Student life

It can be easy to think that mental health provision in universities is failing students and that little progress has been made, but in reality, universities around the world are beginning to understand that early intervention is the best tool in tackling mental health conditions in students. Universities are introducing innovative ways to help students identify and understand mental health symptoms and are improving access to services in ways that make students feel more comfortable. 

Applying to study medicine is notoriously competitive, so it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd. To help you secure that med school place, here are some top tips on what admissions tutors look for.

1. Make the most of your medical work experience

Work experience in a hospital, GP surgery or care home is a key part of applying to study medicine, and how you reflect on your experiences will prove to admissions tutors that you could make a great doctor.

I have earned myself an undergraduate degree after three years of pretty exhausting work. I treated myself to a month’s holiday in Germany, explored new destinations, picked up extra work shifts and am now writing job applications.

In this period after graduation I've also experienced these seven moments that I feel are common to the graduate experience. You know you’re a university graduate when...

1. You realise you may never have to study again

I now know why Harvard has its reputation as one of the top universities in the world. It is not because Harvard is an elitist institution, or because it is one of the oldest colleges in the US. It is because every single student here works incredibly hard, spending long nights studying and taking multiple extracurricular activities. Time is the currency here, with students valuing it more than anything else.

Freshers’ week in the UK is pretty much done and dusted for another year and Twitter has been on side to witness the highs and lows. From kitchen disasters to contracting the dreaded freshers’ flu, these tweets shed light on the typical student experience during the first two weeks of university. 

Well we have melted a spatula.... #FreshersWeek

I recently headed out to Berlin for a couple of days, aiming to explore some universities, speak to some students and find out exactly why students love studying in Berlin. It turns out that there are a ton of reasons why the German capital is so attractive to students. 

The one thing I can say with certainty about life as a student is that there is no typical day. A first year’s day will be completely different from a third year’s, a classicist’s different from a chemist’s. Every day is different.

New research from The Student Room has found that a quarter of students who started university this September don’t feel confident about living away from home.

Male students feel slightly more prepared, with 81 per cent saying they felt prepared for university life compared with 74 per cent of female students. Respondents were the most worried about managing their personal finances (27 per cent). 

The global energy crisis is something that is on everyone’s radar and for which many people are seeking a solution. This summer I was lucky enough to undertake a summer placement at Tokamak Energy to help carry out some work that might be part of the solution. 

J.P. Morgan has been ranked as the best undergraduate employer in the UK by students.

Based on more than 5,500 student reviews on RateMyPlacement.com throughout the 2015-16 academic year, the table ranks the top 100 organisations in the UK for graduate jobs.

To be eligible, companies must recruit more than 20 students a year on placements, internships, vacation schemes and insights and have to have at least 15 reviews on their website.