Study Cards

Confidence

Confidence means the quality of being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future. Making time for yourself is a crucial step in building confidence at university. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and socializing will help you feel good. But there are also lots of other ways to give your confidence a boost. If you struggle with your confidence and are worried about how you’ll cope with the changes you’ll face at university, here are some helpful tips to increase confidence in yourself.

1. Find out what support services are provided by your university
   1. All good universities will have support services available to students that will help you deal with a range of issues.
2. Find a mentor
   1. Many universities have mentoring programmes where students are matched with professionals, current students and alumni who can provide support.
3. Write down and structure your concerns
   1. Keeping a diary helps you record what you’re feeling, when, and the specific issues you’re struggling with and in turn help you find suitable ways of coping with it.
4. Join university societies
   1. By joining societies and meeting like-minded people in a safe and friendly environment, you’ll find your confidence increasing.
5. Let go of unrealistic expectations
   1. Understand what you’re capable of and set goals to achieve them.
6. Don’t compare yourself to others
   1. By doing things your own way you’re more likely to define your identity and grow in confidence about who you are, and who you want to be in future.
7. Share your problems
   1. By sharing problems, you can learn from others’ experiences, or even deal with them collectively.

How do you boost your own confidence as a student?