Moving to a new place and being surrounded by new people can be very exciting but it can also be incredibly daunting. You may also find that you are loving being somewhere new, but that you still miss home. You can even be surrounded by lots of people and still feel lonely or may even find it difficult to make connections with new people. Or perhaps the people around you might be lovely, but don’t have similar interests.

If you find yourself in that situation, you won’t be the only one and there are options out there to assist.

The University of Plymouth Student Union has a vast number of student groups that cover an incredibly wide range of areas. This ranges from a Crochet & Knit Society to a Fishing Club, from a Meditation Society to a Taylor Swift Society. There is something for everyone and browsing these groups may even inspire you to try something new and help unlock a passion you never knew you had. You can see those here: upsu.com/studentgroups/browse/

If groups aren’t for you and you are feeling lonely, there is also an SU Buddy Scheme. We appreciate university life can be overwhelming for some, and it isn’t always easy to meet people and make connections.

This scheme allows students to meet and socialise with even more likeminded people through group activities and events, allowing the establishment of a core group of friends that can share interests, introduce one another to new hobbies or even help each other navigate life as a student.

The SU Buddy Scheme is designed to be very informal and is open to all students at the university. It is simply an opportunity to be introduced to others looking to form friendships, find peer-to-peer support, and have fun doing a range of activities at the SU and in Plymouth.

There are different options based on what you are looking for. You could be looking for a 1-1 match with a student or you may want to join the scheme and gain access to a Teams chat. Alternatively, you could consider signing up to become an SU Buddy volunteer. That could help you meet new people, allow you to help other students in similar situations and would be great to add to the CV.

You can find all Buddy Scheme related details here: upsu.com/volunteer/buddyscheme/

If your feelings of loneliness stem deeper, than there is a lot of support available for you. We would recommend you look at the Student Wellbeing Services, which offer a whole raft of support for students. They have an online referral form you can fill in, or you can email them at studentservices@plymouth.ac.uk or call them on 01752 587676.

You can find all of that information at the following part of the University of Plymouth website: plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/student-services/counselling

There is also plenty of support available from local support services. You can see them here: plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/student-services/counselling/local-support-services

Remember that there will be lots of others that feel the same way, so please do reach out and get the support to help you make the most of your university experience.

For more support and advice, you can contact the SU Advice team on: advice@su.plymouth.ac.uk, or browse the resources available online: upsu.com/advice.