The Student Room Group

I don't know what to do

I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Reply 1

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Go and talk to your Personal Tutor or similar, and/or Student Support Wellbeing. This feeling of 'not keeping up' and 'not good enough' is very common, and they will know how to help, promise.

Reply 2

Original post
by McGinger
Go and talk to your Personal Tutor or similar, and/or Student Support Wellbeing. This feeling of 'not keeping up' and 'not good enough' is very common, and they will know how to help, promise.

I did and have, they've said I'm doing fine but honestly I'm so behind and keep just failing everything. I think it also doesn't help that everyone in my course likes to flaunt a lot and I constantly feel like I shouldn't be here, especially since my results were mitigating. I've basically spoken to everyone I need to about it and I keep going to student support but everyone thinks I'm overthinking. I have 7 weeks till exams and I honestly think I'll fail.

Reply 3

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.
Hey,

What you’re feeling is so much more common than you think, even though it feels incredibly heavy and isolating when you’re the one going through it. Please don’t mistake this for “not being smart enough.” What you’re describing sounds like someone who’s overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, and trying to carry everything at once. Anyone would be struggling under that pressure!

I actually remember having my moment of feeling exactly like this. It hit me in my second year…I was completely overwhelmed, convinced I was too far behind to catch up, and genuinely considered dropping out. In a desperate panic I emailed my personal tutor, and he replied really quickly offering a Teams meeting that same week. Before the meeting, I wrote down every question, worry, and problem I wanted to talk about, and during the call I crossed them off as we discussed them so I didn’t forget anything. He gave me solid advice, real clarity about what actually mattered, and was incredibly understanding. He even checked in with me afterwards, which made such a difference. I remember feeling so relieved after that meeting and honestly, I’m so glad I reached out instead of struggling alone.

So, please talk to your lecturers or personal tutor. This isn’t failing, it’s exactly what they’re there for. If you explain that you’re overwhelmed and falling behind, they can help you prioritise, offer extensions, or guide you through what’s actually essential right now.

Right now you’re looking at 30 pages of notes, loads of lectures to catch up on, and exams after Christmas all at once. No wonder your brain is panicking, that’s too much for anyone to process as one huge block. Try breaking things down into tiny, manageable steps. Pick one lecture, or just three to five pages of notes, and focus only on that. Set a timer for 20 minutes, then take a short break. Small wins build momentum and make everything feel less impossible.

It’s also so important to reach out to your uni’s wellbeing team. Crying, throwing up from stress, missing lectures because you feel paralysed, those are signs you need support, not signs you’re incapable. They can help with anxiety, motivation, and building a manageable routine.

And honestly, the people around you are not managing as smoothly as they seem. Uni is full of students quietly struggling behind closed doors. You’re comparing yourself to a version of them that probably isn’t real.

You can catch up…not perfectly, not instantly, but slowly and steadily. Things feel impossible right now because anxiety is doing the talking. Give yourself support before making any big decisions. Don’t face this alone, reaching out could be the turning point, just like it was for me.

You’re not failing. You’re overwhelmed, and that’s something you can recover from. You’re capable, and you will get through this. And remember to be kind to yourself and give yourself time to relax! Building down time into your schedule is just as important as the rest of the hard work you’re putting in!

I hope this helps reassure you! Good luck moving forward. Sophie 🙂

Reply 4

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hi there,
I am so sorry to hear about your struggles with your course. Have you spoken to your academic development / personal tutor about your difficulties?

The first year of uni can be easily overwhelming due to the change in teaching style and emphasis on independent study. If there is particular topic or module you are stuck with, why not reach out to one of your tutors or lecturers? They might be able to sign post you to a better resources or explain something in clearer detail 🤗.

Even though it may feel overwhelming to start, it is important to make a step forward! Make a short to -do list and study plan to start slowly revising for your upcoming exams, there is definitely still time to revise and to catch up on your assignments 😚
Wishing you the best of luck in your upcoming exams and academic year ahead.

