Author: Razor

Learning matters: AQR Spark

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Sharper thinking is a big deal to us. And so is industry training and learning. 
We’d like to share with you our thoughts on all sessions we attend.
Because learning matters.  

 

February 2020: AQR Spark – Mental Health and Wellbeing

A session exploring mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. With Helen Stephens, wellbeing coach and former Research Director at Ipsos MORI.

Chloe B’s thoughts:

Mental health is an important topic of conversation and, today, it feels more relevant than ever. This week’s Spark event made us think about the different triggers that lead to workplace stress and coping mechanisms we can employ to try and manage things moving forward.

Helen made many interesting points, but here are five things worth considering to improve workplace wellbeing:

  • Foster a culture of openness and curiosity. One of Helen’s big points was around ‘unclear expectations’ either from colleagues or from clients. It’s important to make sure everyone believes they are ‘one team’ right from the briefing call and that questions can be asked without the fear of feeling stupid or naïve.

  • Switch off. Make sure you allow yourself proper time to focus on the task in hand. It’s so easy to get distracted with emails, messages and everything else going on in our home lives. Switch off emails when you need to focus, leave your phone in another room, take your lunch hour away from your desk and go outside for some fresh air – even if it’s just for a short walk. 

  • Set yourself boundaries. I know from previous experience that this can be tricky so it’s more for senior management to be in charge of. Razor is particularly good at this – we have a no early morning/late evening email policy and absolutely no emailing over a weekend. It’s important these are properly implemented as company policies and not something that’s just a ‘nice to have’ as and when it suits.

  • Surround yourself with good people. Sometimes we want to talk to people that will just listen to – rather than try to fix – the problem. Make sure you have people that you can talk to whether it’s a line manager, a house mate or a friend to help relieve some of that pressure.

  • Remind people how great they are. Once we start to lose confidence, it can lead us to believe we’re bad at our jobs. We then start to collect ‘evidence’ that proves we’re not good enough which can result in a vicious cycle. Praising people when they’ve done a good job can really give them the boost that they need.

I’m not just saying this but Helen’s reminded me of how lucky I am. I work with such a kind group of people that really care about workplace wellbeing and will go out of their ways to check in on each other. Everyone is going to feel stressed/go through busy periods at some point but it’s having people there for you that can make a real difference.


Don’t forget to check the AQR and MRS calendars for upcoming events and training!



A word from our sponsors…

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Where to start? Sifting through (even a small portion of) Super Bowl ads after the big event is always quite the task. There I am each year, pen in hand, watching one commercial after another while trying to map various themes in my notebook. Fast-forward a few hours and I realise that the first ad I watched was my overall favourite. <Sigh>

It won’t surprise you to know that most of the game-day ads were a manic conveyor belt of celebrities. Stands to reason that after a looong while, and a few drinks, viewer vision became blurred and it’s hard to remember who paired up with what.

As usual, there were a number of themes, but nostalgia emerged as dominant. Not surprising seeing as we already know that old is gold when it comes to showcasing products and services. And while a large number of viewers won’t be old enough to remember the original films or references, sometimes the stars and ideas are just big enough to transcend them.

Another thing to bear in mind that it’s US presidential election year which means that the majority of advertisers probably opted to keep things light-hearted ahead of a likely second term for the current president. Remember how seriously political most of the ads in 2017 were? (Fear not, this won’t be that kind of blog.)

Anyway, let’s dive in:

Step back in time
Jeep: Groundhog Day – Created especially for (surprise, surprise) Groundhog Day 02/02/2020. A day that Bill Murray is more than happy to wake up each morning to pootle around in his motor with his furry pal. The tagline ‘No day is the same in a Jeep Gladiator’ does the job very nicely.

Walmart: Famous Visitors – For its first ever ad (during the Super Bowl), Walmart brought in a number of familiar sci-fi faces to show off its convenient kerbside pick-up service. Also serves as a reminder that the third Bill and Ted film will be out this year. (Excellent!)

Cheetos: Can’t touch this – MC Hammer makes a return with his 30-year-old hit to remind us of the consequences of eating dusty Cheetos. In this instance, a bag of new cheesy popcorn renders a man useless to everyone around him.   

Mountain Dew Zero Sugar: As Good as The Original – Parodying The Shining feels overdone in marketing but Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston is a nice touch. I’ll allow this one. It’s harmless enough.

