Study Well, Stay Well

Connecting with others at university can significantly enhance your wellbeing and impact on your academic, personal, and professional experiences. Throughout your course you will encounter different opportunities to interact with others, such as fellow students, tutors and lecturers, housemates, family, friends and work colleagues - this is a great opportunity to build a sense of community and offset isolation, creating a sense of personal growth and mental wellbeing.

Connecting with Others: The Basics

Networking 

Whether you are meeting people online or in person you will get the opportunity to build relationships with others and develop a strong professional network. This can open up new and enriching opportunities to develop you professionally, such as internships, research collaborations, and future job prospects. 

Collaboration 

In the academic environment many real-world problems require collaboration and diverse perspectives and sharing these challenges with others can lead to fruitful partnerships for group projects, research and creative endeavours. This can have a positive impact and give you the opportunity to support others and feel supported towards achieving a common goal.  A great way to get started on developing this skill is to find a study buddy or set up an informal study group.

Learning 

Whilst at university, everyone is learning something new and enhancing their knowledge and skills set. These interactions with others give you the opportunity to exchange ideas, study together and gain different perspectives on course materials. Conversations with academic staff and course mates can be very enriching and broaden your perspectives. Peer learning can be just as effective as learning from your lecturers and spending time together can help you to feel more at ease and help you switch off from adverse pressures. 

Whilst you are studying at Hallam you have three dedicated advisors to support you: your Student Support Advisor, Academic Advisor and an Employability Advisor.

Social and community engagement 

University life is more than just the academic experience, it also involves socialising and connecting to others to make your journey more enjoyable and fulfilling. It is important to find a good work/life balance and develop lasting friendships and create memorable experiences. Sheffield Hallam has good connections with the local community and can provide you with the opportunity to get involved with volunteering and outreach programmes to help you make a positive impact.

The Student's Union is the home of a wide range of clubs, organisations and activities that you can participate in to pursue new interests, hobbies and passions and make new friends along the way. Visit the SU Societies page to explore what's on.

Experiencing new cultures  

Your university encompasses a rich and diverse student body with people from different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. If you're new to Sheffield, or to the UK, the Culture Connect programme is a great way of meeting new people from different backgrounds and building your intercultural communication skills.

Develop your understanding

Explore our curated range of e-modules, books and learning resources to further expand your knowledge of this topic. 

For academic skills - Group Work e-module

As part of your course, you might be asked to work with other students in a group to write an assignment or create a presentation. For ideas on how to get the most out of group work - including downloadable resources and planning documents - explore the 'Effective Group Work' e-module in Blackboard.

Further reading
 

Group sessions

The following sessions from the University's Wellbeing Service are a useful way to get helpful information and share experiences of connecting with others in a supportive setting. 

Making new social connections

Attending a 'give it a go' event is a great way of trying out a new hobby and meeting like-minded people, without making a long-term commitment. Follow the links to find out what's on: