Care Leavers – Going to Uni Podcasts
welcome to the ‘from our experience’ podcast series
These podcasts are all about celebrating the different experiences of individual students at university, particularly students who have experience of the care system or are estranged from their parents.
Whether you’re currently living without parental support or not, this series gives you an opportunity to hear more about what university is like, directly from the students currently living it.
Developed by:
Each episode covers an important part of student life, and things that any young person thinking about uni may wish to think about before they arrive.
Discover how current students found studying during the Coronavirus pandemic
📅 17 August 2021
🕒 16 minute listen
In this episode, we hear from students currently studying at both the University of Portsmouth and the University of Southampton.
The students chat about what it’s been like to study during the pandemic, the impact of the lockdown measures on their personal lives, and their time at university.
We also take a look at some of the steps people have taken to look after themselves and their mental health during this challenging time.
Current students discuss the pro’s and con’s of both halls of residence and private renting
📅 17 August 2021
🕒 17 minute listen
Ever wondered where students live at university? Or how they find their housing?
In this episode, current students Ruth and Charlie explore the various housing options available to students at university.
Sharing their own experiences of moving away to university without the support of parents, the students talk us through what it was like to live with new people and make new friends.
Ruth and Charlie also chat about how they found their student housing, the pro’s and con’s of both halls of residence and private renting, and the processes involved in working with landlords and estate agents.
How do relationships, personal circumstances and education affect our wellbeing?
📅 17 August 2021
🕒 13 minute listen
Different things in our lives can impact our mental health in different ways. In this episode, current students Andrew and Tia discuss the ways that relationships, personal circumstances and education can affect our mental health and wellness.
‘Mental health’ doesn’t always mean diagnosed or long-term conditions, sometimes you might experience poor mental health just for a short time. For example, feeling stressed during exam periods or feeling really low during a break-up.
Andrew and Tia stress the importance of checking in with yourself regularly and promoting your own mental wellness. As well as discussing possible activities and interventions individuals can try themselves, the students also explore the various ways a young person can receive support if they are struggling to maintain their mental health.
Explore moving away from home and finding support
📅 17 August 2021
🕒 19 minute listen
Many students move away from home to study at university; some receive a lot of support from their parents and relatives, some now need to live completely independently.
Ruth is estranged from her parents, and in this episode talks through her experiences of moving to university and learning to support herself as an independent student.
Talking through her experiences of independent living, Ruth discusses the ‘fresh start’ that university gave her, as well as the importance of the friends she made, and the life skills she has gained.
The challenges of deciding your course and how to overcome them
📅 17 August 2021
🕒 13 minute listen
With so many subjects to choose from at university, it can feel like a lot of pressure to decide which you might prefer, which you might be best at or which would lead you to a particular career.
In this episode, current student Andrew talks about his own challenges of choosing a university course, as well as his experience of transferring courses in his first year of university and the career considerations he had along the way.
We look at the independence and transferable skills university provides, regardless of subject choice. But also the opportunities to combine subject preferences or build upon subject knowledge as a postgraduate.
The From Our Experience series was created by the University of Portsmouth (UoP) and was partly-funded by the Southern Universities Network (SUN).