Facebook: Ready to Rock? – Facey-B shows off its happy side in what appears to be a trust-building exercise. The ad displays a series of genuine groups (along with a couple of familiar faces) as an homage to the real people who make the platform what it is. All well and good but you can’t help but think that for every happy-go-lucky group shown in this ad, there’ll also be a hate group lurking in the shadows.

Snickers: #SnickersFixTheWorld – Is it trying to be a modern-day Coke ad with this group singalong? Who knows? It’s certainly a long way off from Mr T yelling ‘GET SOME NUTS’ in our faces – but I did enjoy the pair with the selfie stick falling into the huge hole.  

Squarespace: Winona in Winona –For some reason, Squarespace sent the actress – who most young’uns will recognise from Stranger Things – to her namesake, Winona in Minnesota to make a website about it. (No, I don’t understand either.) 

Tech (or sort of)
Budweiser Canada: Whassup Again – This one actually falls into nostalgia, tech and crossover. Bud Canada resurrected the 1999 ad with a present-day twist. Simply put, it’s an empty home full of smart devices and household items chatting away to each other and it’s great fun. Not only that, the other smart thing about it is that they teamed up with Uber to promote getting home safely after the big game by not drink driving. Win-win.

Amazon: Before Alexa – Good, clean fun. We’re at home with Ellen and Portia who are wondering how the world managed before Alexa came along. Turns out ‘Alexa’ has been around longer than we realised.

Hyundai Sonata: Smaht Pahk – An auto ad really, but one promoting remote smart parking assist – or ‘Smaht Pahk’. Boston celebs, Rachel Dratch, Chris Evans and (man formerly known as ‘future Mr Alkis’) John Krasinski, team up with their best Boston accents to talk about all the places in Boston one could park using this technology. Apparently, it’s hard to park cars in Boston. (Fun fact: ‘Smaht Pahk’ became a thing when one of the creatives said it with her Boston accent during a meeting. So there you go.)

Google: Loretta – Dammit, Google! This is a wonderful piece of storytelling about a Google employee’s grandfather looking for ways to remember the love of his life. Naturally, it made me shed a tear or two. Digital assistants serve a vital purpose for so many people out there. But the ad also reminds me of how much deeply personal information we give to the internet as a price. I guess in cases like these, it just has to be the way.

Some crossovers
Rick and Morty x Pringles – Rick quickly realises that his grandson, Morty, is actually a robot and that they’re all trapped in a Pringles ad they can’t escape.  

Tide: #LaundryLater – We’re told the best time to do laundry is ‘later’. Cue a number of tie-ins with other brands while Charlie Day tries to work out when later is. Tide and Bud Knight / Tide and Wonder Woman 1984 – Tide and The Masked Singer.

Unexpected
Coca-Cola: Show Up – Having plans but wanting to stay at home instead; it’s happened to all of us. Not even Martin Scorsese is safe from being ‘blown out’ by his mate at the last minute. Luckily for ol’ Mart, a glug of Coca-Cola Energy gives Jonah Hill his second wind and the two (pals in real life) hit the party circuit together. Our lives might not be Hollywood, but the storyboard works for me.

And finally…
New York Life Insurance Company: Love Takes Action – Beautiful. Not one of the sexiest ads perhaps, but it’s simple, relatable, and stands out amongst all the junk food on the Super Bowl advertising conveyor belt. I’ll file it under ‘lasting impression’.

*Read our previous Super Bowl blogs:

Super Bowl 2019
Super Bowl 2018
Super Bowl 2017

What Razor Loves: January 2020

Posted on by Razor

We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

 

Chloë B
Netflix released season two of Sex Education this month and I AM OBSESSED. I loved the first season and from what I’ve seen so far, it’s definitely ramped up a gear. It’s so refreshing to see a show tackle sensitive issues in such a bold way and it must be amazing for Gen Z growing up with something like this as part of popular culture. From the characters, to the jokes and the upbeat tone running through every episode, everything is spot on and I can’t wait to watch more!


Chloë F
It was the worst and best of times. Netflix’s ‘Don’t F*** with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer’ and C4’s ‘Catching a Killer’ made me feel palpably dreadful about the human race. Then I binged ‘Cheer’ on Netflix and the world was okay again. Fair do’s, it’s TV with my name on it, but still. The mental and physical torture those kids go through, their open-mindedness in small towns that we never think are open-minded. Magical. One thing’s for sure though, there’s no way I’d ever make Mat.


