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Find Your True North is the podcast for new students at the University of Aberdeen. Starting university is such an exciting time, but there’s a lot to take in! From settling into university life, to making friends, accessing help and support, and also getting to know the city of Aberdeen.
In this podcast, we meet current students at the University of Aberdeen, get the lowdown on what it’s really like from day one, and pick up some tips and advice to make your time in Aberdeen as amazing as it should be.
Episode 3 – Help & Support
This is Find Your True North, a podcast from the University of Aberdeen. Episode three help and support.
CLIP
University campus feels like a little village and you can make some really close knit relationships here. When your personal tutor reaches out to meet you, go and meet them like they want to get to know you. They want to support you.
NOUR
Welcome back to Find Your True North from the University of Aberdeen. My name is Nora and in this series we're looking at life as first year students in Aberdeen. How it all works, how to get the most out of it and how to help settle into university. And while the first year of university is an amazing experience, there are times when it's not easy. Every student needs support in different ways. It could be around money, mental health, work, clothes, absolutely anything. So in this episode, we're looking at the help and support you get along the way.
CLIP
My message would be, don't sit with this on your own. Start somewhere, whether that's your personal tutor, the support team and the accommodation, or the student advice and support team. You don't need to have things figured out before you reach out.
NOUR
That's Gemma Murdoch, the acting assistant director and head of student support services at the University of Aberdeen, and will find out more about student support services shortly. But first, I caught up with current Aberdeen student Scarlett to have a chat around help and support how you access it, when you need it, and what it was like for her when she started
Hello Scarlett. It's so lovely having you with me. So tell me about when you started here in Aberdeen. How easy was it to settle into university?
SCARLETT
Um, I found it quite difficult initially, just because it was a huge adjustment from living at home with your parents. And I moved quite far because I was born and raised and went to school in Dubai. So moving to the UK, completely different country where the culture is also quite different. I found it quite tricky at first.
NOUR
So what was the biggest adjustment you think you had to you had to deal with?
SCARLETT
I think honestly, the weather was a big part, but also just understanding like the difference in like cultures and how people speak to each other. I think that is quite different from place to place. I think the weather is the first thing international students ask about and just worry about, but I always say it's so much easier layering and wearing multiple layers. And same with like culture and stuff. I think Scotland has so much slang and you just get used to it. You can't teach it to yourself. You literally just get used to it. But yeah, everyone does need help at some point.
NOUR
Can you remember the first time you needed help or support with something, or the first time you were aware of the support available? Well, honestly, the first time that I realised there was support was within like my rugby club. So I joined the university rugby club. And I know like other societies, they're quite outspoken about having support systems. Um, so I always felt like I could go to someone within the club. So I think there's always a really good space if you join like certain clubs. But then also we'd be getting emails a lot from university, like support, which I found quite useful. And I reached out for like a dyslexia diagnosis because I was having trouble with my studies. And I just, I felt like I was always being approached to go to them, which was kind of nice. I didn't have to make the initial Mhm. Like, yeah. So it's the process, easy to kind of reach out to them.
NOUR
And what actually happened when you asked for support? Was it kind of an easy process or was it kind of more difficult to navigate?
SCRLETT
I found it quite easy. Um, to be honest, I think everything's kind of explained on the website and the very like the people you speak to are very like open with you about how long things are going to take and, um, like what the next step is. And I quite like that. Yeah. I didn't really have any issues. I thought it was quite straightforward and I didn't have any trouble whatsoever.
NOUR
So obviously we know there's lots and lots of different types of support that the university support systems offer. Could you let us know kind of the different types of support and how students can reach out and find all the support they would require?
SCARLETT
Um, I think the first place to start is what I did. I went to the Uni of Aberdeen website. I feel like they have all the tools you need, and even if you can't find anything on there, you can find someone to speak to ask, um, to be able to direct you in the right place. But I know people who've had like advice on like financial situations. People who've sought counselling through the university. People have been like given support in their mental health. And I know like personally, I've had my dyslexia diagnosis. So they really do have a lot of things. I think it's just I think they do a good job in having it in one place. But I think you need to make, first of all, the active decision to go and look for it. But I do think it's good that they do send emails about it to encourage people if they need. So looking over the four years you've been here, do people need different types of support as they go through their time at university? Yeah for sure. I think it could be quite a lonely time being like moving away. And it's like people might need mental health support or like I did with like academics or with like certain situations. If I've fallen out with a friend or in my first year, I had trouble with my like first year flatmates. Um, and I always felt like there was someone I could go to. So I think it's really important that you have support like all different kinds of different things, because obviously your parents and your usual support systems aren't as close as you have them.
