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How to Find Your People

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These three podcasts aim to help you find friends and build relationships, overcome worries about networking, reflect on what contributes to loneliness and how to address it, and some of the benefits of solitude.

This podcast series is for anyone who has worries about friendships while studying at the University of Oxford, whether as a newly arrived undergraduate or post-graduate, or as a more established student who has been studying here for some time.
Common worries about friendships might include how to make friends and whether we have enough of them, why we might at times feel lonely, even when we’re with people, and what to do about this if we do, how to deepen our existing friendships, and why, even though we usually get on with our friendship group, we might occasionally find ourselves falling out with them.
Sometimes, it can also just be really hard to know if someone is a friend, more of an acquaintance, or someone with whom we just want to network. Or indeed, we might be curious as to whether someone might be more than a friend – and perhaps a potential romantic or sexual partner.
Overall, then, it’s more than likely that, like most people, you will have different kinds of worries about your friendships and social life at different times in your university career.
This series of podcasts aims to provide a stimulus to reflection and a source of potential support.
Importantly, these podcasts are not intended to be used as a replacement for counselling, therapy, or medical intervention for those who might need it. Rather, the hope is that it will give you some ideas which might be part of a process of understanding more about yourself and, ultimately, feeling better.

Useful Links and Resources:

University Counselling Service Self-Help Resources: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling/self-help

Points of Contact:

Emergency Services: Call 999 or go to Accident & Emergency (A&E) if you are at immediate risk e.g. if you are having suicidal thoughts and believe you might act on them imminently. The nearest A&E in Oxford is at the John Radcliffe Hospital: Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU.

Your GP: Your GP is a point of contact for mental as well as physical health and can make referrals to specialist services where appropriate. See your college website if you’re not sure which surgery you’re connected to.

111: Call 111 if you need medical help quickly but there is not an immediate risk, or if you are unable to contact your GP surgery (e.g. due to its being out-of-hours). As well as physical health advice, this is a source of round the clock, non-emergency advice on accessing mental health support.

College Support:

Your College Welfare Team: Every college has its own setup but this may include a Wellbeing Adviser, Welfare Officer or Dean, Chaplain, Nurse and others. Check your college website if you’re not sure who to contact.

Your College Lodge: The porters can also help you access support within college. If you need urgent support outside of normal working hours, they will be able to alert an on-call Junior Dean who can help you access appropriate support.

Helplines and Online Support:

Samaritans: 116 123. Emotional support helpline, free to access, operates 24/7.

Togetherall: A professionally moderated online peer support community. Register with your university email address to gain free access.

Related

University Counselling Service Self-Help ResourcesStudent Administration and Services

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 episodes
Episode Description People Date Captions
Episode 3 - Doing the social rounds and reflecting on loneliness Doing the social rounds and reflecting on loneliness Elizabeth Edginton 13 October, 2025
Episode 2 - Finding your people Looking for friends and breaking the ice Elizabeth Edginton 13 October, 2025
Episode 1 - Friends What do we mean by ‘friends’ and what might impact the size and composition of our friendship group? Elizabeth Edginton 13 October, 2025
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 episodes

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