him”
Psalm 62:8