Gem
One of my birthday gifts was a year’s membership to Salon London. (Think TED Talks given in intimate settings; a fun, social way of expanding the old grey matter.) Last year, I went to a talk given by a consultant forensic psychologist who gave an insight to complex/high-risk criminals and why they commit brutal crimes. Perhaps not the most uplifting topic but most definitely interesting one. This month I went to my first event, as a member, about the science of stress. Psychiatrist, Professor Carmine Pariante, explained why we should avoid stress while neuro psychologist, Professor Catherine Loveday, talked about why we should embrace most stress and see it as a challenge. All delivered in a funny and relaxed way so quite a pleasant night in all. Coming soon… how to argue with a racist. <<rolls up sleeves>>


Jill
I listened to an Intelligence Squared interview with BJ Fogg (co-founder of the Stanford Behavioural Design Lab) which inspired and scared in equal measure. The inspiring bit was his ‘Tiny Habits’ theory, or how to make habits stick by taking baby steps. For example, if you want to floss your teeth regularly; start by flossing just one tooth and pat yourself on the back. That becomes so easy that you add one more tooth, and another and another and then – routine. So far, so inspiring. HOWEVER, the Stanford Lab also saw many Big Tech bros pass through its doors, leading some to think of Fogg as enabling (even promoting) persuasive technology, by teaching them how to make apps and gadgets addictive, and in turn behaviour changing without us realising. EEK.

 

Kate
I read Red Notice by Bill Browder for my book club this month and it was fascinating! I hadn’t fully understood the degree of corruption that exists within Putin’s Russia. This is a book of bravery, brutality and justice. Basically if you like thrillers and find Russian culture interesting, then this is definitely one to read.


Lindsay
I’ve just finished listening to The Dropout podcast about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. In addition to interviewing ex-employees and explaining what happened, the producers also try to analyse how and why something like this can happen, with the help of some experts in behaviour. As a psychology grad I found it really interesting.

 

Learning matters: AQR’s Models of Thinking

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Sharper thinking is a big deal to us. And so is industry training and learning. 
Starting now, we’d like to share our thoughts on all sessions we attend.
Because learning matters.  

 

January 2020: AQR’s Models of Thinking


A full-day session designed to help researchers avoid getting stuck in repetitive ways of thinking and to help tackle client briefs in different ways.

 

Topics covered:

  • Mindframes by Caroline Hayter and Sarah Jay (Acacia Avenue)
  • Brand models by Judy Taylor (Consult JMT)
  • Communications by Laura Gillespie (Kokoro)

Razor feedback:

An enlightening course that’s changed the way I think when it comes to tackling briefs and report writing. I’m looking forward to: playing around with these various frameworks and models to help create a clear and compelling story for our clients, and to using the Pyramid Principles when I next write a debrief.
(Kate Stratton)

‘The session contents linked to a number of projects I’m currently working on. It provoked thoughts and new ideas for how I could approach different business challenges. I found the section on brand models and frameworks particularly interesting and am looking forward to using these methods in some upcoming analysis. Overall, the course challenged and encouraged me to think about how I could develop models within my own research to enhance understanding and to provide more strategic recommendations to clients.’
(Lindsay Bell)



Don’t forget to check the AQR and MRS calendars for upcoming events and training!

 

What Razor LOVES: November 2019

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We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we’ll share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

 

Chloë B
This month, I’ve been thinking mostly about nothing. In other words, meditation. I used to find meditating difficult and, more often than not, ended up falling asleep while trying. Our co-working space offers weekly classes and I’ve recently been taking half an hour at a time away from my computer to give myself some peace and to recharge my batteries. So far, I haven’t fallen asleep. But I took one of the Razors with me to a session and he pretty much snored loudly all the way through. (He’s a new dad though so we’ll let him off.)


Chloë F
My two top picks this month are immersive viewing experiences, and both come courtesy of Netflix. 

The first is Shtisel. The two-season (so far!) series follows a Haredi family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jerusalem. I’m not Jewish, but where I live isn’t far from Stamford Hill and I’ve always been fascinated by its culture and community. I’ve become so used to TV dramas full of fire and fury, sex and death; what I loved about Shtisel is that it’s none of those things really. It’s about a family, a culture, and a set of beliefs. It’s about a world very, very far from my own. It made me think hard about the tug of faith vs. selfish, individual desires. It swallowed me up. 