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)

Reply 5

Original post
by ARU Graduate
Hey,
What you’re feeling is so much more common than you think, even though it feels incredibly heavy and isolating when you’re the one going through it. Please don’t mistake this for “not being smart enough.” What you’re describing sounds like someone who’s overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, and trying to carry everything at once. Anyone would be struggling under that pressure!
I actually remember having my moment of feeling exactly like this. It hit me in my second year…I was completely overwhelmed, convinced I was too far behind to catch up, and genuinely considered dropping out. In a desperate panic I emailed my personal tutor, and he replied really quickly offering a Teams meeting that same week. Before the meeting, I wrote down every question, worry, and problem I wanted to talk about, and during the call I crossed them off as we discussed them so I didn’t forget anything. He gave me solid advice, real clarity about what actually mattered, and was incredibly understanding. He even checked in with me afterwards, which made such a difference. I remember feeling so relieved after that meeting and honestly, I’m so glad I reached out instead of struggling alone.
So, please talk to your lecturers or personal tutor. This isn’t failing, it’s exactly what they’re there for. If you explain that you’re overwhelmed and falling behind, they can help you prioritise, offer extensions, or guide you through what’s actually essential right now.
Right now you’re looking at 30 pages of notes, loads of lectures to catch up on, and exams after Christmas all at once. No wonder your brain is panicking, that’s too much for anyone to process as one huge block. Try breaking things down into tiny, manageable steps. Pick one lecture, or just three to five pages of notes, and focus only on that. Set a timer for 20 minutes, then take a short break. Small wins build momentum and make everything feel less impossible.
It’s also so important to reach out to your uni’s wellbeing team. Crying, throwing up from stress, missing lectures because you feel paralysed, those are signs you need support, not signs you’re incapable. They can help with anxiety, motivation, and building a manageable routine.
And honestly, the people around you are not managing as smoothly as they seem. Uni is full of students quietly struggling behind closed doors. You’re comparing yourself to a version of them that probably isn’t real.
You can catch up…not perfectly, not instantly, but slowly and steadily. Things feel impossible right now because anxiety is doing the talking. Give yourself support before making any big decisions. Don’t face this alone, reaching out could be the turning point, just like it was for me.
You’re not failing. You’re overwhelmed, and that’s something you can recover from. You’re capable, and you will get through this. And remember to be kind to yourself and give yourself time to relax! Building down time into your schedule is just as important as the rest of the hard work you’re putting in!
I hope this helps reassure you! Good luck moving forward. Sophie 🙂

I have spokent to them, but they tell me I'm doing well even though I feel so alone and inadequate.
Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hi there,

I am Ilya, a third year Cyber Security student at DMU. There is already some good advice in the thread, I only wanted to add one more thing that helped me personally.

I used to feel exactly the same way looking at a huge pile of notes like I was drowning, and just reading them over and over wasn't helping. What finally worked for me was changing how I studied. I stopped trying to just read all 30 pages of notes straight through, which often felt pointless. Instead, I would focus on a tiny chunk, like one page or one lecture topic. I'd read that small section once or twice, then immediately close the notes and try to write down or explain everything I could remember about it. If I couldn't recall something, I'd peek, and then immediately try to recall it again. This made every minute I spent feel like it really counted, because I was testing myself right away. It changes the mental game from "How do I get through this massive pile?" to "I know this small topic now," which gives you that necessary boost of feeling like you are genuinely catching up.

Take care,
Ilya,
Cyber Security student at DMU :smile:

Reply 7

Hey I went through psychosis at uni. It was horrible. You need to take time out of it’s making you feel like throwing up from stress.

Forget everyone else in your course and if they are flaunting. Do you get mental health counselling, you can apply for that at uni? From what I hear I will consider even medication even if it’s for the duration of uni to keep going.

You already think you are going to fail and that’s fuelling your fear. If you don’t have peace of mind you can’t think and can’t do anything. I think it’s time you either interrupt your studies or seriously take interventions in getting your mental health in order. This seems like major anxiety or extreme stress. You are at that stage where you are in battle and have to choose between fight, flight or fawn and because your brain is so hijacked you are malfunctioning. You need to be able to think. Go to the GP, reach out for any outreach program they have for mental health, oxleas is one I think.

