How to avoid the second year curse

Second year can feel like a massive jump. You can’t scrape all your grades anymore, and you have to live with the choice of your second-year housemates; it’s understandably very overwhelming, and now you’ve heard of the “second year curse” all over social media. You’re not alone. 

The academic jump

I hate to be the one to tell you, but your free trial is over. While in first year you could get through uni with the bare minimum, in second year every little counts, and that’s scary. But I’m not here to scare you, so I have some advice. 

Where do you know you work best? Is it the library because you know you can’t have distractions? A café so you can immerse yourself in an aesthetic atmosphere, studying with a coffee next to your laptop? Or your room, the place you feel the most comfortable and can really focus in? I know for me I need zero distractions, but everyone is different. So as soon as you find out which study space is the most beneficial for you, that’s step one. 

And it’s not the end of the world if you don’t complete the things you wanted to complete for the day. Putting too much pressure on yourself will only make you burn out. 

The housing situation

A major part of the second year curse is, in fact, the housing situation. November is the infamous month of panic-picking who you want to live with next year, rushing to sign a house lease with people you hardly know. Don’t rush into a lease because once you sign it, it’s very difficult to get out. Do you envision yourself living with them? Having to sort out calling the landlord for emergencies? Picking who’s going to clean the house each week? Would you be okay with making dinner at the same time in the same kitchen? 

However, what if you’re in too deep? You’ve moved in, and maybe you feel alone in a house full of people. Well, you’re not. I promise you that. It’s completely normal to feel that way, but there are things you can do to survive this year. Obviously, remain civil with them, you don’t need more pressure than you already have. Remember: You have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in. For the social part, the key is to find your people and a lot of the time, you don’t actually have to live with them, they can be people from your course, societies or even neighbours.

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The social drift

Second year is as equal of an amazing time to meet new people, and I can’t stress enough the benefit of societies. If you sign up for something you are really interested in, even just being in an environment of something you love will make you feel more comfortable, and the like-minded people there will make you feel even better. Through societies, you can find people who may like the music, sport or hobby you like, so don’t close yourself off from opportunities like this; I’ve met so many lovely people through societies that I don’t think I would’ve joined if I didn’t push myself to do it. It is so worth it, trust me. 

But remember to allow yourself to explore the city by yourself too; allow yourself to see how much you’ve grown. You’re in your second year of university; that’s an achievement in of itself. My advice to those who might identify with this is not to worry too much about finding your friends, but one way to get there is by putting yourself out there, so try that first. 

The first semester lows

Uni can be overwhelming, so be patient with yourself and let yourself enjoy uni even while having to study and/or work. And make sure to find time to do things you like.

Go to concerts, join a society of something you know you love or join one to do with something that you might want to explore, have your friends from home visit, and vice versa. They call it a work/life balance for a reason; it’s so difficult to make it through one without the other, so don’t overwhelm yourself with studying, but equally don’t neglect your studies this year (even with how hard that can be).