My other pick is the mobster epic, The Irishman by Martin Scorsese. I invested in the big screen view for this one even though it’s on Netflix. 3½ hours is not to be sniffed at – or snoozed through! It follows many decades of the lives of various mobsters and it’s been praised (and sniggered at) for the astonishing ageing and de-ageing of the stars (Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and a bunch of others).

Both of these viewings have been lengthy, committed and all the more enriching because of it. Beautiful

Gem
I went to a podcast recording at Kings Place* a few weeks ago. Beverley Knight was the guest of honour and being a fan, I jumped at the chance to see her in an intimate setting. I’ve seen her in concert a few times and, though she has many of her own songs, I especially enjoy listening to her perform tracks by artists that mean a great deal to her. During this particular chat, BK talked about two of her inspirations, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan, before introducing some of their lesser-known songs. I went with a friend one rainy Monday evening and it was one of the most relaxing nights out (in) I’ve ever had.

*Do sign up to the Kings Place mailing list. They put on some brilliant stuff. For just a tenner, I once got to watch David Baddiel try out some work-in-progress slides for one of his stand-up shows. BARGAIN.


Jill
I’ve just finished reading Nervous States: How Feeling Took Over the World by William Davies. It’s an exploration of why feelings can dominate over facts (hello, Brexit!), and charts the reasons why people are far less likely to believe experts and trust facts. Not only is it a timely read (seeing as we’re in the throes of a General Election where facts often seem to be taking a back seat) but, from a research perspective, it reminds me of the importance of understanding both the what (quant) and the feeling behind it (qual).


Lindsay
I’ve been watching Twin Peaks, the 90s TV series about murder in a small – and sometimes very odd – town. It’s quirky, clever and intriguing, which is good because the second series is 22 episodes long! They released a third series a few years ago so I’ll be moving onto that as soon as I’ve finished binge-watching series two!

Steve
As a protein obsessed fitness fanatic, The Game Changers, rocked my world this week. It puts forward convincing arguments for a fully plant-based diet. So convincing in fact that I’m seriously considering a month’s NO MEAT and/or DAIRY trial.

If I do this it would mean saying hello to soya, beans, mycoprotein and (more) veg. And goodbye to chicken, fish and steak. I’d also have to kick my beloved whey protein powder in favour of a plant-based alternative.

Hmmm… When I say ‘I’m seriously considering…’


 

Learnings

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Intro:
Nikisha’s been a fantastic intern these last three months and today is her last day. We’re very sad to see her go. She has a great future ahead of her and we wish her lots of good luck for her next role. Thanks for everything, Nikisha! 
Love, the Razors. x

I always thought I’d end up teaching, or doing journalism, after my English degree; but never imagined myself in market research. Not only have I been lucky in finding such a great internship, I’ve met the most incredible bunch of people who have supported me endlessly, taken the time to teach me different things about research, and made me laugh every day (I think Chloe F was a comedian in her past life).

I’ve loved coming to work, being surrounded by positive people, and learning something new (whether it’s about research, the world, or people around me). Here are some things about research I’ve learnt which will stay with me. I hope they’ll help any aspiring researchers out there.

Always be yourself
You’re unique so use your quirks and interests to form bonds and friendships. You’ll find everyone has weird traits – in a good way (even if they do like cold samosas!). Embrace who you are, and others will too. Take an interest in those you work with. You may find someone who has similar interests or experiences but will also teach you about different perspectives.

Being able to talk to different people is a big deal in research; being able to talk freely in the office will help build your fieldwork and networking skills. During focus groups/fieldwork, you’ll find the participants have a range of personalities. Some will be willing and open to sharing their experiences immediately. But others will be naturally be more reserved and will need some encouragement to engage.

Have an open mind and ask questions
When it comes to qual, don’t ask questions that will lead participants to desired answers (even though this may often be a temptation if you have personal opinions on the project). You’ll get the most benefit from honest and accurate consumer opinions. As a researcher always ask why. Probe further to find important associations and emotions. Kenny was super great at teaching me this.

Be flexible
Every client is different. Every project is different. Rather than having the same standard methods that you might use for all projects; you should first try to understand what the project needs and adapt the research to the project. There’s no one set method. Solid research recognises the value of using multiple methods to get results.

Ask for help if you need it
If you don’t understand something, speak up. Don’t pretend you know the answers. People are always there to guide and teach you on the job. For a sports project, Jill took the time to explain the rules of cricket to me using a variety of sweets – that was amazing. I’ve learned something new during every project I’ve worked on be it through someone explaining things to me or simply allowing me to watch/participate.

I worked on a mental health project during my time here and had so much support – from my backbone, Chloe B, helping me brainstorm questions to my angels, Lindsay and Kate, reading and editing my blog. Gem’s always come to the rescue when technology failed me. Everyone starts out in the same position so don’t be afraid to ask for help; doing so shows that you’re eager to learn something new and to do a good job.

Go the extra mile
Doing more for your company will benefit you in so many ways. You’ll learn more about the business and yourself while showing you’re an active learner. Whether it’s staying a few extra minutes after work to help or by writing a blog, you’re showing that you can add value. When I first started writing my mental health blog, I wrote it almost like a university essay. But taking some extra time to read through the other blogs on the Razor website allowed me to gauge the tone and style of the blogs written here. Always offer to help if you can and support others like they support you.


* * * 

 

First Shave

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The FMCG landscape continues to change with the rise of emerging brands desperately trying to disrupt and survive in an incredibly crowded marketspace. Their fight to stand out has made our job as researchers more challenging and more interesting.

You only have to walk down supermarket checkout aisles to spot the latest snacking innovations. Established brands are now competing with a new array of brands entering the health and well-being space (Popchips, Hippeas and KIND to name a few!).

Femcare is another market being shaken up by challenger brands. It’s fascinating to watch newbies entering the category embracing holistic health care, female empowerment and fun. While we know consumers are seeking brands with empathy, clear and authentic values, it’s a big switch for consumers to start thinking about those values in the context of this category.

At Razor, we love and feel privileged to work with some of the ‘big players’; but we’re also passionate about working with entrepreneurs who inspire us and have ideas we feel truly excited by. We’re very aware of the restraints that exist within small businesses, so we developed First Shave; an approach designed to give start-ups a leg-up. (Or, if you like, a ‘first shave’ of research.)

Our method is rapid, inexpensive and incisive to support the needs of challenger brands. Recently we helped an alcohol-free spirit brand get to market and we created an innovation roadmap for a vegan brand. Exciting stuff!

So, if you’re a fledgling brand looking to back a hunch, settle an internal debate, or need to impress potential customers and investors, do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!



 

 

What Razor LOVES: October 2019

Posted on by Razor

We’re an eclectic bunch at team Razor.

Each month, we’ll share with the world a flavour of what’s caught our attention and influenced our thinking and conversations in the office.

 

Chloë B
I recently binged How to Fail by Elizabeth Day during a flight to Australia. The book is all about what it’s like to fail across a range of different areas as you navigate your way through life; covering topics such as family, relationships, careers and friendships. Most importantly, she talks to – and about – all the amazing people who’ve shared similar ‘failure’ experiences (Phoebe Waller Bridge and Dolly Alderton to name a couple) and how to take what they’ve learned to create new and exciting paths.

Chloë F
It’s been an inspiring month for me. I kicked it off with a talk by Ian Urbina, a NYT investigative journalist who spent five years researching his book, The Outlaw Ocean. It’s opened my eyes to a world I simply didn’t know existed. Horrifying and inspirational. I’ve also been caught up in the debate over whether two winners of The Booker Prize should have been allowed. (In my opinion, Bernadine Evaristo’s book Girl, Woman, Other, should have won entirely on its own.) I’ve got better at going to exhibitions and went to see Anthony Gormley at the RA and Olafur Eliasson at Tate Modern. I binged Unbelievable on Netflix and The Rap Game UK on BBC Three. And I loved the films The Farewell, Judy and Hustlers. Top that, November!

Gem
It’s crime season over at The Postal Museum* and the star of the show is the latest interactive 1960s exhibition, The Great Train Robbery: Crime and The Post. Most of us know about this heist as one that gave the robbers glamour and fame. What history doesn’t focus on is the traumatic impact it had on those affected at the time; from the workers (victims) on board the train to the families of the victims and the criminals involved. Never-before-seen artefacts and documents tell their stories and how members of the Post Office Investigation Branch risked their lives to track (pardon the pun) down the perpetrators of the GTR and other crimes. As a fan of admin (and intrigue), I found myself fascinated by the intricate paperwork and methods used to unpick the events during a very limited tech time – especially by today’s standards.  

