You're not alone: Mental health services at Oxbridge
At Oxbridge Fast Track, we know how important mental health is to student wellbeing, and so do many universities. This guide will help you to better understand the support that is available at Oxford and Cambridge and give you the confidence to make your applications decisions.
GUIDESOXFORDCAMBRIDGEOXBRIDGELIFESTYLE
Image: A blue androgynous character with a glowing orange brain. Mental health affects many people throughout their lifetime, including students at top universities.
At Oxbridge Fast Track, we know how important mental health is to student wellbeing, and so do many universities. This guide will help you to better understand the support that is available at Oxford and Cambridge and give you the confidence to make your applications decisions.
Contents
a. What is university life like?
b. Is it difficult to study abroad?
a. Does Oxford offer counselling?
b. Does Cambridge offer counselling?
c. Which is better, Oxford or Cambridge?
a. What is peer support?
b. What is a welfare team?
c. What is a well-being tutor?
a. Does Oxford offer disability support?
b. Does Cambridge offer disability support?
a. Is mental health bad at Oxford?
b. Is mental health bad at Cambridge?
a. Is therapy free at Oxford?
b. Is therapy free at Cambridge?
a. How does the NHS work?
b. Is healthcare free in the UK?
8. What we do
a. What is Oxbridge Fast Track?
b. How hard is it to get into Oxford?
c. How hard is it to get into Cambridge?
d. How can I contact you?
Image: A purple figure with a green glowing brain. Mental health problems if left untreated can cause you serious issues down the line.
1. Introduction
a. What is university life like?
Going off to university is a big deal for any student. It is often accompanied by a number of lifestyle changes and new experiences that differ from what one is used to. Freshly matriculated students often find themselves having to confront the challenges of living in a new place with new people on top of increasingly difficult classes. This is especially true for those studying academically rigorous courses at top universities; you will have fewer breaks to rest and recuperate between work.
At university, you will make new friends, challenge yourself, and grow by attending an academic institution. You will also have a chance to gain a kind of independence you have not had before. But some people adapt more quickly to these circumstances than others and face new or worsening mental health issues. There’s no shame in that; it's just part of being human.
b. Is it difficult to study abroad?
The above characteristics of the student experience are even more true for those moving from abroad to the UK, especially if it’s your first time being here. Not having a pre-existing network of family and friends can make it feel like you are going it alone - although that is almost never the case. Luckily, most people end up settling in very well, but it can take a few weeks or months to develop connections at university that support you. In other cases, people find that while they may have been top of their class at secondary or high school, they seem to be middle of the pack at university. This change in culture, change in living situation, change in workload, and change in social standing can sometimes have a cumulative impact on mental health.
Oxford and Cambridge in particular offer a number of services to support the wellbeing of their students, both inside and outside the classroom. There are several ports of call when you’re feeling down, anxious, or stressed while at university. We take a look at the services on offer below.
2. University Counselling
The first thing you probably think of when you think of mental health is counselling. Like most elite academic institutions, both Cambridge and Oxford offer counselling services to all of their students to cover a wide variety of individual circumstances.
a. Does Oxford offer counselling?
Oxford’s University Counselling Service (UCS) provides all sorts of options and matches their offering to what is best for each student. Their individual counselling service, which is typically the default choice to begin with, is utilised by 12% of the student body every year. Oxonians have the opportunity to be seen by a wide variety of practitioners, ranging from a more informal and supportive vibe to clinically licenced psychiatrists who are allowed to dispense medication. Everything from borderline personality disorder (BPD) to relationship issues and academic worries is covered. In addition to individual counselling, the UCS also offers group therapy, workshops, and self-help resources to cater to diverse student needs. They also provide specialised support for eating disorders, addiction control, and bereavement, amongst many other things.
b. Does Cambridge offer counselling?
Cambridge too offers a fairly robust mental health service for its students, although extends it sparingly to those who need it most. Like Oxford, their centralised office is literally called the University Counselling Service, and it runs both individual and group therapy sessions. The Cambridge UCS also provides self-study resources and useful links and referrals to other organisations in the same vein. Individual counselling is also available to students at all levels within the university, as well as to those who are studying abroad. Cambridge offers separate services to support students with more serious issues, such as addiction.
c. Which is better, Oxford or Cambridge?
While Oxford favours a more hands-on approach to individualised therapy, Cambridge concentrates on minimising the time students spend in the therapist’s office. Their model, called "One at a Time" Therapy, encourages students to think about whether or not a next appointment is right for them after their initial one. While weighing up the utility of the appointments may be helpful, it does give off the impression that Cambridge possesses slightly limited resources when it comes to counselling. Their self-stated aim is to decrease the wait time for students that need it most, but the timeframe they offer is within 10 working days (2 weeks)—still a long time for someone on the edge.
