By Lily Clark, Second Year, English Literature
Countless first impressions, dancing neon lights, spilled laughter on the kitchen table – and before you realise, welcome week comes to a close. University life quickly becomes a frantic blur of assignment deadlines and new responsibilities, leaving your organisation pushed to the footnotes. But surviving the intensity of university does not mean you have to sacrifice your wellbeing.
What if you came prepared? What if you had a healthy work-life balance?
A recent Epigram poll revealed that 48 per cent of students were not confident in saying that they had a good work life balance. An additional question investigated what the majority believed to be the thing they found most difficult to manage at university. Sleep was the answer. 32 per cent of students identified this, and earning second place with 26 per cent of votes was social life.
As a fresher, going from a structured timetable at school to suddenly being in charge of your own routine is a substantial shift.
Waking up, realising half of the day has already disappeared and you weren’t even there to see it is a mandatory part of being a student. Or suddenly realising you have to read hundreds of pages for your seminar the next morning and pulling an all-nighter in the ASS, your vision blurring under the fluorescent lights. Of course, these things will happen throughout your degree, but even slightly altering your attitude on time management can stop this from becoming your narrative.
Considering the colossal effects that one’s mental health can have on their university experience, it is vital that we do everything to inform students how to make this time as worry-free as possible. Statistics highlight that up to 50 per cent of students struggle with their mental wellbeing, and a major 20 per cent endure this for at least 12 months.
While having a routine can never solve the complexities of poor mental health, it can give you a sense of stability.
Although many see having a work-life balance as an unnecessary overcomplication designed by Gen Z, it actually has much more profound origins. In 1817, Welsh socialist, Robert Owen, pioneered the phrase ‘eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest.’ After transforming the village of New Lanark into a model of utopian socialism, he was able to evidence that having a harmony of labour, education, and leisure only bettered one’s welfare.
Repeatedly, history has shown that having a work-life balance is essential for productivity and more significantly, for your mental state – so, why is it so often a forgotten afterthought?
So, what can we do to help this? What can you do to protect your wellbeing?
So much of university is of course about friendships. From going out clubbing until the crack of dawn to cooking together at dusk, however, it's really vital that you make boundaries for yourself. To say yes or sometimes to say no. Very often you may feel swamped by university work, especially as the months go on. And so, it is more than understandable if occasionally you have to opt out of something social to make you less anxious about meeting deadlines.
Simultaneously, it is just as valuable to take advantage of the community life at university. The University of Bristol has around 400 societies to choose from - there is almost definitely something you can find to distract you from what may feel mundane. As someone who can easily get absorbed by the need to get perfect grades, I would argue that ensuring your life is more than just your academics can really aid your approach to learning and to prioritising your own happiness.
Leaning on the connections you make can prevent you from falling behind and even into the confines of an anxious mind.
When it comes to balancing your degree alongside your new responsibilities, one thing that helps is keeping your studies on campus, only doing your readings and assignments in places like libraries or study areas. This lets your living space become a safe haven from the pressures of your degree.
Don’t let your bedroom become your own personal classroom.
Another thing that keeps me motivated is studying with friends and making it almost like an outing, ensuring that you not only keep each other accountable but that it is also something that you are excited by.
In light of other perspectives, Abi Chandrakumar, a third year medical student, said that ‘you don’t always have to be studying, and I think having things to look forward to outside of university makes a big difference.’ She also underlined just how helpful the peer mentor system was for her, saying that it meant she could receive ‘advice in a much more informal and relatable way.’
She then concluded that:
‘Going for walks, trying different cafes and restaurants, and spending time with friends around the city have all helped make Bristol feel like home rather than just the place where I go to university.’
So, perhaps having a work-life balance is more than just a trend, maybe it’s a necessity for surviving the challenge of juggling one too many things at university. Maybe it can mean that you really live when you’re in Bristol.
Milly Middlehurst
Jannel Jones
Featured Image: 'Wills Memorial Library' | Epigram / Lily Clark
How has your academic life impacted your social life? Do you think you have a good work-life balance?
