The lecture theatre is abuzz with voices. I see a group of girls hunched over a laptop, laughing. The professor is standing by the podium, talking in low voices with students. I get pushed aside repeatedly as more people fill in. One, two, three, no matter how many times I scan the crowd, I don't see a familiar face. My face feels warm, shame creeping onto me. I retreat.
This day blurs into countless others I have spent trying to not feel lonely and alone. Is all this effort futile?
1 in 4 students report feeling lonely "all" or "most" of the time at university. In fact, loneliness has been identified as a main cause of mental illness in students. It affects belonging, psychological well-being, academic performance, and even one's social identity. Those experiencing loneliness are more likely to also have feelings of hopelessness, depression and anxiety, suicidal behaviour, poor sleep quality, lower levels of resilience, and engage in harmful health behaviours such as smoking. It is therefore a major concern for universities trying to improve the overall mental health of their students.
I am Hina, a recent university graduate and a Research Assistant on a project that has been put in motion in response to these rising levels of loneliness in university students. The U-Belong Project, a three-year Medical Research Council (MRC) funded project based at King's College London, aims to understand experiences and predictors of loneliness and belonging, the evolution of social relationships in the transition to university, and the impact of social expectations on loneliness. The project's focus on belonging, in addition to loneliness, recognises that the two phenomena work in tandem with each other and need to be targeted together for sustainable change. In the two years of U-Belong's research, the team has found that nearly 1 in 3 students feel like they do not belong at university, echoing the prevalence rates of loneliness.
In an effort to reduce loneliness and build belonging across UK universities, U-Belong launched a student co-created toolkit in September 2024. The toolkit consists of 16 guidance pages that detail a range of problems that students might be dealing with, such as having social anxiety and low mood, being an international student, having experience living in the care system, and how these situations make belonging an even greater challenge at university.
When I felt distressed at university, I would try and look for support online. However, search engine results always overwhelmed me. There were far too many links to click through and in my already exhausted state, I would just shut the laptop and walk away. This issue came up during U-Belong’s discussions with its student advisory and research groups, which inspired the ‘one-stop’ design of the toolkit. Resources from across the internet have been listed in the guidance pages so students do not need to do a deep dive to find something beneficial.
Such student involvement has been key in creating the toolkit. Over 40 student research assistants worked with the U-Belong team over the summer to choose 16 topics for the toolkit and draft the guidance pages in small groups. Students were given the freedom to use relevant research and personal experiences to write up the guidance pages. In addition to incorporating student voice in its creation, the toolkit also calls on existing videos and blogs that students across the world have uploaded to share their university experiences. Their lived experience perspectives are reflected in the action plan and advice present within the toolkit.
The toolkit, now freely available on the U-Belong website, has been vetted by researchers and professionals, adding different perspectives to the advice being given to students. To complement the more self-help nature of the toolkit, the U-Belong team also organised webinars across September and October where they hosted senior researchers and student experts by experience to talk more about different toolkit topics. Insights from these webinars can be accessed via U-Belong’s YouTube and Instagram pages.
When using the toolkit, it is best to start with a specific page that seems most relevant to the student to make it less overwhelming. These pages should be used in addition to university-specific support already available. Academics and personal tutors can also use the toolkit as a resource they refer their students to, if they are approached for help. Similarly, university professional services can link the toolkit on university webpages for well-being, using it alongside an existing resource.
In addition to being a self-help resource, the toolkit gives students the space to build their psychological literacy and show them that they are not alone in facing the challenge of loneliness at university. With accessible descriptions of problems and resources to tackle them, it is hoped that students will gain an understanding of their experiences and use that to help themselves and others around them. It also hands the autonomy over university life back to the students, where students are not stuck feeling isolated and can take steps to craft a more fulfilling and enjoyable university experience.
The toolkit has received positive feedback since its launch, with one student saying:
"I wish I had this toolkit when I first started university. It is a great way to familiarise yourself with university life and expectations"
With continuous updates and improvements, the toolkit is aimed to be an evergreen resource students can turn to help with their feelings of loneliness. While there is a need for more systemic changes in the way institutions function to tackle the problem of loneliness more permanently, a resource like this serves the purpose of helping students feel supported in the meantime.
My hand hesitates at the door. Should I bother going inside today? Nothing ever seems to change. But what if it did today? I take a deep breath in and walk into the lecture theatre. It is abuzz with voices. I walk down the stairs and sit next to a girl I have not spoken to before. Turning to her, I say hello and introduce myself. She smiles at me. Maybe this will be the start of something new.