On Thursday 10th October (World Mental Health Day), Young Minds charity will champion its Hello Yellow campaign to raise vital funds to support children and young people’s mental health. Thousands of schools, colleges, universities and businesses across the United Kingdom will come together wearing yellow to support this day and young people’s futures.
The StudentCrowd Team is all set to come to work in yellow to do our bit too. As a remote business based all over the world, teams will be holding their own mini fundraisers for the cause. The very nature of our business is supporting students so this is something we are fully committed to.
Our journey began with three graduates who were frustrated with the lack of real and helpful information about student experience. Reviews quickly became the focal point of the platform, giving students confidence about their university choice.
Reviews are beneficial for students deciding what to study, where to study and where to live: during the research stage, students are overwhelmed with information, so authentic experiences help them refine their search.
For universities and accommodation halls on StudentCrowd, your student reviews offer an array of benefits, including:
- Raising brand awareness and building trust
- Improving search rankings
- Competitor benchmarking
- Identifying trends and areas for improvement
- Attracting and retaining more students
Reviews can also tell you a lot about student wellbeing. Whether you’re representing a university course or student accommodation, here are some of the key things you should be looking out for in your student feedback.
Mental Health & Stress Levels:
- Do your reviews highlight that students are overwhelmed with their workload?
- Do students feel supported and inspired academically?
- Do students raise concerns about their ability to balance work and personal life?
- What are your students saying about the mental health services and support systems they have access to?
- Are students struggling financially?
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University of Reading |
Physical Health & Wellness:
- Have your students commented on the facilities, resources and clubs you provide?
- Do your students feel encouraged and supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle through sleep, diet and exercise?
“Cheney is located opposite the brookes sports bar which is a daily hangout spot for people using the gym or other sports facilities there. It is behind the university and is just a quick walk away. The common room in the vicinity is also a place for accommodation events to be planned, be sure not to miss that out. It is cleaned weekly and they do a good job at that, they are very kind and polite. Complaints lodged are resolved within a week or 2 at max”. Cheney Student Village, Oxford Brookes University. |
Social and Emotional Wellbeing:
- Have your students forged friendships, giving them a sense of belonging?
- Do students feel their environment offers inclusivity and supports diversity?
- Do you often see phrases that indicate that students feel happy, motivated and supported?
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Albert Court, Campus Living Villages |
Trends in Mental Health Topics in StudentCrowd Reviews
We looked at a sample of 24,776 reviews across institution profiles and accommodation profiles between 1st September 2023 - 30th September 2024 to identify trends relating to mental health and wellbeing.
Review Sentiment Analysis
We selected wellbeing-related keywords to analyse how students feel about their university and accommodation. This chart summarises and colour codes student sentiment with regards to these keywords.
Sleep
We all know how important sleep is for our general wellbeing and mental health. We were surprised to see that less than 25% of students talked about sleep positively in their accommodation reviews. External noise, noisy residents and rooms being too hot were some of the examples of negative reviews. Positive reviews reference quiet locations and how their accommodation is more than just a place to sleep.
Friendships
Friendships were discussed much more positively in student accommodation reviews, with over 75% relating to positive experience. Students talk about how social spaces, a sense of community and events run by the accommodation have positively influenced their ability to make friendships.
Anxious/Worried
Over 50% of accommodation reviews featuring the words anxious or worried were spoken about positively. For example, students who are experiencing anxiety found staff to be very friendly and welcoming and their surroundings felt safe. Reviews that mentioned these words negatively referred to staff entering rooms unannounced or students feeling unsafe with their environment.
Sad/Upset
Over 50% of student accommodation reviews talk about being sad or upset in a positive way. An example of using the term sad or upset positively includes staff supporting students whilst they are sad. Negative examples include room quality, broken facilities and negative interactions with accommodation staff.
Support/Supported
The term support(ed) was overwhelmingly used to describe a positive experience for both student accommodation reviews and institution reviews. For accommodation halls the majority of positive reviews relate to how supportive the staff are, while negative references relate to maintenance problems.
Institution reviews speak positively of support in reference to course materials, career and employment support while negative support includes a lack of all round support and not enough support for students who are struggling.
Mental Health
The phrase ‘mental health’ in university reviews was almost evenly split between positive and negative mentions. Students either feel like the mental health services are sufficient and they feel well supported, or there is a lack of mental health support services, or they are difficult to navigate.
Add Reviews to your Mental Health Support Tool Kit
Students really value shared experience of other students when making their higher education decisions but reviews also provide a unique lens on how your students are feeling.
As we have highlighted in this article, there are so many factors affecting students' mental health and overall wellbeing. And whilst you might think you can only support those who personally come forward to request help, reviews can also offer an olive branch to those showing signs of needing support.
A simple response to a review signposting students to relevant resources or departments within your accommodation or institution can go a very long way to improving and supporting students' mental health.
In summary, while your reviews are there to attract new students to your community, they are also a great indicator of how your students are thinking and feeling and being vigilant with your reviews could one day save a life.
Contact us today to find out how we can support you with your reviews and profile management.
Help raise vital funds for young people’s mental health and donate to our fundraiser today!
