Getting help

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Do:

1. Get help as soon as you begin to feel overwhelmed.

2. Check the obvious: are you getting enough sleep and relaxation time?

3. Take a break if you need to: go home if necessary to think out a new strategy.

4. Make a personalised study timetable so that you feel in control.

5. Recognise that high stress points will be followed by quieter times.

Don't:

1. Suffer in silence: there are people who can help.

2. Believe that stress is inevitable: you can reduce your stress levels.

3. Let life get out of order: sit down and work out what you need to achieve.

4. Assume that everyone is coping better than you.

5. Forget that your tutor is there to help you, whatever your problem.

Universities offer a range of support services. Find out what is available and make use of these if you need them. It is better to ask for help early on if you are experiencing difficulty. It is more difficult to find a good solution if you let a difficulty run on without seeking help. Most services are confidential. The Student Union usually has support or welfare officers that can offer advice.

For more advice on getting help, see also getting support, and for further advice on these issues see Chapter 11 of Stella Cottrell's The Study Skills Handbook or Chapter 7 of Lucinda Becker's How to Manage your Arts, Humanities and Social Science Degree.