Trying to keep up: The unspoken pressures of university life
Is university always the 'best years of your life?'
The university experience is often described as the best years of one’s life, but beneath the nights out, busy campuses, and student halls lies a darker reality that shadows many students. With deadlines piling up, money being spent, and tiredness overloading, pressures for students rise in all aspects of university life, creating a relentless cycle that sends students round and round and round. Tuition fees for UK universities have recently risen, which can cause significant financial strain. Students may then feel restricted with their spending habits, could stop themselves from fulfilling an enjoyable social life, and may feel like they are not making the most of their time. They may then want to find a job to earn an income to afford their lives, and this could affect their performance in their university assignments, increasing pressure to work harder, and causing burn out because of it. While university brings a lot of positives to a person’s life, such as making friends for life, qualifications that can set students up for a successful career and important life skills, it can also carry a small weight with it.
In 2025, tuition fees for universities had risen by 3.1% to cost £9535 for a full-time student, meaning students had to borrow a higher loan from Student Finance England (SFE), increasing their debt. While this benefits students during their studies, as they don’t have to pay fees directly, it can have considerable effects on their future. Students have to begin paying back their debt after they earn over the threshold salary, which currently stands at £28,470 a year. SFE takes 9% of income above the threshold every month and applies interest while earnings remain below it. This means that a large sum of their well-earned wages will be taken to pay off their debt, which are finances that could be used for putting a deposit on a house or for essential bills. Despite this being something that will affect their future, students tend to think about these effects while attending university, being cautious with their spending, putting money into a savings account, or not spending all of their maintenance loan allowance, saving some to pay back in the future. Eve Thomas, an Oxford Brookes University student, has recently set up an Individual Savings Account to save money for a future house deposit, however she has had to stop herself from spending her maintenance loan to invest it into her savings, meaning she restricts her university experience. She looks for cheaper alternatives on certain foods like meat and vegetables so she can use the spare finances on going out and bills, and save her maintenance loan for the future. This puts a lot of pressure on students as they can feel restricted with their university life, making decisions on their spending based on saving money over spending it on what they need or want to do. It can stimulate a lot of anxiety in students, particularly those who are less fortunate. However, almost all universities have finance support teams available, for those who are struggling, in which students can discuss support options and professionals can provide financial advice. For example, Oxford Brookes University offers financial aid for students who are struggling, in which they offer a ‘last resort’ loan of money for those who apply and meet the criteria.
With these anxieties of spending comes a frantic search for a suitable job during university term times. Students are trying to receive a small income alongside their maintenance loan for leisure expenses, such as nights out with friends or a takeaway on a Saturday night. This is quite a difficult task, with competition being high between all students in small towns and cities, and with finding a contract for a job that works around your studies and term dates. Freya Ramsay, a student at University of Reading, says that ‘it is near impossible’ to find a job that fits university hours, making it even harder to earn enough money to afford general university expenses. Universities, due to this, tend to offer jobs on campus, including barista roles at student cafes, student ambassadors, cleaners, or student bartenders. These are to help support students who need to earn an income while offering flexible hours to work around their university timetable. However, these roles are limited and competition between students is high. Pressures then rise as students worry about finding a job because of their concerns of money and spending, marking the beginning of the cycle.
Catherine Foley, a student support coordinator at Oxford Brookes University, acknowledges that financial pressures are one of the most significant stresses to university students. When comparing the cost of living and increase in fees, she explained that students are generally ‘working in addition to their studies to make ends meet’ which ‘hasn’t always been the case’ from her experience, as students were once able to easily work short hours to allow for enough time for their assignments. In situations of financial stress, she believes that ‘mental health and wellbeing takes the biggest impact,’ and that students find it ‘difficult to prioritise things when also managing financial and academic pressure.’ Therefore, she advises students to reach out to support services such as ‘SSCs, Inclusive Support, Counselling, Student Welfare, Student Money Advice, the International Student Advice Team, the Centre for Academic Development, and your Academic Adviser’ for assistance and advice on how to manage these stresses and to support your mental health. (These views are her own and should not be taken as representative of the University.)
