In Part 1, I shared how Additional Learning Support has helped me throughout my postgraduate studies at BU. Alongside academic support, student wellbeing and mental health support has also played an important part in my university experience. 

I have undertaken considerable training myself in areas such as suicide prevention and am a qualified Mental Health First Aider. But knowing how to support somebody else doesn’t mean that you will never struggle yourself or need someone to support you. 

I feel very fortunate to have access to the University Front Room during my time as a student in Bournemouth. It is one of the best services of its kind that I have personally used. 

Over the past three and a half years, the team have got to know me very well and have supported me through some extremely difficult periods. 

It’s never about focusing on ‘what’s wrong with you’ and more about ‘what can we talk about to help you get through this?’ or ‘what ideas can we come up with right now that will help you?’

Asking for support before reaching crisis point 

One of the things I value most is that you don’t have to wait until you reach crisis point before seeking support.

Sometimes you simply need somewhere very calm, tranquil, regulating and safe to go, sit down and talk to somebody face-to-face before things become overwhelming. Early support can help prevent difficulties from escalating into a crisis. 

Because my own experience has been so positive, I have recommended the University Front Room to other students who are struggling. 

There can be a temptation to think, ‘I’m not struggling enough to ask for help,’ but support isn’t only there for the worst possible moment. 

I have also accessed counselling support during my time at BU. Having different types of support available has been important because our needs can change. 

Sometimes I have needed practical academic adjustments; sometimes strategies to help me manage studying; and at other times I have simply needed emotional support and someone to talk to. 

How support has shaped my university experience 

The support I have received has helped make it possible for me not only to remain at university through some very challenging periods, but also to progress from completing my MSc to continuing my postgraduate studies through an MRes. 

University hasn’t always been easy for me, and support doesn’t magically remove disability, chronic illness or difficult circumstances. What it can do is remove some of the unnecessary barriers around them. 

Perhaps the biggest thing I wish I had understood when I first arrived at BU is that you don’t have to wait until everything has fallen apart before asking for help. 

If you are struggling, reach out early. Register with ALS, explore what support and adjustments might be available to you, and use services such as the University Front Room when you need somebody to talk to. 

You don’t need to have everything figured out before asking for help. 

Recognising my strengths 

For me, that has been one of the biggest differences between BU and many of the institutions and systems I had encountered previously. 

Rather than feeling that I needed to make myself smaller or continually focus on my limitations, I have increasingly felt encouraged to recognise my strengths, understand the barriers I face, and identify where the right support can help me thrive. 

The wellbeing support I have received, and continue to receive, through BU has also played an important part in helping me adjust following my late autism diagnosis. 

It has given me space to understand myself more authentically, explore my autistic ‘spiky profile’, and recognise both the areas in which I have real strengths and the areas where I may need more support. 

That process of self-understanding has been incredibly valuable, both personally and academically. 

If I could give my first-year self-one piece of advice, it would be this: 

The BU community wants you to thrive. Let people help you do that. 

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