This blog was written by our intern, Aryendu.
Blinked and the semester vanished?
Not just the classes and assignments but the quiet in-between moments too. The late-night cramming sessions. The voice memo pep talks to yourself. The mornings when you showed up running on caffeine and hope. No one tells you how much of university happens outside the classroom. And yet…that’s where I learned the most.
🌧 Some days, surviving is enough
Not every week ends with a win. Some days, the biggest success is just showing up, tired, behind, overwhelmed and trying anyway. That’s not failure. That’s strength in disguise.
If no one told you this lately, I’m proud of you. For pushing through the fog. For caring, even when it’s hard. For choosing not to give up on yourself.
🧠 Mental health isn’t an asterisk, it’s the headline
This semester taught me that being ‘fine’ is sometimes just code for not okay.
And that’s okay too. It’s okay to say, “I need help.”
There are people at La Trobe who will hold that space for you, no judgement, no fix-it advice, just real, human support.
You don’t have to earn it. You just have to ask.
🤝 Connection is the safety net you didn’t know you needed
In a world full of group chats, Canvas notifications, and reply-all emails, real connection is rare and vital. It’s in the friend who sends you notes without being asked. The stranger who smiles at you across a quiet study room. The classmate who simply says, “Same.”
You don’t need a hundred people. One is enough.
🚪Behind every closed door was a version of you…who kept going
And that’s what matters. Not the grades or how aesthetic your notes looked. But the fact that you, with all your self-doubt and sleep deprivation, showed up and tried. Over and over again.
🕊 What I want you to take away
University is about becoming someone. Not just someone with a degree but someone who’s resilient, self-aware and endlessly capable of starting again.
So, as you reach the end of this semester, pause. Not just to rest. But to recognise the version of you that emerged from all this.
Stronger. Softer. Wiser. Still here.
You’re not behind. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
💛 Need support?
You’re never alone in this. Prefer to explore online first? Head to the La Trobe Health & Wellbeing Hub for all available services such as free counselling, 24/7 support, workshops and more. No judgement. No pressure. Just real people who care.
Walk in. Call. Click. Whatever works for you, just don’t stay silent. 💬
Come as you are.
Final note
If no one else says it, thank you for being here.
Thank you for reading this. For holding space for yourself and others.
Here’s to a gentler future.
You’ve already made it through the hard part.