Following on from concerns on their spending habits, students tend to limit their social life and spend money on the things they enjoy to save as much money as they can for the essentials like bills and rent. Social life is a well known part of going to university, with ‘Sport Social Wednesdays’ and regular trips to the pub as well as fun day trips and more. It is the part of university where students meet their friends for life. But this, some may say, is the most difficult part of attending university. Mia Efreme, another student at University of Reading, explained that she felt ‘a lot of pressure during first year with fitting in with people when staying in halls,’ particularly as most opportunities to socialise with other students was around alcohol, something she was ‘not comfortable’ with, finding it hard to fit in alongside her education. Although by not socialising, university can become a very lonely place, particularly if they are living away and commuting, which is why many students feel a lot of pressure to make friends when they first join university to avoid this. Furthermore, social media platforms such as TikTok have emphasised the importance of social life at university, with students posting inspirational videos on why students should be making the most of their time and ‘never say no to anything.’ While this is an important part of university that should be shared, these posts often trigger a feeling in students that they are not doing enough when they decide not to go out, that they are missing out on experiences, or that they are not making the most of the short time they have at university. This adds to the pressures they feel by pushing them to squeeze as much as possible into an already busy schedule, meaning they are more likely to burn out quickly and feel tired and drained. Thankfully, universities often offer socials that are inclusive to all students, helping those who are struggling to make friends meet new people. For example, a lot of universities have Student Union’s which provide pub nights, quizzes, cinema trips, and more for students. Institutions also offer support to those who are feeling lonely, providing talking sessions and advice to help them connect with people and feel more confident and comfortable while at university.
On the other hand, another big part of university (the reason most young adults choose to go to university in the first place) is the assignments and university work that ultimately earns them their degree at the end of the three years. Assignments in university significantly differ from coursework completed in sixth form. Universities expect students to manage their own work without much close communication and guidance, and depending on what type of assignment it is, they often look for in-depth research using academic sources, evaluation and analysis. This is something that Jess Maher, University of Leicester, has struggled with throughout her time at university so far. She claims that her lecturers all mark her essays differently, which ‘derails her marks,’ and that by the time she receives feedback from that assignment, she has already moved onto different modules with ‘no real opportunity to follow it up with them.’ Deadlines build, particularly at the end of the semester, which puts a lot of pressure on students to manage their time appropriately in order to perform the best they can at all of their assignments, while also needing time to rest and relax so they do not burn out and lose motivation. Academic validation is a serious issue among students, especially those who prioritise their studies and careers over social life. Because of this, students feel they should be working continuously without breaks or ‘down time,’ which inevitably leads to them feeling tired and stressed, affecting how they perform in their assignments. This pressures them further as they worry that their essays are not going to give them an adequate grade. Universities offer ‘exceptional circumstances’ in these instances, which are extensions of different lengths (depending on the reason behind the need for it) that give students more time to work on their assignments so they can perform to the best of their ability while also having time to rest and benefit their mental health and wellbeing. Students are also allocated an ‘Academic Advisor,’ a lecturer on a student’s course that can be confided in for support and guidance on assignments or other aspects of university life or future careers, which is an effective way of helping students feel more relaxed when it comes to academic work.
When discussing ways to relieve stress, Catherine discussed the importance of taking breaks, even in times of deadlines, as it can ‘provide a moment of feeling refreshed.’ Going for a walk, watching a film, or going to the gym can help take a student’s mind off of their stress and help them feel more relaxed. But the most important advice is to ‘reach out to others,’ including friends, family, and support teams. As Catherine explains, ‘People generally want to help and support one another’ and in her experience – ‘both in terms of support services, and among your own support network of friends.’
Overall, while university brings a lot of benefits to someone’s life, it can also bring a lot of stress that is often hidden and not spoken about. The pressures rotate on a relentless cycle, leaving students feeling tired, stressed, and burnt out by the time the end of semester comes around. While this can cause a lot of anxiety for students, universities offer a lot of options to help support these pressures to make students feel less concerned about these pressures and enjoy university life more, which is the goal that most universities want to provide for their students. If you are struggling, there is always support available, and you are not alone.