Advice to my (overwhelmed) first-year self

Worried about finding your balance, preparing for that overwhelming first week, and knowing when to lean on people? Keep reading!

By Emma Fewtrell

My 17-year-old self decided that she’d apply for an integrated masters in maths at a Russell Group university and I’ve been dealing with the consequences ever since. Before I started university, I had the expectation that I’d effortlessly get through the mathematical content. I’d make loads and loads of friends and have plans every night and I’d have a well-balanced life where I could still do everything I enjoy, like reading and horse riding.

Needless to say, university life was not all I imagined and there have been many road blocks in getting to where I am now.

I’ve included a photo of me on Blackford Hill, as there must be some analogy to be made about being on top of the hill now that I’m going into my fifth year – but alas, I study maths, not creative writing. Instead, I’ll give a couple of pieces of advice that I wish I’d heard when I was in first year, and certainly needed to be reminded of in the years following.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Competition drew a lot of people into maths – maybe it was fun at some point to compare grades and know you got top of the class or you made it to the top set. Doing a maths degree, you’re now in a room where everyone was at the top of their high school class.

This is extremely intimidating but remember – you’re also now in a room where everyone loves maths enough to pursue a degree in it. There’s less competition because now (hopefully) everyone genuinely enjoys what they’re doing so grades don’t matter.

Feel free to compare grades if that’s what you’re into, but there’s been more than one occasion where I’ve walked away from a conversation about grades or just said ‘no’ to someone asking and it was way better for my mental health. Education doesn’t have to be a competition, you can just enjoy what you’re learning and focus on yourself and your own development.

Take your time. First-year is overwhelming, there’s a lot to take in. Everyone else seems to have made friends in the first minute of fresher’s week and all of a sudden you have to do maths in your maths degree, alongside learning to live alone, cook, do laundry, make friends, navigate campus, and find time for hobbies?

There’s lots of advice around to say yes to everything and join every society and make the most of fresher’s week. And of course there is value in doing these things. But I didn’t join a society until second-year because I was overwhelmed enough in first year and knew I couldn’t add more to my plate. For a long time, I was just trying to get through my courses.

Now that I’m going into my fifth year, I don’t feel as though I’ve missed out at all. I have great friends, I’ve joined a range of societies, and I manage my time so that I can enjoy both maths and hobbies. It took me longer to find this balance and ‘make the most of my time’ but that’s okay – remember that you’re here for at least a couple of years, so not everything has to be done in your first week. It’s okay to take a breath.

Prepare. Maybe it would help to prepare a bit before classes start, maybe this is just another thing I’m adding to your never-ending to-do list. Up to you, but if you think it would help you, then find your lecture theatres, wander around the campus you’re based at to see what study spaces, cafes, toilets and social spaces are close by for in between classes. Maybe time yourself walking or on the bus so you have an idea of how long it takes you to get to campus and what route you need to take. Is it easier for you to take the university shuttle bus between Main Campus and Kings Buildings?

Do keep in mind that especially in the first few weeks lots of people are potentially travelling to class at the same time as you so the volume of traffic may be higher. I’d recommend giving yourself an extra 10 minutes at peak times to take the bus to campus, or to get to the shuttle bus to ensure you get a place! Being prepared can help calm your nerves in that first week of class – it’s just one less thing to worry about so you can spend more time focussing on the interesting maths you’ll learn and the friends you’ll make.

It’s okay to lean on people. Call your loved ones from home when you need to. Encouraging words from someone you trust can get you through the toughest days. Find out what resources the university has to offer – peer mentors, your student advisor, The Advice Place. Reach out before you absolutely need it. I tried to keep going until my breaking point and it made it so much worse than if I sought out help earlier.

In a high school personal development class, we once did an exercise that I still refer to now. We wrote down a ‘toolkit’ of things that make us feel better when we’re down. Having this physical or mental list to refer to helps me do something quickly and without too much thought to help myself feel better on tough days. My toolkit includes journaling, getting out in nature and calling my mum. Of course, sometimes more professional or specialised help is needed, but this list helps me get through the days when maths is just a bit too tricky or I’m feeling a bit down.

Enjoy it. And if you’re not loving every single second, don’t worry. Trust the process. Your enjoyment at university may not be monotonically increasing, but I do believe it’s diverging to positive infinity.