Support Available at the University of Chester

At the University of Chester, a multiple award-winning institution, students and their wellbeing are the top priority, reflected in the numerous Student Support services offered all year long.

Regardless of class, age, ethnicity, backgrounds and personal circumstances, starting (and sometimes moving to) university can be a big shift. Settling into a new lifestyle, meeting new people, studying at a new level, perhaps while living on your own and far away from your friends and family, are all changes that could take some time and effort, often leading to feelings of loneliness and unease. That’s why the University of Chester has got everyone covered with a number of support services, always available for all, to ease your experience and journey at university.

You can expect the following support:

• Wellbeing and Mental Health
• Disability and Inclusion
• Academic Skills
• Chaplaincy
• Careers and employability
• Financial support

My Own Experience

In the past three years, I have been benefiting from several support services at the University, mainly concerning wellbeing, academic skills, employment and volunteering.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

At the University of Chester, the Wellbeing and Mental Health team has a wide range of professionals, including Student Wellbeing Advisers, Mental Health Advisers and Counsellors, who offer help, tips, sessions and 1:1s if you're struggling with your mental health and wellbeing. There is also support available for commuting, international and mature students, parents and carers, members of the LGBTQ+ community and for those who may be suffering from bullying, harassment, hate crimes, sexual harassment or domestic abuse.

In my first year, when struggling to adjust to a new life, living alone thousands of miles away from home and starting only then to understand some of my own difficulties, I benefited from the counselling scheme, which allowed me to sit down with a Counsellor for about six sessions, helping me navigate my new life and issues, learning new coping strategies and developing my resilience.

 Academic Skills 

The Academic Skills (ASk) team focus on academic skills development and support students with areas such as:

• Time management
• Academic writing
• Academic integrity and referencing
• Numeracy
• Exam revision

When in need, you can reach out to the team via email or on Moodle, where you can find a tailored module full of resources, tips, tools and examples. Additionally, you can book 1:1 appointments with the team to discuss specific skills you'd like to improve or a piece of work you have questions about; this is something I personally found extremely beneficial in my first year when I was still unsure about writing essays and reports, and mostly about referencing. By attending individual appointments, I was able to address all my doubts, start and finish my assignments confidently and work flawlessly on my papers.

Careers and Employability

For you to be 'world ready' when you graduate, the University of Chester aims to provide you with some work experience, on and off campus, supporting you during your journey and throughout your whole life.

The Careers and Employability team offers support with:

• Writing your CV and cover letter
• Unijobs
• Off-campus jobs
• Placements, internships and apprenticeships
• Mock interviews
• Graduate jobs, schemes and full-time employment
• Business and enterprise opportunities
• Volunteering

Personally, I have been using their services since my first year; I got a few on-campus jobs and went for mock interviews. I also booked 1:1s for help writing the perfect CV and cover letters and securing many volunteering opportunities.

Final Tips

• Ask for help if you need it; rest assured the University of Chester has got you covered.
• Don’t be scared!
• Take advantage of all the (free) resources offered to students.
• Rest assured everyone is somehow struggling to manage it all, you are not alone!

Useful contacts

Student Services: studentservices@chester.ac.uk / 01244 511550

24/7 Student Assistance Programme (SAP): 0800 028 3766

Academic Skills team: ask@chester.ac.uk

Volunteering: volunteering@chester.ac.uk

Careers and Employability team: careers@chester.ac.uk