How can the Faculty Wellbeing Advisors support me?

Navigating university life can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance. For many students, challenges related to studying can take a toll on their overall wellbeing. Fortunately, King’s have introduced Faculty Wellbeing Advisors (FWA) to support students alongside their studies. This article offers two student perspectives on using the service. Names have been changed to protect the students’ anonymity.

Adya recounts how they reached out to the Faculty Wellbeing Advisors when they found themselves struggling with managing their time effectively.

'I reached out to the Faculty Wellbeing Advisors because I was struggling to maintain a work life balance. This led to me being a little overwhelmed and disappointed. I wanted to talk about time management, as lots of things were happening back in January. As an international student, there were a lot of incidents that made me a bit stressed about living in central London and I didn’t feel like it was very safe anymore, so talking to the Wellbeing Advisor really helped me.

I remember this service existed from one of the earlier induction webinars. I also remember the wellbeing team set up this hot chocolate stand at the entrance of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, so I reached out to them. To be honest it was really easy, I just had to book an appointment and then I got an email and we set up a Teams meeting.

I think the advisor was really great because she organised regular check-ins, which helped me. There wasn’t really a wait list or anything. I would recommend FWA if anyone is going through something they feel like they need advice on or support. Especially if it's related to work or time management, which is generally the experience of being a student. '

Rhian shares their experience of dealing with mental health difficulties that had impacted their academic progress.

'I reached out to the service because I was experiencing some mental health difficulties. While dealing with the repercussions of that and trying to focus on treatment, I had fallen behind on a lot of my work. Accessing the FWA was very easy. I had heard of the team and so when I registered with King’s Counselling I mentioned to the Mental Health Advisor that I thought FWAs might be a good option. The FWA then reached out to me via email, and we arranged our first session. 

The FWA was able to listen to me and my worries and help provide practical advice on how to manage my studies around my mental health concerns. I was fortunate that my FWA shared a similar background to me, so I felt more comfortable in our conversations. We discussed interruptions, mitigating circumstances and she helped me come to a decision which I think has been most beneficial for me.

I would recommend the FWA because it was a great middle ground between academic support and mental health support.'

Whether you need advice on time management, work-life balance, or support with mental health concerns, the Faculty Wellbeing Advisors are here to lend a listening ear and provide guidance. Don't hesitate to seek help as it can make all the difference in ensuring your university journey is a positive one!