TED-talks that will make the transition to university smoother
Posted: August 09 2019
Amber, Journalism
Why I Make Friends with Strangers: Claud Williams
The transition to university can be daunting. Some of you will be moving to a new city, leaving all your friends from home behind. One of the biggest worries of new students is how they will make friends when they're at uni. But fear, not Claud Williams switches this struggle on the head by making friends with strangers. Claud demonstrates the importance of being active within yourself and seeking that engagement with other people instead of waiting for it to come to you. When it comes to freshers events, the key is to put yourself out there.
How to build a community when you feel isolated: Chitra Aiyar
Finding out where you belong is a part of the transition to life at university. Some students can find it harder than others to fit in, which can lead to them being distracted from their studies. Chitra Aiyar encourages her students to cultivate spaces where marginalised students can come together and connect. Chitra voices a correlation of people being alone that don't realise that other people in the same situation are without belonging. Chitra preaches the message that there are people out there that feel the same way. Once you realise this, you no longer feel alone as other people can empathise with your struggles.
Many students find their belonging in many different ways. This may be through their course they study or who they live with. Others may look to societies to finally feel represented. At Brunel, we have over 100 different societies ranging from Cultural, Faith and Academic societies to Campaigning, Performance and other General Interest societies. Meaning you might find belonging to more than one society. Chitra highlights the importance of creating a community for those who have been marginalised by society. Brunel seconds this by allowing its students the opportunity to create a society if they feel other societies available at Brunel has not catered it. Communities build in societies creates a supportive environment that can continue to support students through their success throughout Uni.
Sleep is your superpower: Matt Walker
Rest for many students is their best friend, but what if you were to learn that the thing that makes you so happy can also make you unhappy if you get too much of it. Brain scientist Matt Walker will educate you on how sleeping can impact your learning and memory two functions that are vital to your success as a student. Matt also offers some advice for getting some shut-eye, which can be useful to students finding it hard to sleep during university life.
You are not alone in your loneliness: Jonny Sun
Being lonely in the way you feel at university is something that many students experience. Artist and writer Jonny Sun highlight the importance of being open and vulnerable with your loneliness. He does this by talking about how you can use social media as a tool in the digital age. Suggesting its use to look for both guidance as well as support. Jonny says its all about externalising the internal "about taking those invisible personal feelings that I don't have words for, holding them to the light, putting words to them, and then sharing them with other people in the hopes that it might help them find words to find their feelings as well." Looking online before you come to Brunel through social media such as our Facebook pages can also be a good way of meeting people with similar interests. Jonny says that open spaces like this allow people to form a community where they feel accepted.