Kate
I’ve binged the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast which celebrates the things that haven’t gone right in life. She’s interviewed a series of people I really admire like Phoebe Waller-Bridge (hilarious) and Tara Westover (I loved her book) but also people I admittedly have little interest in or perhaps didn’t hugely respect before listening (like Camilla Thurlow from Love Island). Irrespective of my view of the interviewee, I love learning about their personal stories and feel inspired by their strength to not only share their failures but to actually use them to succeed.

Nikisha
I recently went to a talk at the British Library about Indian experiences during World War Two. It was incredible to learn more about my culture in relation to this era which is often overlooked and unheard of in history lessons and the media. This examination of Indian soldiers’ emotional experiences opened my eyes to how much they sacrificed during the war and made an impact. We saw military censorship reports archived at the British Library. The letters originally written in Hindi, Gurmukhi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil were then dictated to scribes by Indian non-literate sepoys. These fascinating letters humanised soldiers. They wrote about feeling homesick, not earning enough money to send home, how they missed their wives and children, and how they took pleasure in the simple things like watching films with other soldiers. The colonial photographs allowed me to connect more with my roots and I feel inspired to dig even deeper to learn more about India’s history.



*If you’ve not yet visited The Postal Museum, it really is a fab place for young’uns and grown-ups. There’s loads to learn, plenty of fun activities and things to play around with. That’s before you even go across the road to ride the famous Mail Rail. (Gem)

 

University challenge

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When I began university, I was your typical student; eager to make friends, anxious to do my best in a new environment, and a little stressed about the workload (though not so much that I didn’t online shop and binge-watch Netflix for hours only to regret it later!). But the change of environment, my new living dynamic, the coursework deadlines – and the general stress of being at uni – turned out to be more than I could handle.

Mental health is regularly in the news these days and, because of my personal experiences, I have a particular interest in student mental health. I wanted to explore student experiences in more depth so, as part of my internship here at Razor, I interviewed fourteen students from a number of universities around the UK. What soon became clear is that universities could be doing so much more to support student mental health.

First year blues
The time has finally come. You have your own space and no parents around telling you to wash your dishes and clean your room. You have so much freedom! But that’s exactly it … it’s just you. Yes, the independence is empowering and exciting – but being surrounded by strangers can also be really daunting. Some people tend to retreat from situations that make them feel uncomfortable. Most of the students I spoke to had felt homesick, isolated and overwhelmed by their new living dynamic during their first year. They were expecting freshers’ week to be the best of their lives but, in reality, it was the complete opposite! I get that; it’s tiring, you’re skint, you’re usually away from home and you’re convinced that you must socialise in order to be a ‘real’ student.

“People can feel lonely and isolated. There could be more social opportunities.”

  • How to help: To improve their experience, students suggested having activities offered to them by their academic departments or halls to help them bond with their flat/course mates, rather than being left to organise things for themselves. Physical exercise, yoga and meditation could also be at the forefront to help promote more social interaction along with a healthier lifestyle.

An intense workload
I remember my first ever deadline. I wanted to cry <insert Kim Kardashian crying emoji> and put my head through a wall because I felt so tense. The intensity and depth of my degree was not at all what I was expecting and many of the students I spoke to confirmed that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. We didn’t know about any well-being services that our university offered. It wasn’t mentioned at the start of the year, during freshers’ week, or exam periods. Finding services to help was like trying to find the culprit who stole your milk – impossible. Students, (especially final year) prioritised revision over their mental well-being, with some being in the library for 14 hours a day! But the most universities did for students was to advertise a number for Nightline, which for many felt too distant rather than a personal approach.

“The workload is intense, especially in your third year. It could cause someone’s mental health to deteriorate. Going from college to first year of uni is a big jump which explains why there’s such a high dropout rate.”

  • How to help: Students would benefit from regular support text messages and email updates, as well as reminders before and after lectures, seminars and examinations. Doing this would reinforce the support services and be highly impactful.


