Going to university is honestly one of the weirdest times of your life. I had the added stress of studying in two places and so definitely have experience with dealing with the madness.
My first year hit me hard. When I look back to photos I see how little I was caring for myself by not eating well or exercising, but also mentally as the lack of routine really messed with me.
Thankfully I was surrounded by great friends and found myself in a wonderful community of Christians. It was during this time that I realised that I wanted and needed a deeper faith in God. This step of faith combined with practical health steps helped me look after myself far better and going into second year, I was in a much healthier place. In my second year, these friends helped me decide that taking a gap year would be a great thing for me. I used it to work for one of the Christian groups on my campus, and honestly, this was when I grew up. Working sixty hours a week meant that I treasured the routine of bedtime and by this point, I had lost any FOMO (fear of missing out) that used to be so prevalent in my first two years.
All of these things made it a thousand times easier when I started my final year of uni. In knowing tools to help my wellbeing and to support my faith, I again rooted myself in community and made a real effort to take care of my mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. The combination of these things helped me to have a fantastic year, and I will always treasure it as one of the best ever.
Here are some of my five top tips for students: