Student life

The rising rate of student mental health problems is a global issue and needs to be tackled with a "whole university approach", according to a new study.

The Global Student Accommodation Group (GSA), analysed more than 10,000 pages of evidence from more than 280 studies from the UK, Germany, Spain and Australia to understand how student well-being has evolved over the last decade. 

As someone who grew up in London, when I moved across the country to do my undergraduate degree in English and creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, I was apprehensive. The campus that I was going to be at was the Cheshire campus in Crewe (now sadly closing down) which was a completely different world to the one that I was used to.

Social class differences and money problems are both issues that have long affected university students. I dealt with these issues as an undergraduate and they have been widely reported in the media, sometimes in terms of explaining the increased rate of mental health problems among students. This has made me reflect on my time at a Russell Group university. 

James Culley, BA business and management student, Henley Business School (final year)

As a final-year student, being involved with the Reading careers services has substantially improved my skills – with a place in the Teach First graduate scheme being a direct result.

Loughborough University has been voted the best university campus in the UK, in new research by Student Crowd. 

More and more Chinese students are heading overseas to study. In fact, China continues to be one of the leading countries sending students to study abroad and this demand for overseas education remains strong.

Here are the top nine reasons why Chinese students are choosing to head overseas for their university education. 

1. Enriched experience

The majority of Chinese students decide to study abroad to develop a better understanding of other cultures and to gain a global mindset.

Why are Dutch staircases so perilously narrow? How come most Italian students live at home? Is there really a curfew in Bulgarian student residences? When I embarked on my own Erasmus exchange, moving from Glasgow to student halls in sunny Toulouse, in France, my biggest problem was working out how my wall-bed worked.

UK mental health charity Student Minds and Canadian organisation TeenMentalHealth.org have collaborated to create a series of resources to combat the mental health issues that can be associated with the transition to university. 

The two resources are freely available to students and educators at universities and schools and can be found here.  

Dear Friend,

I have been worried about you since you mentioned that you felt stressed about getting good grades while you’ve been at university in America. I have been researching this issue because I will also be an international student next year.

For all international students, it is essential to deal with the stress from studying, otherwise we will be exhausted and will find it difficult to adapt to our new environment. It is just as important to enjoy your time at university than it is to achieve good grades.

As May comes to an end, my time in London is almost finished. I only have a week left here – how bizarre that feels.