Conversation starters

Suggested activity for University Students

Starting a conversation about mental health is an excellent way to challenge the stigma and get people thinking and talking about their perceptions of mental health and mental illness.

Here are a few suggested conversation points relevant to university students.

1. What are the main concerns students have around their mental health?
2. How does engaging with university group activities support your mental health?
3. How can universities better support the mental health of their students?
4. What tips would you share with new/incoming students about looking after their mental health on campus?
5. How do you look after your mental wellbeing when preparing for the transition after finishing university?

Strength card activity

Suggested activity for University Students

University life is full of new opportunities to learn and have new experiences both in and out of the lecture theatre. This learning can help us develop and uncover strengths and transferable skills which will help us in all areas of our lives, as we move on from university life and into the workplace, further education, volunteering and with our relationships and self-development.

We know that acknowledging our strengths can help boost our confidence and self-esteem, while learning and having new experiences can boost our mental health and wellbeing. 

To help you identify the strengths you already have and the ones you’d like to develop, try out our Strength Card activity. 

Look at the list of strengths provided or cut them out and spread them across the table or floor. 

• Ask everyone to think about three strengths they have. Give people the opportunity to speak about at least one strength they choose. 
• Then, ask everyone to think about two strengths they would like to work on. Give people the opportunity to say why they would like this new strength for university life.
• Finally, ask everyone to think about one strength the person on their right has. Invite everyone to say why this person has this strength and why it is so valuable.

Jewish identity and mental health

Suggested activity for University Students

We acknowledge that our transitions to and from university, and the university experience itself, can be a particularly challenging time for our mental health.

So much of these transitions and our university experience force us to think about our identity, who we are and what kind of person we are striving to become.

To help you start thinking about this conversation, we would suggest the following activity:

Activity 1

Spread the words out face down randomly on the table (or floor) in front of you. Invite everyone in your group to pick one up and share it with the others. Discuss how the word on your card influences your identity and impacts your mental health as you transition to or from university or while you are still there.