@ashira.paraskevas: ✨ Five things I wish I could tell myself before starting uni again at 29… ✨ 1️⃣ Feeling incapable and being incapable are two very different things. There were so many moments this trimester where anxiety, imposter syndrome and self-doubt convinced me I couldn’t do it. I questioned my intelligence, my ability and whether I belonged here at all. Turns out, my thoughts weren’t always telling me the truth. We’re more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Take one manageable step at a time. 2️⃣ You don’t get extra points for struggling alone. Ask for help. Take the extension when you need it. Use academic and disability support. Tell people when you’re struggling. Let people support you. I’m unlearning the belief that pushing myself beyond my limits somehow makes the achievement more worthy. It doesn’t. University support services helped me so much, and I’m glad I didn’t let shame stop me from using them. 3️⃣ Your wellbeing matters just as much as the goal. I’m ambitious and have high expectations of myself, but success cannot mean sacrificing myself to achieve something. Sometimes doing my best means changing the plan, resting or accepting that what I can give today is enough. 4️⃣ Stop measuring your life against somebody else’s timeline. I’m 29. I’ve changed directions more than once. My path has been messy, non-linear and nothing like I imagined it would be. But none of that time was wasted. My lived experience brought me to counselling, and now I get to build the education and skills alongside it. You’re allowed to change your mind, change your priorities, choose a different path and start again. 5️⃣ Don’t let fear make the decision for you. There’s a difference between something not being right for you and something feeling terrifying because you don’t believe you’re capable of it. Anxiety, comparison, imposter syndrome and self-doubt will probably visit me many more times throughout this degree… but I’m not handing them the steering wheel anymore. If you want something, give yourself a chance before deciding you can’t do it. You might surprise yourself. ❤️ I hope this inspires you not to give up!

ashira

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Saturday 29 August 2026 08:10:39 GMT