My Experience of Student Space

Zoe Gilbank, BA Geography student at the University of Leeds, talks about her experience during the coronavirus pandemic and the support services available to students through Student Space.

No two students have had the same experience during the pandemic and the challenges we have faced have been individual to us. The one thing we do share is that everyone has had to face their own challenges and I know from my own experience that Student Space is there to help with whatever you’re feeling or coping with.

In June 2020, following the end of my second year studying BA Geography at the University of Leeds, I started the first of four placements for my year in industry which means I have been working continuously throughout the pandemic. Being a mature student and working virtually from home has meant my experiences over the past year have made me feel isolated from the University community and disconnected from my student identity.

With most of my uni friends being in different cities for their placement years, the pandemic meant it was so much harder for us to keep in contact. I found it quite easy to let time pass without contacting them and eventually I realised how much I missed talking and chatting to my Uni friends.

That’s where Student Space helped me to overcome the loneliness and isolation I was feeling. After finding there was so much information available on maintaining friendships and social connections despite the pandemic, I was able to adapt and start making an effort to make sure I was making meaningful connections and maintaining existing friendships.

Even a phone call made all the difference and meant that conversations were started so we could continue to chat and catch-up. Although at points it felt like there was nothing to talk about because of restrictions, we still found ways of keeping in touch through video calls and messaging. All of my friends also said being in touch again helped to boost their mood and improve their wellbeing once we’d realised how distant we had become as a friendship group.

Student Space hasn’t just given me advice on maintaining social connections. As I have been working virtually for over a year now, balancing my work life and personal life has been a struggle, especially as my desk is in my living room; the same place I’m supposed to relax on an evening. There is so much advice on Student Space to help students cope with online learning and I have been able to adapt these tips to help me manage long hours of screen time.

Listening to other students on Student Space share their stories on adapting to the new ways of working online made me feel like I wasn’t alone in having low levels of motivation and concentration. I was finding it hard to focus after hours of online meetings and so reading the resources on Student Space taught me to be prepared with a pen and paper for notes and some pre-planned questions so I could maintain my attention throughout calls. I also learned it was okay to take breaks from the screen and not feel guilty about walking away from my desk.

One student suggested speaking to someone and asking for help, so I decided to talk to my line manager about my struggle to maintain concentration. She gave me so much support and advice to ensure I was working in a healthy and sustainable way and, if it wasn’t for Student Space, I wouldn’t have had to confidence to talk about the issues I was experiencing.

The resources available on Student Space made me realise that looking after your mental health can look different to what you first imagined and to what other students need.

For me, the advice and guidance on Student Space helped me to understand that I needed to reconnect with my uni friends to feel more like a student again and, that I needed to learn to manage my screen time in order to set boundaries between my work and personal life.

For my partner, a student also studying from home during the pandemic, Student Space provided information and tips on improving his sleep pattern as being at home every day meant he was struggling to keep a structured routine.

If you’re struggling with challenges to your mental health, there are so many support services and information available to you on Student Space to help you understand how you need to look after your mental wellbeing.