The Student Room Group

Struggling in 2nd Year of Uni

hi guys,

so as i said in the title, i'm in my second year of uni and i am seriously struggling, i'm doing a biochemistry course and i'm just starting the 2nd term. i don't really know what i'm looking for, maybe some words of encouragement, tips or just personal experiences?

to add some context, i did find the 1st term super intense, i was constantly overwhelmed and stressed to a point where i just couldn't think straight, i have adhd and depression, i won't use this as an excuse to why i tend to do things last minute etc but i know it does have an impact on how i function and sometimes i just physically can't do what i need to do, or don't even know what to do.

my grades weren't too great either, for some things i got nearly 60%, still waiting for a couple of things to be marked but i just know they didn't go well. this term almost all my modules change and then i'll have exams from modules from both terms in the summer, do u think i can still manage to pass? what is the minimum % i need to pass a module?

i also have a huge lab project that's worth like 55% of my module grade, i'm just starting this now and all the other things for this module didn't go too well, so i'm stressing a lot because if i don't pass i'll defo have to repeat the year since the whole module is coursework.

it's not like i need the top marks, i just wanna pass with some decent grades, i've been struggling a lot with my mental health and english isn't my first language so i'm trying to be avoid being too hard on myself.

i know this turned into a little rant but i guess i just needed it, do u guys have any tips on how to avoid being so overwhelmed and having your mind all over the place all the time? i have so many people in my course that are repeating the 2nd year and tbh i can see why, and if i have to i'll repeat it as well, but i'm doing a year abroad and would much prefer doing that before my final year.

so yeah, thanks for reading, and lmk your thoughts, if u also struggled in your 2nd year and if even tho i struggled through the 1st half of it i can still save it, take care :smile:
Honestly, its normal to feel overwhelmed, especially in Biochemistry, which I hear is a very demanding course. You're not alone! It's definitely still possible to turn things around. Try reaching out to your lecturers and support services to see if there's any help or extensions you may be able to get and what support there may be for your ADHD and depression. Remember to focus on progress not perfection. As long as you're improving and getting better, that's steps in the right direction.
Original post by j3lly_f1sh
hi guys,
so as i said in the title, i'm in my second year of uni and i am seriously struggling, i'm doing a biochemistry course and i'm just starting the 2nd term. i don't really know what i'm looking for, maybe some words of encouragement, tips or just personal experiences?
to add some context, i did find the 1st term super intense, i was constantly overwhelmed and stressed to a point where i just couldn't think straight, i have adhd and depression, i won't use this as an excuse to why i tend to do things last minute etc but i know it does have an impact on how i function and sometimes i just physically can't do what i need to do, or don't even know what to do.
my grades weren't too great either, for some things i got nearly 60%, still waiting for a couple of things to be marked but i just know they didn't go well. this term almost all my modules change and then i'll have exams from modules from both terms in the summer, do u think i can still manage to pass? what is the minimum % i need to pass a module?
i also have a huge lab project that's worth like 55% of my module grade, i'm just starting this now and all the other things for this module didn't go too well, so i'm stressing a lot because if i don't pass i'll defo have to repeat the year since the whole module is coursework.
it's not like i need the top marks, i just wanna pass with some decent grades, i've been struggling a lot with my mental health and english isn't my first language so i'm trying to be avoid being too hard on myself.
i know this turned into a little rant but i guess i just needed it, do u guys have any tips on how to avoid being so overwhelmed and having your mind all over the place all the time? i have so many people in my course that are repeating the 2nd year and tbh i can see why, and if i have to i'll repeat it as well, but i'm doing a year abroad and would much prefer doing that before my final year.
so yeah, thanks for reading, and lmk your thoughts, if u also struggled in your 2nd year and if even tho i struggled through the 1st half of it i can still save it, take care :smile:

Hi @j3lly_f1sh ,

I am sorry to hear that you have been struggling this year so far. Going into second year can be quite a big change from first year so I understand how you feel, especially as you are doing such a demanding course.

Firstly, I would say that if you haven't already, you should speak to your university about how you are feeling. Also, if they don't already know, it might be a good idea to tell them that you have ADHD and depression as they may be able to support you and put some things in place so that this does not affect how you learn/ your grades while you are at Uni. You could also speak to the student support team about how you are feeling in general as they should be able to support you and help you and give you any extra help as and when it is needed.

In terms of your grades, there is still plenty of time to change things you are not happy with, or improve some of your grades. Make sure you are talking to your tutors and telling them if you do not understand anything at all as they will be there to help you and will answer your questions. Make sure you ask straight away if you do not understand something as this is how they will help you to start to understand this and start to improve your work. Also, make the most of any formative feedback opportunities you have as this is where your tutors can read your work and tell you how to improve which will be really helpful and will improve your grades.

I also like to make sure that I read the lecture slides before the lecture if they are available to you and go through and highlight things that you do not understand. This way, when it is brought up in the lecture, you know you need to pay attention. It can be really hard in lectures to take in all of the information that you need to take in and listen to everything that has been said, so I prefer to know which bits I need to pay more attention to and which bits I can just listen to as a refresher of what I already know.

Also, making sure you are organised is a good idea. I find it quite hard to be organised and stay on top of what I need to do and I find having a plan and a schedule really helps me. At the start of the week I like to list out what I need to do - whether this is uni work, my job or just other commitments I have and then work out when I have time to do all of this. Having it written down what I need to do each day is really helpful to me and means that I feel less overwhelmed as each day I can just focus on a smaller task, rather than trying to get done everything I need to do all week.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂

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