Dear student,
We are pleased to be welcoming you to university for the 2021/22 academic year whether you are starting university for the first time or returning to a new level of study.
We know that many of you are excited to return to in-person teaching and wider face-to-face experiences at university. Yet, we also understand that some people might have concerns about the re-adjustment this involves. In this context we believe it has never been more important to look after your mental health and wellbeing and we want to give greater visibility to the wide range of activities and services that are available to support you.
The University and Student Association take a whole institution approach, which is supportive of your wider wellbeing, including:
- helping you connect with other people, for example by joining one or more student societies;
- being physically active, for example by joining a sports club;
- learning new skills, and
- giving something back to the wider community, for example by volunteering.
We are also here to offer a range of focused support for your mental health if things are not going well. It is ok not to be ok. We encourage you to pay attention to your mental health and to ask for help if you need it. Our support services celebrate the tremendous diversity of our student population and so the support we can offer is inclusive of all nationalities, race and religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identification.
As the year begins, we will share opportunities to get engaged in university life, activities to support your wellbeing and details of our support services for mental health with you. You can also find details of the specific services offered at your institution if you search for student mental health in your university’s website or online learning portal.
The return to an in-person experience is possible thanks to our dedicated staff, who have worked through unprecedented circumstances over the last eighteen months of the pandemic. We ask that you remain mindful of their wellbeing and continue to be considerate of one another throughout the year.
We wish you all the very best for a mentally healthy and rewarding year. Please let us know if we can help in any way.
Supported by: all Principals and Presidents of Student Associations’.