I am Jacob, a 3rd year MPhys student and the President of the Physics Society. When I first came to Warwick I found myself very overwhelmed with not only the volume of work, but its difficulty too - studying Physics at university level is not an easy feat! I found all of this quite a shock as I had come from a school which didn’t push its students as hard as it could, and so I found myself coasting through a lot of work; A-levels were the first time I had ever had to revise, and now all of a sudden, every assignment and lecture was proving to be quite challenging for me. All of this is to say that, whilst I appreciate the challenge, it was a lot to get used to in my first couple of terms, but I soon realised that I wasn’t the only one finding the workload a lot to bear - you will find that many of your peers will be struggling too, and that’s okay.

It’s important to remember that it’s okay to not be the best in your year; all Warwick Physics students will have come from Post-16 education where they have been at the top of their class. This university is the tenth best in the country and naturally attracts those who achieve the best. However, now you’re in a cohort of over 150 high-achievers who, like yourself, have gotten used to being on the upper side of their schools. It is only logical that you can’t all be the best, and that’s okay. It is impossible to be the best at everything, regardless of what you may think, and working yourself to the bone to hold yourself to such unachievable standards is not healthy. Just by being here, you have already proven yourself and achieved so much, so cut yourself some slack.

Of course, a lot of this comes from hypocrisy - I also strive to be the best I can, even when it’s not good for me (many all-nighters have been spent trying to perfect assignments), but it’s important to learn how to give yourself a break.

While I am biased as the president of the society, I feel it’s important to share how PhysSoc has helped me through the last two years of my university experience. The society presents many opportunities to receive academic support, yes, but it is the non-academic events that I feel are the most helpful: the chance to meet older years and receive more personal and honest advice from those who have taken the same modules as you only a year or two before, regular activities to help relieve any stress you may be feeling in a wide variety of ways and weekly talks from staff or respective employers to give you an insight into potential career opportunities - reminding you that your time here can lead to great things in the near future!

Overall, studying Physics at Warwick is hard, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it. If you ever feel like you’re in need of a helping hand, or just a break from pushing yourself too hard, don’t feel like you’re alone, there are plenty of resources that are there to aid you.

You’re only human, after all, don’t feel like you don’t deserve some assistance.