When it comes to choosing where to live there’s a lot more to be considered than the house itself – good or bad housemates can make or break your student housing experience!

Living in student housing is very different at the moment compared to previous years. You’ll find yourself spending a lot more time with your housemates, possibly without any visits home, not attending lectures on campus and maybe not even being able to leave the house for part time work. You need to be absolutely sure that you can spend intense amounts of time with your housemates comfortably. 

Try … Read the rest

We’ve all heard horror stories from student housing – whether it’s nightmare landlords, houses with damage and disrepair or housemates you’d rather not be living with. But if you take time to choose your house carefully it can be a great experience! All this week we’re bringing you our advice and top tips on how to Rent Right this year.

Research Letting Agencies

You only need to ask a few friends and at least one will mention an agency that they have had issues with (perhaps one name will crop up more than once!) so it’s important to research who … Read the rest

Trans Day of Remembrance was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour her memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was brutally killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death and began an important memorial that has now become an annual event.

This day raises public awareness of hate crimes committed against transgender people, an action that mass media often fails to perform. It is a day to publicly mourn and honour the lives of the trans people lost to anti-transgender violence and discrimination. On … Read the rest

Today, online bullying can be difficult to identify and with the new normal, it’s even more pervasive. I know that the effects of Bullying can be so detrimental to your wellbeing. I’ve supported friends who have been bullied and it can be so difficult watching someone you care about be victimised and hurt. So, it’s really important that we continue to have these conversations and continue to act where we can.

I spoke to some student officers about their experiences of bullying, and this is what they said:

“I had experienced bullying for 16 years of my life – including

We support our Trans Student Community this Trans Awareness Week and beyond. If you’d like to get in touch, please email vpwelfare@susu.org. Below are some local and national organisations who can offer support:

Mindline Trans+
A confidential listening service for people who identify as trans, agender, gender fluid, and/or non-binary. Mindline Trans+ is run by trans, non-binary, and LGBT people, and trans allies. The helpline is co-run by local mental health charities Bristol Mind and Mind in Taunton and West Somerset.  More information about Mindline Trans+ can be found at: mindtws.org.uk/trans-plus/.

Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline
This provides an information, … Read the rest

As part of Trans Awareness Week, our LGBT+ Officer has shared a beginners guide on how to be a good ally to the trans community, and a guide to some of the terminology you might hear.

Beginners Guide to Being a Good Ally

1. Listen with an open mind to transgender people speaking for themselves. Understand that their experiences are particular to them and give them the audience to share that experience how they please. Listening in allyship involves continuous conversation, creating spaces where trans people feel safe and heard and action being taken in the best interest of trans people.

This week is International Stress Awareness Week, and our Sabbs have each shared their top tip for coping with stress at uni. In the current circumstances and with another lockdown for England starting on 5 November, it’s normal to be feeling stressed. Make sure to check in with your mental health and reach out for support if you need it – remember, you’re not alone.

Our Sabbs top tips are…

Take a Step Back

Take a step back from your work when you feel it’s becoming too much for you. Take some deep breaths, or go for a walk – … Read the rest

Our VP Education & Democracy, Avila, recently spoke to Uyiosa Ogunbor, a final-year Medical student who has also started her own business – Medsimple, a learning platform supporting prospective medical and healthcare students.

Hear about Uyiosa’s inspiration and challenges of starting a business, Black History Month, diversity and what the future holds.

Avila: What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?
Uyiosa: My advice to anyone wishing to start a business would be the following:

• Believe in yourself and go for it – at the beginning of my journey, I had people doubt my

Coming to uni, you get so many opportunities to try new things, explore and be independent. Maybe before uni you had not cooked much before, or had the freedom in the kitchen to try cooking the things you want to. There are few times where you will have as much time, freedom or opportunity to try what you want. So, without further ado, here are a few of our best student cooking tips!

1. Olive oil makes everything 5 times more delicious

It’s easy to resort to super cheap cooking oil or butter to cook all of your food in, but … Read the rest

Last week marked World Mental Health Day, so we wanted to share a blog about prioritising your mental health at university alongside the resources we shared last week. It is difficult when you are busy, working hard, away from home, or socialising a lot to keep on top of your mental health and to incorporate good self care and wellness practices into your routine.

Find activities that make you feel productive and interested

Finding activities like sports clubs, societies, part time work or other extra-curricular activities is so important. Knowing you are interested in something and have a goal or … Read the rest