Accessing support at university
University can be really challenging for your mental health, however the government and universities have support in place to try and make studying more accessible and manageable. University is usually your first taste of major independence, so reaching out for support during your time there may not seem like an appealing prospect. Yet university support can really help you when everything else can seem stacked against you and your grades. Your GP may be aware of more support specific to your university.
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Each university has their own procedures when it comes to disabilities yet all of them should make university more accessible to you, for example by giving you
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Help at your university
extra time in exams and waiving the marks of some coursework. Another place to get support is through the counselling team at your university, they may be already closely connected to the disability team. Most universities will offer any student a small amount of sessions of therapy, some universities offer additional well being support to those with long term mental health problems although unfortunately not every university offers this.
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Another good support network at university can be societies, many universities have a society that focuses on mental well being and often they are spaces to discuss the struggles you may face in a non judgemental environment. Often they are non drinking societies so it is a good way to escape from university drinking culture. Many major university towns also have a Nightline service, ran by fellow students that operates as a service that listens to you and does not offer you advice, this number can be found on your university union's website if you have one.
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Within your academic school someone you should be able to turn to is the pastoral lead, often they are very experienced when it comes to students struggling with their mental health and they can be great at signposting. They can also help you apply for mitigating circumstances for assessed work which can really take the pressure off of you if you are worried you are not performing to your best ability.
My experience
I developed anxiety and depression at university. After accessing four sessions of counselling in my first year of university I contacted the student well being team at my university to find out if, after a year of being ill, there was any additional support I could access. They told me to apply for disability support within university and encouraged me to apply for DSAs too.It was hard coming to terms with the fact my mental illness was a disability, despite it affecting many aspects of my day to day life negatively I felt I was not "bad enough" to be eligible, assuming to be disabled by depression I wouldn't be able to study full stop. Yet once I received my DSA's and university support I no longer felt like a fraud for receiving this extra support. Instead I felt as though my university recognised the struggles I faced and that meant a lot to me.
From the university alone I recieved:
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25% extra time in exams
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Exams in a smaller room
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My spelling, punctuation and presentation is not penalised.
This allowed me to feel less like others had an unfair advantage
over me during exam time, especially seeing as I often struggle
to revise days immediately prior to the exam because of my anxiety.​
On top of this my DSAs allowed me to have:
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Free taxis to and from university
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A printer and an allowance for paper and ink
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A laptop (of which I had to pay £200 towards)
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A study mentor
My study mentor helped me massively, especially when I​ was very ill, it allowed me to talk to someone in depth about my struggles in and outside of uni in one conversation and she in turn gave me advice
What help did I receive and how did it help me?
Disabled Students Allowance (DSAs)
What is it?
An allowance paid for by the government that covers some extra expenses that result from your disability. This is not a loan so you won't have to pay it back
What does it pay for?
Obviously everyone's needs vary but the allowance can, for example, pay for taxis to and from university, a note taker or a non medical helper. This will be decided at your assessment.
Department for Education: Evaluation of disabled students’ allowances 2019
Am I eligible?
If your disability has had a substantial impact on your day to day life for at least the last twelve months and this disability in turn affects your studies, you can apply for DSAs. For some it may be the first time they have identified as disabled but this does not mean they are any less worthy of the allowance
How do I get it?
You can apply by logging on to your Student Finance account. Once you have done this you will need to provide proof of your disability, this is usually a copy of a letter or report from a doctor or consultant. It should make clear you have had a disability for over 12 months and that it affects your day to day life and studying. Once your application is then accepted you will be invited to an assessment. The assessor should work with you to work out how they can put in to place the support you need, this takes usually no longer than two hours. This assessment may seem daunting, they can ask very personal questions such as "When was the last time you were happy?" but this can also reassure you that they understand that mood can have a detrimental impact on your studies.