NOUR
So since you're a final year student right now. Do you think first year students tend to need different support from final year students?
SCARLETT
Um, I would say yeah, I think first year need more support in adjusting to living somewhere. Even if it's just like a couple hour drive, it's still, I think that can often be harder. They, I think they need more support in settling, whereas fourth years probably need more academic support. I know like myself and a lot of my friends have had a lot of maybe mental health and like support with stress and, um, how to manage your academics. I think that's how, like how it would differ between first and fourth year.
NOUR
Yeah, I agree. I think my first year of uni, I was actively seeking out support for like, um, activities, events, kind of how to make friends, WhatsApp chats that support kind of post it out for you to make friends. And then now most of my student support kind of questions and needs are more, can I please get an extension for this? I'm not feeling well. I need more time for this. And so I think they have so many things that are tailored for different needs in different years and kind of different personalities and all that. But someone be listening to this right now and for whatever reason, are struggling and need help with something, what would you say to them?
SCSRLETT
Um, I would say don't be afraid to reach out. It seems really scary, but once you've taken that first step, it's so easy. I would also say join a society because when you don't have a family like around you, you tend to find them there. And that ends up becoming your support system. And I think that's really important. And I found like myself and I know so many other people that have found their support systems through joining like a family away from home. And also just don't be afraid to reach out and surround yourself with people who make you feel comfortable to be able to reach out and support you.
NOUR
Amazing. Well, I've learned so much about student support and I hope all the listeners have as well. Thanks again to Scarlett. Really interesting to get her views and experiences of the support structures at the university and how easy it is to access. Everyone needs support at some point, whether you're on your first week, first or second year, if you need support, there are people ready to help. All the details are online and we've put a link in the podcast notes too. So we've heard from students about their experiences with help and support. Now let's talk to someone who makes sure that support is available and easy to access across the university. Gemma Murdoch is the acting assistant director and head of student support services at the University of Aberdeen. I caught up with her to talk through the help and support available for students, and get some practical advice on how to reach out for support.
Hi Gemma. Lovely to have you on here with us today. Can you briefly tell us about your role a bit at the University of Aberdeen? Yeah.
GEMMA
So I'm Gemma Murdoch, I'm acting assistant director and head of student support services here at the University of Aberdeen. The most exciting thing about supporting students is just meeting a diverse range of people. Our university is full of really different students from a range of backgrounds, studying lots of diverse degrees, and it's just a real privilege to be able to work with them, to help them enjoy their experience and get the most out of their university journey.
NOUR
I think we should start by saying that nearly everyone at university needs support along the way, don't they?
GEMMA
Absolutely. I think it's so important to acknowledge that almost everyone will need some kind of support at university. It's a completely normal part of the experience. University is a big transition, whether that's academically, socially or personally. There will be times when things can feel challenging. Reaching out for support is really positive, and it's something that we actively encourage. Reaching out early can make a positive difference, but it is important to acknowledge and highlight that. That can be the most difficult step in terms of accessing support. So we try to ensure that there are lots of different inclusive ways that students can can come and speak to somebody and access support for newer students. Do you find there are particular areas that they need extra support in? Absolutely. There are a few areas where extra support at the beginning of a student's journey can be really helpful. Adjusting to new ways of learning is a big one. University study can be quite different from school or college or a previous degree, and it can take time to build confidence with that also living independently, managing budgets, making new friends, settling into a new city or common challenges. It's not one single thing. It's often a combination of all of those changes happening at once. There's lots of great information on our website and generally online about Aberdeen as a city, and what you need to bring and what you need to know before you come. I think one of the key things is making a community here in Aberdeen as soon as they can. Engaging with our fantastic student union, joining societies and sports clubs and getting to know other students who are experiencing the exact same thing. And if they're lucky enough to live in our university halls of residence, getting to know the resident support team there, using the community centre space, um, and really embracing the new environment that they'll be living with within here in Aberdeen.
