University student life

How to support students beyond the classroom, in all facets of university life. Here you'll find resources to direct student services, foster well-being, support a rich extracurricular offering and build inclusive campus communities and student societies.

By Laura.Duckett , 28 August, 2026

Stop making assumptions about students

A new students arriving at his accommodation with a box of belongings

By designing assumptions out of the welcome experience, we can better prepare students to navigate the transition to university. Kelly Edmunds and Lucy Kemp offer practical strategies

Reading time

4minutes

By Laura.Duckett , 25 August, 2026

Why we should encourage a stretched transition to university

A student accompanied with her mother and carrying a box of belongins up the stairs of her new halls of residence

Offering more information before and throughout university reduces the pressure on both students and staff and can help build a sense of belonging, says Becky Lewis

Reading time

1minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 24 August, 2026

How academics can use coaching approaches to support students

Young healthcare student in a coaching session

Academic coaching assumes students are the experts who already know how to overcome their barriers and achieve their potential. The key is giving them prompts and space to set their own action plan

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien , 7 August, 2026

How to turn student feedback into HR decisions that actually change their experience

Students hold brightly coloured speech bubbles up to their faces

Despite the amount of student feedback collected, it is not impacting on students’ day-to-day lives. How can we change that?

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 28 July, 2026

A peer-led approach to helping university students with information overload

Complex administration tasks and fragmented communication channels can cause students unnecessary stress and prevent them from accessing support. A centralised approach that offers peer guidance can be an answer

Reading time

4minutes

By Laura.Duckett , 27 July, 2026

Use short-form videos to build community in large courses

TikTok-style videos can give a face to a department and encourage students to take an active role in academic life. Learn how to work with students to create them

Reading time

4minutes

By miranda.prynne , 2 July, 2026

Campus Talks: How can universities nudge students and staff towards greener choices?

Listen to Esther Papies, professor of social and cultural psychology at Radboud University, on how to nudge people towards greener choices on our latest podcast.

A behaviour change expert explains what is required to shift a whole campus community towards more environmentally sustainable habits

By miranda.prynne , 10 June, 2026

Understanding autistic grief to support staff and students through loss

Man sitting alone in a state of distress or worry

Autistic grief can present differently from traditional understandings of bereavement. Imogen Varle explores how to better recognise and support autistic staff and students experiencing loss

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 24 April, 2026

‘AI should support student services, not impersonate them’

Woman talking into smartphone, AI as student support

Are universities ready for GenAI in student support? When chatbots seem to offer a scalable, cost-effective way to meet rising demand for student support, universities need to consider how to shape their use without outsourcing care or increasing risk

By kiera.obrien , 14 April, 2026

Let’s build a higher education system that works for first-generation students

Higher education expects first-gen students to conform to a rigid structure that doesn’t suit their lives. Here’s how to offer flexibility instead

Reading time

4minutes

University student life