Grief can affect every part of university life, and there is no right or wrong way to experience it. Amy, a Natural Sciences student, shares what has helped her navigate grief while studying, offering personal reflections and practical ideas that may help others going through a similar experience.
My name is Amy, I’m a second-year student and I’m loving my time at Bath, but when I started university, I felt very uncertain. My stepdad died during my first year of A levels, which made my final year of A levels very difficult. As well as the loss of my stepdad, I was also struggling a lot with my dad’s death which happened when I was eight years old. Having so much going on made all the changes that came with starting university daunting. Although loosing people close to me has never stopped being hard, there are some ways which I have found have helped me navigate grief whilst at university.
The Bereavement Social Group
I found out about the University's bereavement social group during Freshers' Week whilst scrolling through an email about the different wellbeing groups the university offered. Having a space where I could talk to other students who also experienced the loss of someone close to them was something that I had been looking for even before university started. I find that one of the most difficult things about bereavement is the loneliness that comes along with it, especially because losing someone special like a parent, friend or sibling at a young age is not something that everyone in my age range can relate to. Having the opportunity just to be with other people in the same situation and understand what you are feeling has helped me feel less isolated in my grief.
What happens at the bereavement social group meet ups?
Meet ups are once a month on campus and are run by Hannah from Student Support at Bath and Ann from Grief Kid and Let's Talk About Loss in Bristol. We usually chat whilst doing crafts and snacking but sometimes we’ll also do baking. It is a very relaxed environment and we can share anything about our experience with grief. Sometimes we share tears and laughter in the same conversation but that’s totally fine in the group; grief brings up such a wide range of emotions! The social group is the sort of thing you can dip in and out of throughout the year. In first year, I went to just about every meetup but in second year I have been to the group less as I have been busy. I really love how relaxed it is and it's something that I would recommend to anyone who is grieving because it really helped me feel understood in my grief.
Other ways that have helped
I have enjoyed trying out new societies and sports since coming to university. Taekwondo which I picked up at the start of first year has been a great emotional outlet for me and also a healthy focus outside of my course. I have also been involved with the charity Child Bereavement UK as a youth ambassador. The charity Winston’s Wish (now Child Bereavement UK) provided support to me at the time of my dad’s death and now I’m part of the team of young people which contributes to the charity, an opportunity which has again helped me to connect with other grieving young people.
As time goes on, I have realised that grief for someone you love and have lost doesn’t really ever go away and that’s not necessarily a bad thing; I wouldn’t ever want to forget my dad or stepdad!
I have found that with time how I carry my grief has been made easier. The bereavement social group, sport and more has helped me to navigate grief whilst at university. If you have ever experienced the loss of someone close to you the bereavement social group could really help you by connecting you to other students who understand.
A note from Student Support
We want to thank Amy for joining our group and sharing her story here. If you are a student looking for support around a bereavement (for yourself or for someone you know) you may find our bereavement support guide helpful. Our bereavement group is open to all current students at the University and you can also seek one-to-one support from Student Support throughout the year.
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