Another sad death at Bristol University

[bevelino]

My heart goes out to the family of the student.

Why just post about Bristol - again!!! There have been deaths at other universities too this year. UWE for a start off. Also Reading. It will continue to happen. Always did and always will. Sadly.

They are focusing in on this uni but there are males suicides at every uni. It reflects the unfortunate high rate of suicide amongst young men.

Unfortunately a student died on Nottingham university campus on Thursday. It is very sad.

It's very sad. And there are plenty of deaths at other places too and for the record my twins are very very happy at Bristol which is a great university to go to.

"Bristol University has confirmed one of its international students has 'tragically died'. The student is said to have been studying on the international foundation programme - a one-year intensive course for international students, before they start university - when he died."

International students can be vulnerable as parents are, invariably, not handy and for some cultures, admitting you are not doing well or not happy is considered shameful. Especially if lots of money is being spent. I don’t know if this was the case but the headlines always suggest it’s just Bristol and this is unfair and for what it’s worth, DD was happy there too! They have put a great deal into student welfare but it’s difficult to catch everyone. My DD knew Chinese students who worked in their rooms all the time and only surfaced for meals and Chinese society. They were fine though. It’s what they wanted to do. They were happy.

I agree that student deaths happen in all universities but I really don’t think Bristol has any idea about how to provide proper welfare services for its students. I don’t see how removing all wardens and on site staff in the halls (so effectively students are completely isolated with only a few 3rd years or post grads to support them) demonstrates that the university is investing in student welfare. There is not even a security guard on site in the evening at my DD’s hall. Any problems she would have to ring an anonymous 24 hr number. I am sorry but with so many young and vulnerable people around this is very poor.

My sons think there is quite a lot but they are now in second year so not in halls any more.

There seem to be all kinds of services available. My son was saying how good his new personal tutor was (apparently she is like I am - whatever that means but presumably means he could talk to her easily).

I am sorry your daughter, Watching, does not feel she has proper care or services.

Xenia - The wardens were removed this year so your DC would still have had wardens in halls. My complaint is not about the Departments less about general academic wellbeing but rather real safety concerns once they are in halls. My DD (and I to be honest) wanted a hall as a half way house between school and full independence with some senior member of staff on site to provide some pastoral care and oversight of activities at evenings and weekends. It’s very frightening for some students who have never lived away from home before to be totally unsupported.

My DD has seen completely drugged up students arriving back in halls and no one is there at reception to notice this or check that they are alright. If a serious incident occurred then some student with a minimum of training and experience is supposed to take charge. I think Bristol has left its students very vulnerable by its decisions. My DD didn’t realise that there would be no wardens until after she firmed her offer. No one explained this on the open days.

I would add also that Bristol accepts students who are under 18 onto its courses and has left them in halls without any proper adult supervision. I am surprised that this has not been raised as a safeguarding issue.

I went to Uni (Nottingham) 20 years ago and we didn't have "adults" in our halls. During the day there was someone in the office, but not at night. 18 year old are adults, they shouldn't need bugger grown ups looking after them.

This is such sad news.

I went to Bristol 10 years ago. The pastoral support I received was fantastic (and not only prevented me attempting suicide but got me on the road to a full recovery)

To be honest watching I don't know of anywhere that provides staff to provide 'oversight of weekend activities' in halls. It's pretty standard to just have a third year or a PG student there. If your child is particularly vulnerable I'd have thought you'd be looking at her lodging with a family rather than halls.

Bristol isn't any worse in this regard than anywhere else, and tragically Bristol isn't particularly worse for having suicidal students. I suspect those young people who sadly take their own lives would have done so regardless of which university they arrived at.

I don't think you can blame the uni for the suicides.

It's a big problem but if you look it happens everywhere.

The drug problem at Bristol however is absolutely massive, even in comparison to other universities. That definitely needs looking at.

I went to Uni (Nottingham) 20 years ago and we didn't have "adults" in our halls.

I was at Lancaster 20 odd years ago and the only adult around most of the time was a college porter who may or may not be around during the night. Any problems we had to ring campus security. We were all allocated a personal tutor - I met mine once in Freshers Week then never saw or heard from him again! I was fine, tbh I would have hated having to go in past a reception desk with staff keeping an eye on us and didn't want older students keeping an eye on me either. I chose Lancaster as it was self catering so I didn't have to show up for set meal times or anything like that - I was an adult and wanted to be treated like one.

That said, I'm glad that universities seem to take this much more seriously these days. University seems to be much more pressured than when I was there and life is far more stressful for young adults these days.

I don't think 18 year olds are adults really.

Sadly at University of Kent last week too.

We never had adults around in halls to keep an eye on us. I would have hated that!

If your child needs adult support, it's your responsibility to ensure they live with a family or similar. Most 18 year olds I knew craved independence, hence they left home to move to uni.

I do think if DCs are unhappy then they really need to find another university where parents can be more hands on. The wardens did next to nothing at the Bristol halls. The idea that they kept an eye on anyone is ludicrous. They didn’t know anyone! Many students with difficulties don’t ask for help anyway. It’s a known problem. When DC only go one university and find things not to their liking, they cannot compare with elsewhere.

DD2 visited friends at Leeds and commented on the drugs she could smell in the block. She also had friends at Manchester where there were similar issues. To suggest it’s just Bristol is utterly ridiculous. Drugs are everywhere! Definitely at out of the way quiet places. Aberystwyth and Essex were well known for the alternative scene eons who. It’s also a reason why some students don’t leave home - continued access to friends and drugs. I think some posters are really unaware of the relationship between young people and drugs - they are literally at all universities. All of them. And not just ones you can smell!

When I was at university we did have wardens and a porter. No one interfered with our day to day life but it did mean there was someone on call to help in an emergency. My son had no warden but did have proper 24hr security presence in his hall. There is nothing available for my DD.

Our DCs May technically be adults but this is for most their first experience of being away from home, coping with life on their own and all the associated temptations. I would expect that some will make mistakes and problems will occur. I don’t think it is unreasonable for universities, therefore, to exercise some duty of care for their students in their first transition year. I expect that this sense of utter abandonment in part contributes to the increase in mental ill heath of young people.

I do think most 18 year olds seem younger now and as such would need more support.
There’s fewer part time jobs (which is great preparation to adult life) more pressure and cost involved in getting to and being at uni. More pressure to get it right first time with course choice due to the costs involved.
Couple that with the financial pressures faced by the university themselves so pastoral care cuts. And you’ve a perfect storm.

I agree SaveKevin

"International students can be vulnerable as parents are, invariably, not handy"

Newcastle University has one lot of halls in the main university grounds just for international students so that they can be close to support services.

Of course drugs are at all universities. Even more so at the out of the way ones with less to do I should imagine.

However, Bristol is renounced as a big druggy uni. Has been for years.

Maybe it's unfounded, although my DCs who are currently either at uni or have just left tell me it's still prevalent for pills and powders. Indeed some people they know went there just for that reputation alone

Didn't mean to take your thread off on a tangent OP, I'm going to hide it anyway now, but really hope the unis look in to doing as much as possible re mental health.

Another one here who never saw a warden in halls other than when I went to collect my post of a morning. I wouldn't have known how to get hold of one. It has never been the norm that there is a constant watchful adult presence. And since 18year olds are legal adults, there is no way of enforcing this anyway. It is extremely sad that mental health is such a problem for many young people but it's by no means easy to solve.