Having a community or support network around you is a key factor in promoting mental wellbeing and resilience. Today’s post will explore this in more detail and you can download or print the worksheet to do the activities.
No one is an island
You will already have a community made up of family, friends, or teachers, colleagues and peers, hobby groups etc. You can think of this as your own little wolf pack.
Whether it’s for a chat or rant, help thinking through a problem, sharing connections or getting more formal advice and support, being able to go to this network when you need support is really important. This wolf pack helps you be more resilient and have better mental wellbeing.
The great thing about university is that you will have a wealth of new groups you can access for support, friendship and more.
“I think it is important to remember that you are not alone at university. You will make friends but there are also really important services that you can access if you need support at any time.” Post graduate Children’s Nursing student at City.
At university you can access:
- Personal tutors – these are academic staff at university who have regular meetings with you to check in on how you’re doing
- Other academic staff such as your lecturers
- Mental health and counselling services
- Student union – you can join societies and clubs for different sports, hobbies, interests, cultures, religions and more. Your SU will also have students as elected members that can lead campaigns on issues that affect you and your fellow students
- Learning support teams can help if you have a learning need or disability to understand how your studies might be affected and what adjustments you might need
- Other student services such as library, careers support, chaplaincy, and sports facilities offer the chance to develop your skills and meet new people
With so many opportunities to expand your community at university it’s worth taking some time to research the universities you want to go to or your final university choice to see what they have on offer.
Check back on our blog for more information about student 
union societies, what they offer you and creating your own one.
Download or print the activity worksheet to look at the support networks you already have and how you can expand these at university.
P.S. Did you know, City University’s Sports mascot is the Wolf pack?!
