Scottish student transfers to Warwick after ‘worst year of her life’ at University of Edinburgh

A Scottish student has opened up about her experience at the University of Edinburgh and why she transferred to Warwick.

Faith described the challenges she faced during her studies, claiming a lack of sensitivity towards mental health issues and bereavement.

via TikTok @needingsomefaith

She also described feeling lonely, transferring to the University of Warwick after just one year in the Scottish capital.

Having grown up roughly an hour and a half outside Edinburgh, Faith was familiar with the city’s culture before starting university. However, despite this, she struggled to settle into student life. She explained she had bad mental health before her studies, but said she then felt isolated whilst at uni: “I’m definitely far from perfect but throughout my whole childhood I was like ‘Ok, university will really give me freedom.'”

Describing her first year of university as “probably one of the worst years of my life”, Faith explained that she often felt pressured to step outside her comfort zone simply to fit in and be noticed. She also claimed it was “difficult” to make friends as she didn’t partake in nightlife culture.

As someone who preferred a night in with cocktails, she found herself living in “quite a clubbing flat” with people who preferred a night out. Faith said this was “definitely a bit out of my comfort zone” and “definitely did make me feel quite overwhelmed.”

Faith added: “Shared kitchens are just so disgusting and I’m quite a neat freak when it comes to my living spaces. So not even feeling comfortable in that way when it’s my only home to go to, I felt isolated.”

‘My experience was absolutely hell, I’m transferring to Warwick now’

via TikTok @needingsomefaith

Faith also explained she didn’t totally get on with her course, but was unable to change. Accompanied with ongoing family issues, Faith began struggling with her mental health and disordered eating, as well as insomnia.

Her difficulties intensified following this rapid decline in her mental health, leading to a period of missed classes: “I just didn’t want to go to any classes at this point, I felt incapable of it. My mental health was so bad, I couldn’t even get out of bed. The university knew about this, I had meetings with them and they just really refused to accommodate me, even though it wasn’t my fault.”

Upon returning, Faith said she was criticised by classmates for not knowing the material and subsequently struggled to catch up: “In school I was quite academic, I really enjoy keeping up with stuff, it’s not me to fall behind. I ended up missing almost six months of class.

“Even when I’d finally have the courage to go into lectures, it honestly just felt like a humiliation ritual.

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“It genuinely felt like a horror movie.”

Faith said after quite “a dramatic year at Edinburgh”, it’s quite nice to “feel seen”. She added she is getting help now and is “feeling so much better” in a different environment.

Addressing others who may feel similar, Faith said: “You’re not alone, a university of a group of people you just don’t click with don’t define you and everything is temporary.”

Lucy Evans, Associate Principal and Deputy Secretary, said: “Creating a supportive environment where our students can thrive is very important to us and we work hard to provide a well-rounded educational experience.

“Supporting our students’ mental health and wellbeing is a priority and we recognise that university life cannot be looked at in isolation from the personal circumstances and challenges that affect our students. We offer a range of wellbeing support services for students, including our Student Counselling Service, Student Wellbeing Service, the Chaplaincy and our Residence Life teams in student accommodation. We also provide exceptional circumstances considerations and assessment support for students experiencing circumstances beyond their control.

“We recognise that there are always ways that we can improve and we continue to listen to our student body to identify areas where we can deliver positive changes that benefit our community.

“Further information about our Student Support Model can be found here: How we support you | Students | The University of Edinburgh

“Information on our exceptional circumstances process can be found here: Exceptional Circumstances | Registry Services | Student Administration.”

If you are a University of Edinburgh student seeking support, you can access your university wellbeing and student support services through your student portal or wellbeing teams, which can provide counselling, mental health support, and urgent referrals when needed.

If you are a University of Warwick student seeking support, you can access support services here. 

For further mental health support and information, Mind provides helpful resources at mind.org.uk, and Shout offers 24/7 text support by texting SHOUT to 85258. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent help, please call 999.

To find support for eating disorders, you can contact Beat or call 0808 801 0432 (Scotland) / 0808 801 0677 (England).

Featured image via Canva and TikTok @needingsomefaith