Reply 8

Original post
by Anonymous
Hey I went through psychosis at uni. It was horrible. You need to take time out of it’s making you feel like throwing up from stress.
Forget everyone else in your course and if they are flaunting. Do you get mental health counselling, you can apply for that at uni? From what I hear I will consider even medication even if it’s for the duration of uni to keep going.
You already think you are going to fail and that’s fuelling your fear. If you don’t have peace of mind you can’t think and can’t do anything. I think it’s time you either interrupt your studies or seriously take interventions in getting your mental health in order. This seems like major anxiety or extreme stress. You are at that stage where you are in battle and have to choose between fight, flight or fawn and because your brain is so hijacked you are malfunctioning. You need to be able to think. Go to the GP, reach out for any outreach program they have for mental health, oxleas is one I think.
Hi, thank you so much for responding, it means a lot someone can relate to this. I do already go to counselling and have previously contacted my medical GP who thinks I might have CPTSD/ PTSD which largely contributes to my behaviour as I went to university immediately after suffering high levels of trauma. I honestly don't know what to say other than I want to fit in and I want to go to university and do well, but I feel like given my past I'll never quite feel at ease. Also, thank you for telling me you went through perhaps something similar, it makes me feel better. Right now I feel like no one understands my condition, so thank you for sharing that with me.

Reply 9

Original post
by Anonymous
Hi, thank you so much for responding, it means a lot someone can relate to this. I do already go to counselling and have previously contacted my medical GP who thinks I might have CPTSD/ PTSD which largely contributes to my behaviour as I went to university immediately after suffering high levels of trauma. I honestly don't know what to say other than I want to fit in and I want to go to university and do well, but I feel like given my past I'll never quite feel at ease. Also, thank you for telling me you went through perhaps something similar, it makes me feel better. Right now I feel like no one understands my condition, so thank you for sharing that with me.

Wanting to fit in makes sense and going to uni can kind of help you feel that. However if your health is in major decline, it's going to be hell. It's like walking on glass or something, or just a prickly feeling all around. PTSD/ CPTSD diagnosis and treatment is something you probably can look into pursuing. How do you feel if you took a year out to recover and then go back?

Reply 10

Original post
by Anonymous
Wanting to fit in makes sense and going to uni can kind of help you feel that. However if your health is in major decline, it's going to be hell. It's like walking on glass or something, or just a prickly feeling all around. PTSD/ CPTSD diagnosis and treatment is something you probably can look into pursuing. How do you feel if you took a year out to recover and then go back?

Honestly, I feel so disappointed in myself, I want to prove that I am capable and I am normal and that I worked just as hard as everyone else to get here.

Reply 11

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.


Hi,

I’m really sorry to hear you’re feeling this way. Please remember you’re not alone in this, as many students feel overwhelmed at different points in their course, and it doesn’t mean you’re not capable or that you don’t belong.

Since you’ve already spoken to your GP and they’ve mentioned the possibility of CPTSD/PTSD, it’s really important to continue taking on the support available to you. Your university’s wellbeing services can offer additional help, and you don’t have to manage everything by yourself. They’re used to supporting students going through difficult times, and reaching out to them could give you space to talk things through and find practical strategies that work for you.

Academically, try breaking your workload into smaller, manageable steps rather than tackling everything at once. Even completing one lecture or one set of notes can make things feel less overwhelming. You can also contact your personal tutor to explain how you’re feeling. They can offer guidance, reassurance, and help put support plans in place if needed.

You’ve worked hard to get to university, and feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re failing. You deserve support, and if you feel you need some time off to focus on your mental wellbeing, that’s completely okay too.

Wishing you all the best,

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 12

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hi @Anonymous 👋

Firstly take deep breathe in and out. This is a common feeling that all university students go through at some point during their course. I felt like this at the beginning as well. Then i realised that it is possible to go through everything as long as you take the time and stay focused and motivated. Talk to your university's wellbeing support time so they can help you create a action plan and that might help since scheduling the time and content can make a huge difference. A degree is difficult but everyone is able to do it as long as you focus and stay motivated so don't give up!

Essex Student Rep- Lavanya 💜

Reply 13

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hello! 🙂
I'm very sorry you are feeling this way, but please know you are not alone, a lot of people at university feel like they are behind and do not fit in!
I can see that you've already tried to reach out to academic advisors etc... and they haven't been much help.
What I would say is please do not compare yourself to those around you as it will do more harm than good. Everyone moves at their own pace and it's okay to be behind at university as content is quite tricky.

As your exams are after Christmas, I would recommend you make a plan to catch up over the holidays. If you have coursework due before then prioritise this, and then just write a list of everything you need to cover. Prioritise the list into tasks more important than others and set times during your holidays to get things done. Make sure when you revise you are using active recall so use things like flashcards, mind-maps, brain-dumps etc... and don't just re-read notes. If you have past papers, go over these to get an understanding of how the exams will be.

