Starting university is usually one of the best times of your life and is a positive experience for most students. Taking care of your wellbeing whilst at university is very important, and can have a big affect on your academic outcome. On this page, we look at other aspects of university life aside from studies, and how to overcome issues you might experience.

Socialising and relationships

Personal safety

Alcohol and drugs

Stress

Mental health difficulties

How Pharmacist Support can help

Socialising and relationships

Making new friends is often a big part of going to university. Even if you consider yourself to be an introvert, or are comfortable in your own company, having good friendships is important for your wellbeing. When we connect with others a cocktail of chemicals is released into our body which increases our short-term and long-term wellbeing. Take a look at our resources on staying connected with others and improving our social circles for inspiration!

Homesickness

For many students, living away from home for the first time may cause them to feel homesick. It is entirely normal to feel homesick. Some people feel homesick immediately, others may feel fine to begin with, but develop feelings of homesickness later in the year. Some of the signs of homesickness are:-

• feeling sad and/or anxious
• difficulty sleeping
• lack of concentration
• changes in appetite
• excessive displacement activity, for example, drink, socialising and neglect of studies.

The Prospects website has some useful suggestions to help you settle easily into your university life. The website recommends taking simple steps such as decorating your room with familiar belongings and joining clubs and societies, for a positive impact on your mood. If you continue to feel homesick to the extent that you are frequently withdrawing yourself from participating in social and academic activities, then you may want to consider accessing your university’s counselling service. You could also speak to a tutor, student welfare officer or counsellor before you make any impulsive decisions such as deciding to leave university altogether.

If you are finding it difficult to access counselling through your university, for example because of a long waiting to list, you may wish to consider our counselling service.

Loneliness

It is possible to be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. Many first-year students can feel isolated and awkward at the start of their first term. Leaving behind family and friends is never easy and starting to build new friendships from scratch can be difficult.

Seeing other students having a good time and making new friends can often add to feelings of loneliness and alienation. For most students, this loneliness, much like homesickness, is only temporary. There are many things that you can do to change your situation. Be pro-active, make the effort to begin and/or join in conversations with your classmates, many of them are probably feeling lonely too. Join some clubs or societies that you are genuinely interested in.

However, beware of compromising your position in order to gain popularity or acceptance, remember that building meaningful relationships takes time.

Social anxiety

Everybody gets nervous occasionally, however, for some, the very idea of unfamiliar social situations can cause intense fear. Social anxiety is very disruptive to normal life, and university can exacerbate the symptoms. Social anxiety should not be confused with shyness. Symptoms include:-

• dreading everyday activities such as meeting new people/talking in groups/eating and drinking with company
• low self-esteem
• misuse of drugs and alcohol to try to reduce anxiety
• making excuses to oneself in order to avoid social situations.

For further information about social anxiety and where to go for help, see the NHS choices website.

Relationships

Relationships can be a wonderful thing, and for many students can make a positive difference to their wellbeing and performance at university. However, it’s not always easy to manage one while studying. Be aware of expecting your relationship to follow a perfect example — there’s no such thing as a “normal” relationship but there are elements that define healthy relationships. Relationships aren’t defined by things like gender, sexuality, or status. Healthy relationships are usually built on things like kindness, respect, shared interests, and common goals. These qualities take time to show. Physical attractiveness is quicker and easier to notice, but it doesn’t mean two people are a good match. Even people from similar backgrounds — like culture, religion, or income — can have very different opinions. If you expect everything to be perfect all the time, you might feel disappointed. That can make the relationship seem like it isn’t working.

Understanding what makes a health relationship and be able to spot signs of unhealthy behaviour is important. Many universities offer their own guidance and support. For example, the University of Portsmouth’s Healthy Relationships page explains what makes a relationship respectful and supportive.

Students who are unsure of their sexuality or need assistance with coming out or accepting their sexuality can contact the Lesbian, Gay and Trans (LGBT) Foundation. They offer a range of services including face to face counselling, email support as well as a telephone helpline. For further information, see the LGBT Foundation website.

A relationship break up can also lead to a loss of confidence; take some time to rebuild your confidence and self-esteem.  The Mind website has lots of great information on increasing self-esteem.

Relationship Support

Whether you’re navigating a difficult relationship, looking for support as a couple, or concerned about abuse, there are services available to help.

Pharmacist Support Counselling

If you’re struggling with a relationship or how its making you feel, and would like to talk things through on your own with a counsellor, you may want to consider Pharmacist Support’s confidential counselling service. This is a one-to-one service for individuals, designed to help you explore emotional or psychological challenges in a safe, supportive space.

University Counselling and Wellbeing Services

Most universities offer free counselling or wellbeing services for students. These services can support you individually, and some may also offer support for couples. It’s worth checking what’s available through your university’s student support or wellbeing team.

Relate – Relationship Counselling

Relate is the UK’s largest provider of relationship counselling. They offer support for individuals, couples, and families—whether you’re facing challenges with a partner, friend, or family member. Sessions are available online or in person.

Please note that Relate services may involve a fee, and the cost can vary depending on your location and the type of support you choose.

Visit Relate for relationship counselling options

Concerned About abuse?

