The Occupational Therapy student making a difference to student minds

Content warning: The content of this article relates to themes of mental health, as well as available sources of support and information.

A student from the University of Salford is working with charity Student Minds to ensure that no student is held back by their mental health, following her own struggles. 

Becca Tenney (pictured below), a second-year Occupational Therapy undergraduate, faced problems with her mental health prior to attending university, leading to initial feelings of apprehension when it came the time to begin her course.

“Getting my offer was a big surprise.” Becca said.

“I think because I’d had quite a lot going on in my life up until that point, I thought that that might hold me back.

“The team at Salford were great – it felt as though they saw me as a person rather than just a grade, statistic or a diagnosis.

“I did still cry on my first day – and I’m sure I wasn't the only one!”

Student Minds is a UK student mental health charity, providing advice and resources to students struggling with their mental health, and working with the higher education sector, health sector and the government to ensure that student mental health is a priority. 

Becca is on the Student Advisory Committee for Student Minds, advising on the charity’s policies and procedures, and ensuring that students receive the best mental health support possible.   

“There is no point getting a perfect degree, if when you get it, you’re not the person that you want to be.

“When I started, I had this idea in my head that I wanted to get perfect grades and do really well, but I have had to learn to cut myself some slack.

“I’ve definitely had to learn how to accept support and have a bit of help and not necessarily see it as a bad thing.”

As an occupational therapy student, Becca has undertaken placements and has seen firsthand how stressful and anxiety-inducing they can be for many students. However, she emphasises the importance of undertaking these new experiences and acknowledging that support is just a phone call or an email away.

“I was so excited to put my green trousers on! But it is obviously still terrifying – it is a new experience, completely different to being in university.

“Making a placement RAP (reasonable adjustment plan) with my personal tutor that then got discussed with my educator on placement was really helpful and remembering that your tutors are still there if you need a chat or a pep talk helps too. 

“I love my course, the things that I’m learning about, the people I’m around, but I still have my struggles, and no mental health condition goes away just because you’ve started university. 

“It helps to know when things are difficult that there are a lot of people around to support you – don't underestimate the power of just having a chat with someone!"

When asked if she had any advice for prospective students, either those wanting to study Occupational Therapy, or those who feel uncertain about continuing into higher education due to their mental health, Becca said:

“Don’t think that your past or what you’ve been through before is going to hold you back.

“You don’t have to have yourself completely together to still be able to make a difference to someone else’s life.”

To find out more about the support on offer for students here at Salford, please visit our Student Hub.

For more about Student Minds, the work they do, and where to find support, visit the Student Minds website.