Two very different years at Warwick: What university taught me about balance

As a finalist, I can tell you that my first and second years here at Warwick could not have been more different. The more I dwell on them, the more I wonder what might have been if I’d taken even a few steps down another path.

So, what wisdom can my time at Warwick offer you? Well, my first piece of advice is actually more of a truth, which is that it is entirely possible to have a proper work-life balance.

Many people will tell you that you should make the most of your first year, because it often ‘doesn’t count’ – or at least counts a lot less. To an extent, this is true. I recommend using your first year to step out of your comfort zone and try all sorts of new things, whether that’s clubbing, society events, or sports. However, I will not be the person who tells you it’s a good idea to skip multiple lectures and seminars, as during my first year, I actually used the fact that the year counted for 0% to hone my essay-writing and assignment skills, hoping that in the years following, I would be able to score those higher marks when it counted!

My first year was not entirely perfect. For reasons no one really wants to hear about, I strongly recommend staying away from Cactus Jack Schnapps

This probably makes me sound a little bit boring… but I promise I wasn’t all about academics! In Freshers’ Week, for example, I went out clubbing five times – five! I was promptly floored by Freshers’ Flu the week after, however, so I implore you to start taking vitamin C supplements right now! I could also tell you to make sure to eat vegetables, although I acknowledge that these foods are not typically found in your freshers’ cookbook!

My first year was not entirely perfect. For reasons no one really wants to hear about, I strongly recommend staying away from Cactus Jack Schnapps (or at least avoid drinking a whole bottle every time you go out). I also really struggled with procrastination and motivation. It seemed that was the cost of my independence and freedom. For quite a substantial amount of time, I was no longer able to make myself do anything – whether that was coursework, exercise, or even cooking proper meals. It all came to a head in Term 2, when I wrote an essay in one night… beginning at 10pm on Monday and submitting it by 9am Tuesday. I would never ever recommend doing that if you can help it, even if I did somehow end up with a 2:1!

What I would recommend instead, if you find yourself struggling with motivation in the same way I did, is to start making small adjustments to some of your current habits. For me, that meant going to bed 30 minutes earlier and setting myself a five-minute timer to get myself to start my reading for an assignment earlier!

Perhaps the most valuable piece of wisdom I have gained from all of my time spent at Warwick is that you never really stop making new friends and meeting new people

What I least expected was just how different my second year would be. I could even describe it as the complete opposite of my first. Very early in the academic year, I started struggling with a multitude of health issues that made focusing on my studies far more difficult. It didn’t help that assignments started ‘counting’, and the stress of this only exacerbated my symptoms. However, after living through all of this, my advice to you, if you are struggling in any way, would be to reach out to the Wellbeing and Disability Teams for help. I was able to get reasonable adjustments put in place to help me manage my symptoms and my studies, and even ended up finding my work-life balance again, a balance that was probably even better than the one I found in my first year.

What I hope you take from my experience is that while you might have serious ups and downs at university, never be afraid to reach out for help, and please cling firmly to the idea that things will get better, because I promise you they almost always do!

Perhaps the most valuable piece of wisdom I have gained from all of my time spent at Warwick is that you never really stop making new friends and meeting new people. As an introvert, this can sometimes feel overwhelming, but at the same time, it’s also exciting and refreshing to know there are so many people out there to spend time with. I found that attending a variety of society and sports events was what made this mostly possible. So, you never know, even going to just one activity could lead to making a new friend, and that possibility is so valuable. For that reason, I implore you to keep turning up to society events, even if no one you know is going. You never know when you might make a new friend, or even find a whole new friend group!