Reflection corner: how do you find the balance at university?

Starting university can feel extremely daunting for many; it affects different people in a variety of ways. Uncovering the ‘right’ balance between academia and personal life can be challenging for numerous students. However, it’s important to realise, the struggle is normal and nothing to be worried about. When you take the time to realise you are grappling with some difficulties, you’ve taken an integral step in developing as a university student.

There is a diversity of obstacles to overcome and learn to make part of your routine. One of these obstacles is the adjustment to the new world of university academia. Lectures, seminars, workshops, and practicals: all words we’ve heard but rarely experienced until university. It is easy to feel confused and overwhelmed when the workload begins, which is why it is important to establish a network of people around you who you can trust and feel yourself around. By simply talking out loud about your stress and worries it can help you to understand solutions but also reinstate it as a habit, so that you avoid suppressing your emotions.

Despite academia being the main reason you come to university, social life is consistently emphasised as an equally vital portion of student living. While it is positive that Newcastle University offers such a large number of societies, sports and clubs to join, this could quickly become overwhelming. After all the excitement in joining societies, it is crucial to take a step back and identify when too much is too much and allow yourself room to breathe in all the chaos. Try your best not to overload yourself with too many unnecessary commitments and deposit more effort and passion into fewer, as overall this may improve the quality of time you’re investing into your extracurricular activities.

If balancing both lectures and societies wasn’t enough, part-time work is another common expectation for students to juggle. This is where sacrifices often become necessary, as you must make organised decisions on availability for work and what time you have left for yourself. Nonetheless, put your wellbeing above all else, as ultimately you can’t expect yourself to balance it all without sound mental, physical and emotional health. 

Often, students lose themselves in all they must balance, which can very quickly feel isolating and endless. However, this is a very common, inevitable segment of university that we have to find the strength and knowledge to both acknowledge and overcome. Remember, in time, a routine will begin to fixate and feel natural, providing you with the foundations to be fulfilled and to flourish in the exciting future that is university.