Students say university negatively impacts their mental health

A huge 17 out of 20 students claimed that their mental health has been affected whilst at university, according to our survey.

The River conducted a survey of 20 students to understand the impact university has on mental health, especially the difference between expectation and reality.

Only one out of 20 students said that their university experience lived up to their expectations and only six students said that it mostly had.

One student said: “The stress has exceeded my expectations and left little to no fun in uni life. All my energy is being used to work and do everyday life things like eat and clean.”

However, another student commented: “I wouldn’t say this has impacted my mental health or made me anxious or depressed. I think it’s just one of those myths about uni that most people realise isn’t true. I would say that uni and my course have actually helped my self confidence and self esteem.”

A third added: “I think my mental health was affected a lot when I first came to uni. I felt isolated and like I was wasting the years I had imagined I’d spend making core memories.

“I nearly wanted to drop out after my first year. Though I’ve made some good friends now, it seemed like a lost cause initially and made uni feel like a very lonely place.”

The results from our survey also suggest 19 out of 20 students are not satisfied with their university experience. The reality differs a lot from what is expected, “It isn’t like the films,” an anonymous student said.