If you’re worried that you may be experiencing abuse in a relationship—or know someone who is—please reach out for help. These organisations offer confidential, specialist support:

• Women’s Aid – for women experiencing domestic abuse
  Visit Women’s Aid
• ManKind Initiative – for men experiencing domestic abuse
  Visit ManKind Initiative

Sexual health

Going to university is an exciting opportunity and students often use it as a time to explore and develop new relationships. Students will need to take responsibility for their own sexual health and having all the facts about sexual health and safety and understanding where do go for support when things go wrong plays an important part in this. All universities offer support services, and many will offer a range of services including health checks, free condoms and counselling. The NHS has lots of information about STIs, contraception and unplanned pregnancy. For further information, see their website.

Personal safety

The risk of suffering from violence or aggression is very low; however, students need to be careful, in particular if they are in an unfamiliar city and sharing accommodation. Some important things to remember include:-

• never take an unlicensed minicab
• if you are on a blind date, ensure that you meet somewhere public and inform your friends
• never leave your drinks unattended in pubs and clubs as they could be spiked
• beware of hazardous places, such as riverbanks, after consuming alcohol or drugs
• remember, alcohol and drugs can make you more vulnerable to persuasion, assault, misjudgement, accident, acts of bravado and cold.

For further information and a range of personal safety tips, see the Suzy Lamplugh website.

Alcohol and drugs

According to the NHS, students are more likely to drink, smoke and take drugs than the general population. It would seem that a combination of peer pressure, cheap student bars and the freedom of living away from home for the first time can all be contributing factors to the choices students make. The NHS has a variety of information for students, including an alcohol tracking tool to help you to keep tabs on how much you are drinking, help with stopping smoking and information on drugs and their effects. For further details, visit the NHS website.

Our Addiction Support Service helps to support those who experience problems with alcohol, drug, or other types of dependency. This service provides access to fully qualified addiction specialists, and all calls to the helpline are entirely confidential. If you have a dependency issue or if you know of a friend or colleague with a problem, you can contact the Addiction Support helpline direct for advice. Call our helpline on 0808 168 5132 or e-mail us on [email protected]

Find out more about our Addiction Support Service

Stress

A little bit of stress as a student might be inevitable — deadlines, exams, and new responsibilities can all bring pressure. For many students, this stress passes once the situation improves. But for some, ongoing pressure can lead to longer-term stress that affects their wellbeing and daily life.

Understanding what stress is and learning how to manage it can make a big difference. With the right support, students can build resilience and feel more in control.

To learn more, visit our What is stress , Managing stress, and Anxiety and stress management for students pages.

Mental health difficulties

Many students may experience events at university that could present challenges to their wellbeing. With the right help and support, often students can work through these challenges relatively quickly. However, some may experience mental health difficulties that require more ongoing support.

Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges faced by students. It can show up as constant worry, difficulty sleeping, racing thoughts, or physical symptoms like a pounding heart or upset stomach. University life — with its deadlines, social changes, and financial pressures — can make these feelings more intense.

If anxiety starts to interfere with your daily life, it’s important to seek support. With the right tools and guidance, many students find ways to manage anxiety and feel more in control.
For more information and support, visit the our Anxiety and Anxiety and stress management for students pages.

Depression

Depression can affect anyone, and it’s more than just feeling down for a few days. Students experiencing depression may feel persistently sad, lose interest in things they used to enjoy, struggle with sleep or appetite, and find it hard to concentrate or make decisions.

University pressures, isolation, or personal challenges can all contribute to depression. But with the right support, recovery is possible — and many students go on to thrive both academically and personally.

For more information and support, visit our Depression page.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

As a society we are increasingly preoccupied with appearance. Images of ‘perfect celebrities’ can lead ordinary people to feel more dissatisfied with their appearance.

Whilst most people feel concerned about their personal appearance, for some it can turn into an unhealthy preoccupation, making it difficult for them to carry out day-to-day tasks and form meaningful relationships. Common signs of BDD include anxiety about perceived defects or flaws in appearance, for example, in relation to facial features, particular areas of the body or feeling that your body is out of proportion/lacking symmetry.

The main treatments currently recommended by the NHS are cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and Serotonergic anti-depressant medication. A great place to get help is the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation website.

Eating disorders

Eating disorders can affect anybody. Common misconceptions include the view that it is mainly women who are affected by eating disorders. However, men can also be affected by low self-esteem, body image and/or an obsessive relationship with food.

Eating disorders can affect anybody, at any age. You are never too young, or too old, to suffer from an eating disorder. Beating Eating Disorders (Beat) indicates that as many as 1.6 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder. Beat offer a variety of help, examples include two helplines, one for adults and one for young people, a UK wide network of support groups and a search facility to help people to find support services in their local area. For further information, visit their website.

Self-harm

Self-harm is a growing problem amongst young people in the UK. People often use self-harm as a means of coping with, or expressing emotional distress. There are many different ways in which a person can intentionally harm themselves, such as:-

• cutting or burning themselves
• poisoning themselves with tablets
• misusing alcohol or drugs
• deliberately starving themselves.

Self-harm is often accompanied by feelings of shame and fear of discovery. Many sufferers feel isolated and cut off from society. Help is available. The Harmless charity offers a variety of support including suggestions on coping strategies, a workbook and postal and email self-harm support.