Was there anything which gave you confidence or changed when you went to university?
"When I went to university I had my independence, which was fabulous and made me realise I'm capable of more than I thought" - Mimi
“The fact that no one knew me. I could be just me.” - Jess
“I do feel like I haven't changed since I was 14 because it's been so gradual and I've obviously been there with myself the whole time, so I haven't noticed anything. But when I see friends who I haven't seen in a while it's more obvious; I've learnt to lean into the things I enjoy and try to just love anything I love shame-free... and I feel like that means I've become outwardly more me, which seems to be most people's experience of uni... which I think is cool.” - Amy
Do you have any tips for people who are coming to university now?
“Focus on learning for the sake of learning, the grades will come as a result.” - Violet
“Just go for things, if you see something that looks interesting, then do it. University is the best time to work out who you really are and what you really like and it’s a great time to find people like you. The degree itself and the work is obviously important, but to me at least it was just as important to enjoy myself and work out who I was and who I wanted to spend time with.” – Mithago
Need support?
Student Minds are the UK’s student mental health charity. Find out about their support programmes and resources.
The Mix provide essential support for anyone under 25. Find out about their helpline, webchat and crisis messenger
Samaritans are available 24/7 for free on 116 123 (UK), whatever you’re going through, they’re here to listen.
Student Space a new programme set up to support students through the coronavirus pandemic: studentspace.org.uk
Mind's online community ‘Side by Side’ to find more ways to connect with other people and find a community where you can share, listen and be heard.