Health and Wellbeing
BASICS
Going to university is exciting and it is tempting to think of nothing else but your course.
But don't neglect your health and wellbeing.
We recommended that you register with a GP near your university as soon as possible. This ensures you can receive emergency care and access health services quickly and easily while you're away from home.
You may not think this is necessary, but this is a free service, and you should always prepare for the unexpected whilst at university.
You can use the NHS ‘Find a GP’ website (LINK) to find a list of practices near your accommodation. This will direct you to the GPs' websites to find out how to register as a patient.
In addition, you should enquire what facilities are available at your university to help with your mental health and wellbeing. Recent surveys show that 1 in 3 students are affected by mental health issues during their studies. There is much fun to be had at university, but it can also be a place where pressure leads to loneliness, depression and anxiety, as well as heightened stress levels in general.
Dealing with stress is part of success at university and we refer to this issue in several articles. You will likely be pushing yourself during a university course, so managing this pressure is a key skill to acquire.
However, it is important to be able to find extra support when you need it. Check with Student Services which options will be available.
TIP
Look for advice from the Student Guild or 2nd and 3rd year students as well, because they can often give a less biased appraisal of services.
We would recommend you look into this before you go and, on arrival, seek out opportunities for off-campus activities such as yoga, social groups and societies. These will help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, as well as providing potential sites of informal support in difficult times.
This article was written by MTL Bennett. If you found it useful, please consider buying him a coffee to help him write another. CHEERS!