Repressed writer's short time at university (4-2)
I believe the answer is:
pent-up
'repressed' is the definition.
('pent-up' can be a synonym of 'repressed')
'writer's short time at university' is the subsidiary indication.
'writer' becomes 'pen'.
'short' indicates taking the first letters.
'at university' becomes 'up'.
The initial letter of 'time' is 't'.
'pen'+'t'+'up'='pentup'
(Other definitions for pent-up that I've seen before include "Held back, confined" , "Confined like feelings or water behind dam" , "Closely confined" , "Russian city" , "Confined like dam water or suppressed anger" .)