With that being said, also make sure to schedule in some time for hobbies, socialising etc... during your holidays! This is as equally important as the academic side of things as it means you won't burn out!
I hope this helps, and please do know that it's possible to catch up in time for exams if you do it in an organised manner!
If you have any questions do feel free to ask!
Good luck! 🙂
Fatma.

Reply 14

Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hi there,

I am so sorry to hear that you have been feeling like this so far at uni. I know that uni can sometimes feel so hard and I struggled quite a bit in my first year with adjusting, fitting in and managing my work so I understand at least some of what you are going through.

I know you have said you have been speaking to your personal tutor and have found that they aren't the most helpful. Is there anyone else you think you could speak to at your uni about how you are feeling? Sometimes there may be other teams of support or even just contacting the general helpline and see if they can put you in touch with someone as it would be good to have a support contact at your uni just so you can chat to them and they may hopefully be able to help you out with how you are feeling.

I can also relate to the feeling of being behind your course mates. I know I found it hard when I felt like everyone else was so ahead of me, but the chance are they really aren't. People don't like to admit if they are struggling so them saying that they are far ahead, or that they understand everything may just be a front. I hope there are at least a few approachable people on your course, and if so maybe try speaking to one of them and just say you are unsure on a couple of things and see if they can help you. I am sure you would help someone if they asked you that, so don't worry about asking people as they will probably be happy to help.

Try to remember that you are good enough and you got into uni for a reason. First year is a bit of trial and error to see what learning styles work for you, how you revise best, how to do well in the grading system as it is so different to anything you have done before. As hard as it may feel, try and believe in yourself as you will get there.

I know you have said perviously spoken to your GP, and I would encourage you to keep doing this if you are struggling as they will be there for you and it is good to have that point of contact while at uni.

I hope things get better for you soon,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 15

Original post
by Anonymous
Hi, thank you so much for responding, it means a lot someone can relate to this. I do already go to counselling and have previously contacted my medical GP who thinks I might have CPTSD/ PTSD which largely contributes to my behaviour as I went to university immediately after suffering high levels of trauma. I honestly don't know what to say other than I want to fit in and I want to go to university and do well, but I feel like given my past I'll never quite feel at ease. Also, thank you for telling me you went through perhaps something similar, it makes me feel better. Right now I feel like no one understands my condition, so thank you for sharing that with me.

Can you talk to your parents about how you are feeling ?
Original post
by Anonymous
I'm at university and I feel like the dumbest person in the room and I'm so behind. I have so much work to do and mentally I feel incredibly anxious and depressed. I feel so stupid and silly for thinking I could do this degree when everyone is clearly managing their workload and smarter than me. I have like 30 pages of lecture notes to read, so many lectures to catch up on and exams after Christmas, I just know I'm going to fail. I keep crying or throwing up and honestly, it feels like I'll never catch up and I just want to drop out.

Hey,
I truly get how you feel. This is a common situation that many students experience. I find that feeling of being halfway through the work, but still seeing so much left to do, is exactly what triggers my worry and anxiety, especially around assessment time.
My advice is to stop trying to do it all at once and talk to someone.

Academic and Wellbeing Support: Reach out to your Academic Tutor first. They can help you with practical academic advice and may be able to grant extensions. Then, contact the Wellbeing Team at your university. They are there to support you.

Take a Break (Seriously): This might seem weird, but you absolutely need to take a break. Even if it's just for a few hours, take a step back and focus on yourself. That is okay! At university, we sometimes focus so much on studying that we forget to balance it with our 'me time.' Your mental health has to come first, or you won't be able to study at all.

Please be kind to yourself; you are struggling with burnout, not a lack of intelligence! You can get through this. 😊
Rachel
(Third Year)
Undergraduate Multimedia Journalism

Reply 17

Original post
by Anonymous
Hi, thank you so much for responding, it means a lot someone can relate to this. I do already go to counselling and have previously contacted my medical GP who thinks I might have CPTSD/ PTSD which largely contributes to my behaviour as I went to university immediately after suffering high levels of trauma. I honestly don't know what to say other than I want to fit in and I want to go to university and do well, but I feel like given my past I'll never quite feel at ease. Also, thank you for telling me you went through perhaps something similar, it makes me feel better. Right now I feel like no one understands my condition, so thank you for sharing that with me.


Hello,

Have you had any assignment submissions yet? how did you do on them? Try and get in touch with the mental health wellbeing team and tell them about your thoughts so they can adjust you for additional support.

-Sarah (Kingston Rep)

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