Category Archives: Wellbeing

Health and Fitness, Health and Wellbeing, Wellbeing

New semester, new you!

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Congratulations! You’ve made it through another (or your first) semester at UC.  That’s a huge milestone, and one you should be proud of and celebrate. Once you’re done celebrating, it’s also an excellent time to reflect and reset.

Stop, breathe and reflect

Reflection is more than just daydreaming.  It’s intentional exercise to think back on your experiences, analysing them and learning from them. Thinking back on your first semester and try answering these questions (writing it down helps!)

  • Describe it, with as much detail as you like
  • What went really well for me?
  • How did I feel?  And why?
  • What could I have done differently?
  • What could I DO differently next time?

You can bundle up the whole experience, or you could break it down into different parts like…

  • Study schedule – how did you approach it?  Was it rigid, flexible, with study buddies, solo, chip away every day or rushed last minute assignments?
  • Social life – was it balanced? Did you stay connected or disappear into the ether at crunch time?  Staying socially connected is critical to wellbeing, even if it’s showing up to study groups to chat in the breaks.
  • Physical wellbeing – were you active?  Too much, too little, just right? How did you sleep?  How about your nutrition? Did you drink enough water?

Just remember, small changes over time bring good rewards and most importantly, they are more likely to stick. Increasing your fruit or veggie serve by 1 each day means you’ve now had 7 extra serves of veggies that week. That’s a win.

So, stop for a moment to reflect on your first semester, and set some intentions for the next. You will thank yourself for it!

Ngā mihi
Te Ratonga Hākinakina | UC Rec&Sport (UC RecCentre)

Got your gym membership sorted?  It’s student levy funded, so you don’t have to pay anything more. Sign up online now!

Student Success, Study@UC, Wellbeing

Worried about failing? Here’s how to face the fear

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We’ve all been there. An essay that didn’t live up to expectations, a relationship that ended, a job interview that didn’t go as planned, or a promise we couldn’t keep. Even with our best efforts, sometimes failure just happens.

If you found you didn’t get the exam results you wanted, here are three strategies to help turn things around:

Deal with the feels

  • Be kind to yourself
  • Give yourself some time out
  • Focus on self-comfort

Evaluate the situation

  • Do some detective work to find out what went wrong
  • Determine what you had control over
  • Talk to a classmate
  • Talk to course staff

Make a plan of action

  • Think about positive next steps to help improve your results – for example ask questions in classes and tutorials
  • Talk with support staff for their advice
  • Reframe how you think about failing

In short, remember that failure can be a stepping stone to success when it’s used well. Be kind to yourself, learn from your experiences, and do the things that help move yourself closer towards your goals.

If you would like to read more on the topic of fear of failure, check out the Wellbeing Support Page.

And as always, if you would like to talk to someone about this topic or anything else contact the teams below:

Wishing you all the best on your journey, UC Wellbeing team

Behaviour and Responsibilities, Community notice, Our Community, Student life, The Community, Wellbeing

Kia mataara | Think First – and party safely

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Celebrating the end of semester? Got a post-exams party planned? There are a few things you can do to look after yourself and those around you. 

Be sure to have a ‘Good One’ – register your party on Good One Party Register

Hosting a party can be a bit overwhelming. Having the Police notified means they can help as you plan, provide advice, and give you a call to ensure everyone is safe and having a good time. Find out more about how it works here. 

Benefits of registering with Good One 

  • Party knowing you have back-up if needed. 
  • Police will get rid of any unwanted guests to keep the good times rolling. 
  • Easy chats with Police as they know what’s up. 

Consider your community
Keep bottles in the bin and off the ground and turn the bass down a notch or two – your neighbours will thank you 😊   

Understand sexual consent
Sexual consent is a free and voluntary agreement to participate in sexual activity. Consent involves ongoing and mutual communication, where people can communicate their wants and their limits, and freely agree to doing things without feeling like they have to, or are being made to. Read more about sexual consent here> 

Secure your things and lock up your flat
Keep your valuable items hidden away, and double check you’ve locked your flat when you’re heading out. 

Good luck for exams, enjoy your mid-year break, and if you’re celebrating the end of semester, please take care and look after your mates.