Living at uni

[Cconnie]

I'm thinking of going to a uni which is an hour away in September, I have a car so can drive but undecided whether to live or not as my panic is holding me back from accepting the offer and living in.

I used to live at the uni doing a college course for 2 years but because I had so many panic attacks there I'm scared of living there again.

Just wondering what people uni experiences were/are.

[Oosh]

I suppose if you live within driving distance couldn't you maybe be based at home for the 1st year and see how you feel. If after first year you feel confident enough then live at uni after that ? Or the other way around. Give it a try, if it's not for you, move home.

What triggered your panic attacks when you were previously at uni ?
Did you enjoy any aspect of living at uni in that period ?
Or was it ALL horrible ?

[Rennie1989]

Move in, in any case, and if it's not for you then you can move out. I lived in student accommodation when I was doing my nursing but only during work placements. I did enjoy it, to an extent, but it was a great experience.

[yenool]

I tried living at Uni and I found it very difficult. I went with private halls thinking it would be quieter........ the problem is it was and as a result I was isolated. I have social anxiety anyway so in the 6 months I was there I didn't get to know anyone, my anxiety rocketed and depression worsened. It wasn't helped by the fact I disliked my course, so eventually I switched Uni to one in my home city.

I would suggest picking university owned/run halls and then making a big effort to get to know your flatmates so you don't end up isolated. Distraction is one of the best techniques for managing anxiety and if you can keep busy with work and social activities things will go much better.

Make use of the university support services. Nearly all universities have counselling, mentoring and other services available, but you do have to go and ask for support before they can give you any! If you have an official diagnosis of anxiety or other long term mental/physical health problems then apply for disabled students allowance (DSA).

Depending on how bad you feel the problem is you could also discuss this with your GP. There may be medications that you could take before starting or perhaps a course of counselling BEFORE starting uni would help you cope better. You have a long time to consider your options and get ready.

My gut instinct is to say give it a go and see how you feel once you are there. 1hr isn't too far so if you hate living there you can always leave halls and commute. Plus if you 'live in' you can always return home at the weekends.

[Cconnie]

What triggered your panic attacks when you were previously at uni ?
Did you enjoy any aspect of living at uni in that period ?
Or was it ALL horrible ?

I had a bunch if good friends there but i panicked in every lesson, at night and when I was in the bathroom, I'm not sure what triggers it whether it's being alone or something but overall I enjoyed it all :) but me panicking meant I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else or am much as I should of

Thank you for all your responses :)

[PanchoGoz]

Hello again!
We seem to have a similar sort of anxiety set don't we :roflmao:

I was also very worried about uni, cooking, making friends, I am a bit weird etc. but was caught up in the buzz of it all and my anxiety wasn't a problem for the first term.
Second term I had a breakdown but wasn't exactly to do with university, just my own problems. My friends helped me through it and understood and I made it through the year. I think you will be just fine, you have a long time to learn to manage you anxeity in before you start.

[Cconnie]

Yeah we seem to haha,

Yeah, thank you, I hope uni goes well for you :)