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HushFest is on the horizon. Cornwall’s festival of quietness, shaped by our community. |
I always liked my safe comfort zone. It was small, safe and it left little room for me to make mistakes and potentially embarrass myself, or do anything that could draw attention to me. It wasn’t always like this; at primary school I was happy confident and outgoing. I was bullied all throughout my primary…
I was bullied at school and had no one. I felt so anxious that I started refusing to go to School. I even suffered with psychosis for a while. My Mum tried to support me as best she could, but didn’t know how to. But my doctor contacted the school which lead to me being educated at Education…
Thinking back to infant school, I don’t remember having many problems. I didn’t feel unconfident, but there were times where I felt like the attention was on me. It was like what I was doing was wrong and people were judging me. I felt different. There were incidences in infant school where I was made…
As students, we have so many exams to take, it gets to the point that we’re almost reciting revision in our sleep. There’s so much to do and be ready for! I have my own kind of ritual whenever I first sit down for each exam. I recite a little phrase over and over in…
It’s like there’s a yoyo inside my head rocking back and forth. Dizzy. I’m in my first year of sixth form when I notice it. Completely out of the blue. What’s wrong with me? I’m going to countless GP appointments, having tests for diabetes, blood pressure checks and a referral to an ENT doctor. No…
Imagine an excited, little 11 year old armed with a huge backpack and her two best friends on her first day of secondary school. We’re lucky enough that one of my friend’s older sister is already at the school, and she shows us to our tutor room. Naturally, I’m nervous, but I think everyone is…
Before joining college, I had low self-confidence. I was socially anxious, and at school I was typically described as someone who never talked; the quiet one. The same was said about me by my friends’ parents whenever I went to their houses. My first year of secondary school was when I recognised I was having…
Retreating at school I hated school. Well, I loved learning but did not enjoy the people. I was told that my disinterest in education was because I was dyslexic and that I wouldn’t amount to anything worthwhile. This knocked my confidence, looking back I realise that what I was feeling at the time was the…
How did you choose what to do after school? Did you choose a-levels based on a career path you wanted to take? Took a subject you enjoyed perhaps? Did you study as many subjects at college as you could to keep your options open? Not me. Following the herd I knew I didn’t like a…
Qualifications are armour that I wear to hide my self-doubt In my career I’ve never felt like I’m good enough, like I know enough or I’m competent enough. I imagine that I’ll feel competent and knowledgeable when I learn this or practise that; when I get the next advanced certification or when so and so says…
Returning to my old school, I hardly recognise it. The familiar building has been replaced with a sleek, university-like structure, and few of the faces are familiar. But it has been 12 years. Signing in at reception, surrounded by other visitors, I’m struck by how intimidating this place would have been to my 11-year-old self,…
University life is often romanticised as a period of freedom, self-discovery, and academic pursuit. However, for many students, it can also be a time of significant stress and anxiety. A report by Graham Russell and Steve Shaw from Plymouth University delves into the impact of social anxiety on student well-being and learning, shedding light on…