NOUR
Absolutely. Gemma. I, when I first joined, I went and threw myself at every society, saw the women's rugby team play during the freshers event. And I was like, why in the world would anyone want to do that to each other? Join the team four years later. Same friends built a community for myself. Same with student support. I've visited student support multiple times for many reasons and they're always a great support system.
GEMMA
Absolutely. We try to make access and support as easy and as flexible as possible. The Infohub is a great starting point for queries of any kind, because the team there can signpost to all of the specialist services as required. Students can contact most of the support services via email or pop along in person to a drop in service. Most of our services will offer appointments that are remote or in person, depending on students individual preferences and circumstances. Recognising some of our students won't be in Aberdeen or won't be able to attend campus regularly for our appointments. Many students will speak to an academic member of staff or school staff in the first instance. Um, but there's also some really great online resources and information about how you can find the right support service for your circumstances. The key thing to, to highlight, and it's really important to say is that there is no wrong place to start. It's what will always help someone find the right place to go.
NOUR
So speaking up, speaking to somebody at the university about support is a good a good place to start looking more into mental health and wellbeing. These are all obviously really important things as you navigate your way through uni. What does the university do to help in these particular areas?
GEMMA
Yeah, so mental health and wellbeing are a huge priority for us. We offer a university counselling service, wider wellbeing support and we have our twenty four seven student helpline so that students can access support whenever they need it. There are also workshops, resources and opportunity to connect with others. Because wellbeing isn't just about responding to crises, it's also about helping students stay well and feel part of a community, as we've highlighted earlier on. Um, for students experiencing ongoing or more acute mental health difficulties, we really encourage early access to the NHS and our services. So to highlight that, it's really important to register with a GP in Aberdeen as soon as possible after arriving, as the GP will be the first point of contact for all health concerns and that includes mental health. NHS twenty four is available twenty four over seven as well, and that offers immediate advice and support, including access to the mental health hub, who can provide coping strategies as well as signpost to the right services. Alongside all of that, our student advice and support team work closely with students whose mental health may be impacting their studies, so helping to identify and put in place any appropriate academic adjustments or support as they move forward through their studies.
NOUR
Thank you so much, Gemma. Well, as a student myself, I can confirm they're all very easily accessible to all our students here. But if someone is listening to this right now and they're new to Aberdeen and are struggling with anything at all, what do you think they should do?
GEMMA
So if someone is listening and they're new and struggling, my message would be don't sit with this on your own. Start somewhere, whether that's your personal tutor, the support team in the accommodation or the student advice and support team. You don't need to have things figured out before you reach out. We're here to listen, to identify the best support, and to help you make that next step. We also, outside of normal working hours, have our accommodation support team and our student helpline if you just need someone to talk to. And also reaching out to a friend or a family member. Having that safe space to talk through how you're feeling and if it felt comfortable to do so. Speaking to a fellow new student about their experience, I think a lot of students assume everyone else has got it all together and that they're feeling safe and comfortable and welcomed. But it may be that actually sharing your experience with with a friend, we have a buddy scheme at the university, and as we've highlighted already in our discussion, the student union and our sports clubs and societies and different opportunities to engage with other students will help build that community where you will receive peer to peer support, which is also so important.
NOUR
Fantastic. Thank you so much, Gemma. We've taken so much about support from you, and I hope that all our new students feel as supported as I have through their journey at the university. Fantastic. Thanks. It's been lovely to talk.
CLIP
Hi, I'm Winnie, I'm a fourth year business management student at the University of Aberdeen. During first year, I was unaware of the different support services that the University provided students with. It never really occurred to me that this was something that would become so important during the later years of my degree, so as I progressed through my undergraduate degree, I started becoming more aware of the different services that the university had to offer. And you best bet that I did utilise them.
NOUR
Thanks for listening to a really important episode of Find Your True North. Looking at all the support structures available here at the University of Aberdeen, your time here in Aberdeen will be absolutely amazing. You have a whole team of people around you to make sure of that. And if you're struggling in any way, just reach out to student support services, tutors, societies and other students or anyone that we've talked about because help is always available. Now in the next episode, we're going to move on to you, your degree and how all that works, because we do things differently here in Scotland. Download and listen when you can and I'll see you then.