One of the grand traditions at Newcastle University (alongside many other universities across the country) is Enrichment week. Taking place in November (from the 7th to the 11th this year), seminars and lectures are put on hold so that students can access a multitude of optional events held by the university. From events held by the Careers/Library Services to a social event from the Student Union, students are able to focus on accessing extracurricular opportunities and catching up on their note-taking. This is an ingenious idea on one main front - mental health.
Over the past few years, we have seen a 450% increase in university applicants disclosing mental health conditions to UCAS. Homesickness is a classic issue for students who have moved to Newcastle to deal with. In addition, students have to adapt to a new study and note-taking regime, which can be difficult for students who were controlled during their schooling as children to get used to. With this in mind, it's only right to give undergraduate students (who may still be 18 years old) a week to breathe and really focus on improving their health. Regardless of academic, personal, or professional background, starting university for the first time is a massive transition and universities sometimes take that for granted.
But please don't forget the postgraduate students! As a PGT student, We also have to adapt to a constantly changing timetable, meet a massive range of fellow students and start thinking about our assignments in the space of a month, often in a new university or even country. Personally, I want to start planning my essays using the time I would be spending in seminars, and get some more rest than what I've been able to get so far. Actually, can we make it an enrichment fortnight please?