In the past couple of years, maintaining mental wellbeing has become a widespread priority in student life at university.

A recent report by WONKHE and UK Trendence Research showed that over 15% of students said they felt lonely on a daily basis, and another third said they felt the same weekly.

The figures were worse for students with disability, BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) and international students, and students living at home found they were in a similar position.

Here we look at what students of Bangor University have done to tackle loneliness and maintain mental wellbeing.

'I don’t think a lot of people knew how to approach me'

Andrew Corlett, from Liverpool, graduated from Bangor University this year.

He described his experience at the university as lonely, but managed to overcome this obstacle when he joined a student union society.

He said: "Being a shy person, I did find quite a lot of loneliness in university.

"I don’t think a lot of people knew how to approach me, and they were possibly afraid they would spook me.

"To start with, I never wanted to go to university. It wasn’t because I didn’t want further education, but more because of not wanting to go out into the real world.

"However, my tutor persuaded me to go so I went.

"It was a very new and strange place for me to go as there was a lot to take in."

Bangor University

During his time there however, Andrew tragically lost a family member, which had a profound affect on his experience.

He added: "It was very difficult, but I found that I had the strength to just go on with life.

"Grief contributed to feeling isolated, but it also gave me the boost to improve my situation.

"I coped, got on with my studies, made acquaintances with people, and got my degree."

Andrew believes that his experience is all too familiar for many students, and considers there are "multiple reasons" for this.

"It’s a question not too easily answered," he explained.

"Perhaps it's because kids spend less time with their parents when they are at their most vulnerable.

"Students might ignore or worry that they would lose friends if they made new ones.

"Or some could hide away to get exam revision done."

'It's worrying but I'm not overly surprised'

Bangor university, which is one of the oldest in Wales, is home to around 10,000 students.

The Student Union's president, Mark Barrow, revealed that his main concern as the student head is student welfare.

While overlooking the statistics, he said: "It's worrying but I'm not overly surprised.

"Whether it is because of workload stress or wanting to succeed, students will feel lonely from time-to-time.

Bangor University hosts Serendipity: a two-day Clubs & Societies event for students

"On top of that, I think students struggle with the transition from home to independence. It could lead to homesickness and the sense of isolation and loneliness.

Bangor University's Student Union is working on tackling loneliness however, as Mark told North Wales Live.

He added: "We try to make student life accessible for everyone, for instance, all of our club memberships are for free.

"There are a variety of things to do at different times of the day with different societies.

"This year, for example, the university are working on developing counselling and support through the Welsh language.

"Studies have shown that individuals are more willing to open up in their native language, and therefore, we want to make that possible for Welsh-speaking students in Bangor."

'There is no room for errors, but with that, there's no room to try new things'

Vice President for Societies and Volunteering Muhammad Firdaus believes that more needs to be done to get students, who are prone to feeling lonely, involved in student life.

He said: "The student union try to offer opportunities to get people to know one and other, and connect.

"Anyone can get involved, but it's often the people that don't join in that we need to reach out.

"The ones that suffer from isolation and loneliness the most, are the ones least likely to engage in these opportunities, which makes them the most difficult for us to connect with because they are isolated.

Muhammad Firadus, Vice President for Societies and Volunteering at Bangor University's student union

"Personally, I would feel lonely if it weren't for all the societies and clubs that I have joined. They have offered different opportunities for me, and different aspects of my life."

Muhammad is an international student, and came from Singapore to Bangor nearly five years ago.

He believes that loneliness affects international student for different reasons.

He explained: "Naturally, when you are 18-years-old, this is the first time you have left home, and sometimes, you are living very far away from home and your family.

"It's like you're being thrown into the deep end of a very cold pool- it's a shock to the system.

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"For international students however, it's different.

"In the current social and political climate, there's the fear of deportation. You'll often find that international students are hyper sensitive about why they are here and what they're doing.

"For many, they have jumped through a lot of hoops to get to where they are: travelled for miles to get here, signed visas and immigration forms, and will spend a long duration of time away from family.

"There is much more at stake for them in a way. There is no room for errors, but with that, there's no room to try new things.

"International students tend to stick together because they can relate or understand each other's situation.

"But that isolates them from the rest of the university's community, and that triggers a sense of loneliness."

'We can't manage our emotions, but we can understand how to deal with them'

Brajna Greenhalgh is the project leader of Connect@Bangor, which is a project that works to befriend students who face barriers in engaging with student life, whether that's through clubs and societies, shopping, visiting their GP, going to the gym or for a coffee.

It is the only project of its kind in the Gwynedd city, and it recognises the importance in enabling students to take part in activities to establish networks and friendship circles during their time there.

Brajna is originally from Croatia, but has lived in Bangor for over 11 years. As an international and mature student, she can often relate to the students that she helps out through the project.

Bangor University students share their views on loneliness
Bangor University students share their views on loneliness

She said: "For international students, you are not just leaving home, you are leaving your home country.

"For me, it was a bit of a culture shock and I didn't know a lot of things.

"So, I understand when international students find it difficult to adjust to a new way of life."

Brajna offers peer-to-peer support for people, who at times, might be dealing with anxiety, and encourages them to join groups, such as a Walk and Talk project.

The project is an opportunity for students to explore the surroundings of the city with a friendly group of volunteers.

Brajna explained: "It's a group where people who are struggling with mental health or feel lonely can have a chance to de-stress and meet new people. My work is to show that it's OK to struggle and courageous to ask for help.

"Groups like these are there to validate and acknowledge the fact that we all struggle with anxiety, pain, stress and loneliness at times.

"We can't manage our emotions, but we can understand how to deal with them. We all go through it in different stages, university being one of them.

"The irony of it all is that loneliness is not an isolating thing- we all go through it."

Student Support

Helplines and support groups

Mind Cymru (02920 068 41 41) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.


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