Is Uni a good idea with low confidence?

(edited 4 years ago)

Is it a wise idea to go to University if I have low confidence? I am very self conscious about my voice and have bad skin (acne) which means I would not be able to go out as disruption to my sleep cycle will lead to a massive increase of spots. Also, I’m worried I will not talk to many people unless they talk to me and would be very quiet in group work and would not be comfortable doing any class presentations or joining in discussions.

Therefore is Uni a good idea for me or do you think it could damage my health being away from and potentially losing existing close friends through distance and living with people I doubt i will know very well even months down the line? What are my alternatives?

you won't know what harm it might do until you give it a go, are you under a dermatologist?

Reply 2

random_matt

As above, dermatologist.

Reply 3

claireestelle

Original post by Hairybum

Hi, thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I am not as my case is deemed not to be severe enough under the NHS and it is too expensive to go private. To be honest it’s not absolutely horrific but it affects my face, back and chest and I’d say is a lot worse than most. It makes me feel really dirty and has knocked my confidence a lot but as it’s not deemed severe enough to be referred to a dermatologist there isn’t much I can do, and if I start at Uni in September any course of treatment would not have had time to work. Should Uni be avoided for someone with low confidence because of insecurities like my voice/acne etc?

you could get a private health case plan? some are like £20 a month and that would cover most if not all of an initial appointment with a dermatologist. many people at uni have low confidence and university can help that but it can go the other way, one way to think of it is will you always regret it if your insecurities stopped you going to uni entirely. If you're really struggle then maybe do distance learning but you won't get a maintenance loan for that as they are very strict on giving those out.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

No you shouldn’t avoid uni because of it, I’m going to uni in September and I have social anxiety and 0 confidence. I am hoping to make friends and join in, I am concerned about the group work and presentations but I really want a degree, so it’s something I’m just going to have to push myself through.

I don’t know if the Open university is any good, of you want your degree and going to uni is the only option then there isn’t much else you can do about that.

Could you see your gp to get any support from counselling or medication etc?

Reply 5

Nmys

Uni can be a great place to boost your confidence and meet new people if you give it a chance. There are people from all over the world with a variety of appearances, and what you find (mostly) is that people don't pay much attention to those type of physical appearances when making friends, and if they do then they're most likely the type of person you wouldn't want to be friends with anyway. I was shy and quiet when I started uni, entirely did not think I would make any friends, and didn't go clubbing at all, but I did make friends that I still see now having graduated whilst also keeping my old friendships from school. Presentations and group work was tricky at first for someone like me who gets shaky in front of crowds, but practice really does make perfect and I got more comfortable and realised that we are all feeling the same way. I wouldn't shy away from a chance to study and further your knowledge and gain new qualifications if that's what you want because of worry over acne and being shy.