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University of Surrey
What’s more relaxing than stroking a puppy? Stroking 10 puppies.
The University of Surrey helps students bust their stress by bringing puppies into the university twice a year at exam time. Pets as Therapy brings in the dogs which aim to help people with their physical and mental health. These dogs and their volunteers travel the length of the UK to help the sick - how amazing is that!
Cardiff University
Exercise is great for your mental health, but going to the gym can get expensive. Cardiff University has its students’ backs, for students who need it they can offer exercise referrals that give students eight weeks of 1-1 support from a member of their sports team. They write a program to support mental wellbeing and boost activity levels, checking in with the student every week and offering motivation and support.
University of Abertay
Although many universities offer advice before students start their first term, the University of Abertay offers an actual course for students who are worried about starting university.
The course is completely free (you have to pay for accommodation if you need it), but you get to meet students before the start of term, learn how to work independently and find out how to make the most of your time at university. For anyone anxious about starting university, this is the perfect way to alleviate some of the pre uni fear.
St Andrews University
The University of St Andrews offers its students coaching which can be awesome for self-development. Although not specifically helping with mental health, it can help to build confidence, productivity and deal with pressure along with many other things that can promote good wellbeing.
Lancaster University
The University of Lancaster offers a 30-minute clinic which is designed to help students work through one issue per session and solely focus on just one thing. They aim to offer some resolution to the problem at hand in that half an hour session. Although they may sound like short sessions, their students say they are as useful as longer-term therapy which is of course very time efficient.
Plymouth University
The University of Plymouth is supporting students whose mental health is impacting their work by offering mental health appointments with specialist mental health workers. The university links its students up with the type of appointment that suits their symptoms to make sure they have a fully personalized and helpful experience.
Kingston University
Kingston University is offering listening sessions to its students. These are informal sessions that give students the space to talk through any worries about deadlines or other issues and give an understanding and informal ear. They may be good for students who don’t feel ready to get professional help, or just need someone to talk to.
Canterbury Christ Church
The mental health team at Canterbury Christ Church University is extra special. Why? Because two of their team have …four legs, wet noses, and bark. Therapy dogs, Pixie and Oliver play different roles in the team offering support to students, they work with student wellbeing services all around campus.
Keele University
Keele University has peer supporters, a group of students who are there to support mental health within halls and events. They are there to provide a listening ear to other students and help signpost other students to the help they need.
University of Essex
The University of Essex offers mindfulness drop-in sessions which you don’t have to book ahead so there is no pressure to attend if you don’t feel up to it. Mindfulness has had a lot of press recently and it’s something that can be beneficial for mental wellbeing.
Edge Hill University
Stress affects everyone and university can really pile on the pressure. Edge Hill University offers their student stress control workshops which can help control things like stress, anxiety and poor sleep. The course has six sessions, each covering different topics so their students must attend the whole lot.
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee’s Stay on Course plan helps students who are struggling with their studies find a way to get back on track. They discuss what support the student needs and find out how they can assist them. They’ll create a tailored plan for the individual and stay in touch to check that everything is moving in the right direction.
University of Bristol
Wouldn’t you love to know the Science of Happiness? Well, students at the University of Bristol can take a course that will teach them science-based approaches to live a more fulfilling life.
The course lasts 10 weeks and starts with students assessing their own happiness levels. Through the course, students progress to work out their own strengths and how to develop them.
University of Bolton
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a talking therapy that could help support people by challenging the way they think. The University of Bolton has brought in its postgraduate students who are studying for their diploma in therapy to help students. This is awesome as it not only helps the students who are taking the classes but it also gives the postgrad students contact time with patients.
Leeds Beckett University
Trouble sleeping? There’s a course for that. Want to boost your mood? There’s one for that too. Leeds Beckett University offers lots of different courses aiming to help students with their mental wellbeing. Free sessions are a great way to get all students thinking about mental health and learn new mechanisms to help cope with it.
Coventry University
Coventry University has gone very high tech and launched their own wellbeing app. It talks students through the services that are available, signposts them to the right buildings and people, and suggests emergency contacts in case of a crisis. This is great as it’s something that students can download and have access to at all times.
We aren’t mental health experts and it is important that you seek expert advice if you need it.
If you are looking for support while at university student minds offers a lot of resources that could provide help. https://www.studentminds.org.uk/resources.html