Social stigma
Unfortunately, there’s still a big stigma attached to mental health – especially with males. It saddens me that there are some who won’t seek support because it’s still seen as a sign of weakness; not to mention the self-stigma of feeling a burden to others. Despite there being a high suicide rate amongst male students, people don’t want to admit there’s something seriously wrong. Universities could actively normalise mental health by having regular workshops and making announcements to encourage students to speak out. This would certainly bring the idea of what it means to be a ‘man’ out of the Stone Age and into the present day.  

“People don’t associate men with crying and expressing how they feel. You can’t show anything otherwise it’s a sign of weakness. But when I come home the tears would flow like a tap.”

  • How to help: A mental health platform, on the same awareness scale as UCAS, for all students to help educate them about coping and normalising their mental health.

A long wait
I remember trying out the support services during my third year because my dissertation was driving me insane. The experience felt like an episode of Friends in reverse where nobody’s there for you! There was an awkward middle-aged man staring at me repeatedly asking “so what’s wrong?” for an hour. It was as awkward as kissing with braces or saying goodbye to someone only to end up walking in the same direction as them. I waited three weeks … for this?! Other students also felt the services offered were inadequate. Either the counsellor wasn’t emotionally available, or they had other priorities. Students were also unaware that they could ask for a female counsellor.

“My uni has the money but they don’t want to spend it on mental health which feels ridiculous. Students know there aren’t enough counsellors and the long waiting time puts them off from trying to get help.”

  • How to help: Students suggested that universities could provide a variation of counsellors of different genders and backgrounds. Most importantly, someone who’s kind, willing to listen, and concentrates on emotions. A helpful tip is knowing you don’t need to be registered with a GP in order to access mental health services at university!


There’s a clear need for universities to be doing more and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. I recommend checking out Time to Change; a wonderful and growing movement to change how we think about mental health. The website includes personal stories, videos and resources to help you, or anyone you know, with mental health troubles.

If you know anyone struggling, or in distress, simply be there for them and encourage them to talk just by asking how they are. It doesn’t have to be a lot but showing them you’re in their corner will make a world of difference.

It’s time to change!


Teen culture

Posted on by Razor

I’d been hunting quite some time for my next Netflix binge. So, when the ‘recommended for you’ email hit my inbox last month, I rushed to find out what was on offer.

Netflix suggested that Skins would be the show for me…and they were right! It’s boozy, sweary, and offers the kind of escapism that I love.

I never watched Skins when it was originally broadcast (waaaay back in 2007). But, as a Year 9 girl, I do remember hearing others talk about the parties, drugs, and lusting over Effy and Cook.

First season’s done and, so far, the flashback to 12 years ago has made me scream with laughter. I’ve also observed several things:

  • Firstly, a world without proper smartphones. I enjoyed slipping back to a time when we weren’t constantly glued to our phones. In one of the last episodes I watched, Tony had EIGHT contacts on his phone. He also had a rubbish camera and probably Snake, but that was it. Spending less time on your phone meant more hanging out with your mates in real life rather than wasting hours scrolling through apps.

  • A world without proper smartphones also meant a world without 24-hour social media. No selfie-taking, no staged images of laughter, and no comparing lives with others. What you see is what you get; you know who these characters are and it’s so refreshing to see their good and bad sides on display without a filter in sight.

  • The light humour blanketing some pretty hard-hitting issues. Skins covers a range of teenage struggles and, in the first season alone, I’ve already watched episodes covering sexuality, anorexia, drug use and overdosing. The funny thing is that every time I hold my breath waiting for something bad to happen…it’s fine! It’s all just a laugh and everything seems to work out okay in the end. It’s all part of the charm of Skins that makes it so easy to binge-watch.

  • Attitudes towards mental health. At this early stage, I can only comment on Cassie’s eating disorder so far. It’s another topic that seems to be covered in a jokey manner but I’m not sure this storyline would be portrayed in the same way in the present day. The show successfully shed light on such a sensitive topic at the time – but there’s been cultural shift in attitudes towards mental health since then and shows like 13 Reasons Why received much criticism for ‘glorifying’ similar issues.

  • Finally, Skins is known for promoting a hedonistic teen culture. It didn’t shy away from topics like booze, sex, drugs and raves, even for the underaged. This is a big contrast to the clean-living activist image that we see promoted by Gen Z today.

But that’s just the first season. I have six more to go and I can’t wait!