Freedom to follow your path
The third week of our June appeal focuses on the move to university. It can be a tough time, as this guest blog post from Georgia shows.
When I look back at the time I moved from secondary school to university, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed. I was known as a high-achiever, and with that came intense pressure from both teachers and family to follow a “successful” path — one that usually meant going to a top university and studying something like medicine.
But the truth was, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was struggling with constant indecision, something I now understand was linked to undiagnosed ADHD.
Everyone around me seemed to have their futures figured out. They had chosen their subjects and universities confidently, while I felt like I was falling behind simply because I wasn’t sure. That pressure — to keep up, to choose something impressive, to not “waste” my potential — made me feel anxious and stuck. I just didn’t know how to make a decision for myself, and I didn’t feel I had the space or support to explore alternatives.
At the time, I didn’t really feel like I had anyone who truly understood what I was going through. Most of the advice I got focused on staying on the academic track. I wish there had been someone who encouraged me to take a step back, to explore different options like volunteering or taking a gap year to learn more about myself.
The move to university itself was a huge shock — suddenly I was in a new environment with no routine, surrounded by strangers, and studying something I wasn’t even sure I cared about. It was too much, too fast. My mental health deteriorated quickly. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, like I’d already failed at adulthood.
Space to explore
But that experience, as painful as it was, has shaped me in a powerful way. Looking back, what I needed most wasn’t more pressure or assumptions about my potential, but space to explore different paths. Experiences like volunteering abroad — which I eventually did with the British Red Cross after dropping out of university— helped me discover a passion for the charity sector, where I’ve since built a meaningful and fulfilling career.
Once I gave myself space to recover and explore, I started to find out who I really was. That’s where I discovered a deep passion for working in the charity sector — something I had never even considered before. That experience changed everything. I’m now building a career that aligns with my values and makes me genuinely happy.
So yes, the experience has changed me. I’ve gone away, learned about myself, and realised that success doesn’t have to follow a traditional path. What students need isn’t more pressure — it’s more understanding, more flexibility, and more chances to explore who they are without fear of failure.
Georgia has written this powerful poem encapsulating her experience:
Finding my way
Written by Georgia Taylor
At school, I was the one who shone,
High grades, high hopes — I played along
But deep inside, I wasn’t sure
What all this pressure was really for.
They said, “Pick wisely, don’t fall behind.”
But I was lost inside my mind.
I didn’t know what path to take,
And feared each choice might be a mistake.
While others seemed to know their way,
I felt stuck, and scared each day.
No one saw how hard it was
To keep on going — just because.
At uni, everything felt wrong.
The place, the course, I didn’t belong.
No routine, no joy, no plan —
Just questions I could hardly stand.
I broke down, dropped out, walked away,
And found some peace another way.
Volunteering showed me more —
A kind of life worth working for.
Now I work in a world that fits,
With purpose, heart, and little bits
Of joy I’d never known before —
Not chasing grades, but something more.
So please, give students time and space
To find their path, their pace, their place.
Not all success is fast or clear —
Sometimes it takes a different year.
Let’s not push dreams that aren’t their own.
Let’s help them feel they’re not alone.
What matters most is feeling free
To grow into who they’re meant to be.
