Help!

I have to go to a university fair soon as a school trip and I really don’t want to go, I have social anxiety and I’m scared of large crowds, I’ve also decided that I’m not going to university at all. Whenever I think about it I always end up panicking. What should I do?

I have to go to a university fair soon as a school trip and I really don’t want to go, I have social anxiety and I’m scared of large crowds, I’ve also decided that I’m not going to university at all. Whenever I think about it I always end up panicking. What should I do?

I would suggest talking to a teacher or member of staff on the trip about it to see if they can offer any support e.g. finding you a quiet space if you get overwhelmed, or staying with you in large crowds. I think it's a great opportunity, even if you feel like you don't want to go to university now. I never used to think I wanted to go to uni, then in year 10 I had the amazing opportunity to visit the University of Oxford as a school trip, but didn't pay attention or make the most out of it because I believed I didn't want to go to uni at all, much less apply to Oxford. I later decided I wanted to go to uni, and even applied to Oxford this year. I regret not staying open-minded and making the most of opportunities like this. I would encourage you strongly to go with an open mind, especially if you're still in lower school. Hopefully, it won't be as bad on the day as you think it will be, but it's a good idea to have a support plan in place with teachers and friends to manage your anxiety.

Don't go and make an excuse - you can't be forced to attend on the day.

At the moment I’m in my first year of sixth form and I’m pretty determined that I don’t want to go to uni as I no longer want to stay in education, I’m sorry if this sounds aggressive it’s not my intention

That's completely fair! I just thought you might be younger as my school personally did uni/careers fairs in year 10 and 11 mostly. In that case, maybe let your school know how you feel about uni so they can provide more support for your pathway and hopefully they won't bombard you with UCAS stuff next year! Best of luck with it all x