All Posts

For many students, university is expected to be an exciting and transformative experience. But for students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent profiles, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, exhausting, and isolating. If you’ve ever felt like you're constantly trying to keep up while everyone else seems to manage effortlessly, you're not alone. Many neurodivergent students face unique challenges at university, but there is support available, and many students

The hardest part of Access to Work isn’t the form — it’s knowing how to explain your needs. Here’s a simple approach that works. Think: barrier → impact → solution When describing your condition, frame it like this: Barrier:  what’s difficult Impact:  what happens at work because of it Solution:  what support would reduce that impact Example 1: ADHD / Executive function Barrier:  I struggle to prioritise tasks when multiple deadlines hit. Impact:  I miss steps, panic, or work

What is DSA? DSA is extra funding for higher-education students  to cover disability-related study costs. It’s not a loan , and you usually don’t pay it back . It’s designed to remove barriers that you may experience in Further or Higher Education. Who can get DSA? You may be eligible if you: Study on a university, college, Open University, or distance-learning course Have a disability, long-term illness, mental health condition, or specific learning difference (e.g., dyslexi

Have you ever heard of hacked emails, empty bank accounts, or identity theft? What about viruses, hackers, phishing scams, or Trojan horses? If so, you already know how serious online threats can be. Unfortunately, these dangers have become part of everyday life. Online banking, social media, and email are now things we rely on daily—which means protecting ourselves online is just as important as protecting ourselves in the real world. Think about how you leave your home: you

Maybe you are a fresher, or you have been at University for a while now but take a moment to think about your life right now. Do you have any current challenges that you expect to continue to be an issue while you’re at university? If so – write down what these issues may be and underneath each, jot down a list of the support you could get. For example, if you are worried about how you will manage your finances, you might say that you can seek support from your uni Finance T

You may know us for our social media pages, where we spread mental and physical health awareness, however, there is a lot more to Onyx Support than this… 1. The name ‘Onyx’ stems from the Onyx Stone, which means to relieve overwhelming fears and worries, recover from the pain of trauma, and promote positive emotional well-being. 2. Our support team are a combination of counsellors, social workers and mental health nurses! Therefore, when we support individuals, we have exten

I had plenty to worry about when starting University. Would I get on with my flatmates? How would I cope with the workload? Would I be able to make my money stretch for the whole term, with surviving purely on a diet of frozen chips and cereal? I’m sure these are the thoughts of every new first year student. But for me, there was one more thing that I couldn’t get out of my mind; What will I say when someone asks me about my Mum? I had lost my Mother to Bowel Cancer just the

In December of last year, I decided to make an appointment with my GP about my mental health. I had been struggling, more than usual, with my mood swings and impulsivity since I had started Uni. I felt as if moving away from home had opened a box of insecurities and horrible memories in my mind that I couldn’t escape from. I couldn’t get an appointment until after Christmas so I planned ahead, writing a bullet point list in my A4 pad of all the problems I was having, knowing

In my first year at university studying Musical Arts, I was sitting in a lecture after hurrying with my friend with a minute to spare. My mental health wasn’t great, and I started a new medication to help. I noticed that my shoulders were twitching, and I had an odd feeling in my stomach. I felt embarrassed as I couldn’t stop moving, but didn’t really think much about it, of course, until I left the room making loud hiccup noises over and over down the campus. I couldn’t st

Those who live with Borderline Personality Disorder (or Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) have different traits and ways of expressing their emotions, which tend to be very intense and change frequently throughout the day. I was diagnosed with BPD at 19 and although you must be over 18 to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, it felt as though those who had previously worked with me missed the signs over and over. I am an ‘inwards’ person, meaning that I do not s

I was about sixteen when it seemed a switch flicked in my brain. Something changed: I became an anxious person. I had just started sixth-form college and got my first part-time job in a supermarket. Although I’d been nervous about working in such a busy environment, things were okay until another member of staff remarked: “You’re very quiet, aren’t you?” I hated comments like this – it made me feel singled out and weird. I’d grown up receiving unwanted comments from strangers

I never expected to have to face my eating disorder again. I thought it was something I’d left buried in my childhood, something I looked back on and wondered why I ever did such a destructive thing to myself. It was after a bout of severe anxiety, depression and dissociation that my relapse began at age 17. I had spent months battling suicidal thoughts which eventually lead to a suicide attempt (which I thankfully didn’t suffer any major repercussions from) and a feeling of

It would never happen to me. This is what I would tell myself whenever I read stories about people with mental health issues. I was wrong and like many young people in the UK, I suffered with severe depression. During this period, I attended Newcastle University studying a 3-year Zoology course which was the happiest years of my life (so far!). Although these two periods may seem to contradict each other, the emotions I felt were as interchangeable as the weather. I felt as t

Are you fed up of your anxiety taking over? Are you overwhelmed at university and struggling to manage your time better? My answer: Bullet Journaling. Ever since moving to a new city, starting university and meeting lots of weird and wonderful people at the start of my degree, not only did I feel a sense of achievement, but I also started to feel overwhelmed at lost. My own personal journey started with a huge move from a tiny village outside of Hull to the large city of Manc