3. Community-based support
a. What is peer support?
There are also places where students can seek support outside of a counsellor’s office. Going to sit in a chair and speak to a professional may seem daunting to some students, as may admitting that one has a sufficiently serious problem to warrant it. Hence, students often tend to turn to peers, tutors, or individuals who are closer at hand than a therapist in a far-flung counselling building. As such, universities will offer some form of support service that is not as intimidating as having to make a formal appointment. Universities will give some basic training to elements of the student population to facilitate this and limit the amount of dangerous or unhelpful advice that is given. They may also designate some tutors and individuals as welfare specialists.
b. What is a welfare team?
In addition to counselling services, each college at Oxford has a dedicated Welfare Team that consists of welfare officers, chaplains, and even peer supporters who are trained to provide emotional support and direct students to the appropriate mental health resources where necessary. These teams organise regular welfare events, create safe spaces for discussion, and run awareness campaigns on mental health-related topics. Sometimes, discussing mental health may be a taboo among college students, who tend to muscle through and pretend everything is fine. The welfare team system provides informal arenas for conversation for when life is a bit more difficult than usual. Students can simply reach out to their college welfare teams for advice, guidance, or simply to find someone who will listen to them spill out their troubles.
c. What is a Wellbeing Tutor?
Oxford and Cambridge differ less on Wellbeing Tutors than they do on the matter of counselling. Like Oxford, each Cambridge college has a designated Tutor for Student Well-being who offers guidance and support to students, acting as a point of contact for any concerns related to mental health. The university also has a Student Well-Being and Inclusion team that works collaboratively with both students and staff to promote a positive and inclusive environment. This team provides support, resources, and guidance on mental health, along with organising workshops, events, and campaigns to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
Cambridge also offers another student-facing service called Mental Health Advice, through which staff members can refer students to a mental health advisor if they are experiencing a crisis.
Sometimes, all it takes to make the difference is a little support from peers or those that happen to be crossing a student’s path. However, this help from non-professional sources is not usually guaranteed, and can lead to personal boundaries being crossed by both students and staff. Emotional fatigue is also a danger for the Wellbeing Tutors, since many students will rely on the informal support system but be unwilling to turn to formal support. Hence, both Oxford and Cambridge use a blended approach that combines the above community elements with help from qualified psychologists and psychotherapists.
4. Disability support
Both Oxford and Cambridge offer students assistance with mental health conditions that may impact their ability to study or get a rich experience out of university life.
a. Does Oxford offer disability support?
Oxford’s Disability Advisory Service (DAS) supports students with mental health conditions. The DAS offers confidential advice, guidance, and practical assistance to ensure that students' individual needs are met and that they are managing their studies properly. They work closely with students, tutors, and college staff to implement appropriate accommodations and adjustments, including extra time in exams, alternative assessment arrangements, and access to support workers.
b. Does Cambridge offer disability support?
Cambridge offers disability support through the Disability Resource Centre (DRC). The DRC also provides specialist mentors who offer personalised support for mental health conditions, helping students utilise their skills in the best ways possible.
Image: A yellow background haze swirls inside the head of a person. Sometimes external circumstances like stress from your degree can have effects on your personal relationships and internal wellbeing.
5. Mental health at Oxbridge
While universities make seeking help look so easy, many students who struggle through university can attest that it may not always be. The management of student mental health at most elite institutions relies on a policy where students who are struggling are expected to initiate the process of seeking help on their own. And while it is important to acknowledge that self-referral can be an effective way for individuals to access mental health treatment, it is not always as easy as it sounds. Dealing with persistent depressive states or other mental health difficulties makes it challenging to maintain even simple social connections, let alone find the motivation and energy to reach out to professionals for support. Assuming that struggling students have the ability to muster up the energy or the desire to find help may in fact put their wellbeing in further danger.
a. Is mental health bad at Oxford?
Oxford University says it is committed to supporting the mental health of its students by offering a comprehensive range of services and resources. From professional counselling and welfare teams to disability support and awareness initiatives, by and large, they try to cover all of the bases. However, while students do have access to a network that seems to prioritise their well-being, given the busy environment and the long wait times for certain appointments, it can sometimes be hard to access the help you need. This does lead to longer-term issues becoming more serious for some students.
It’s important to stay on top of your personal health and welfare, no matter what goals you are pursuing. At Oxbridge Fast Track (OFT), we deal with a lot of students, and some have expressed concern about the stress of the Oxford environment. However, we are not interested in pushing you to apply to a university you don’t like. We always offer honest advice to our students to determine whether a particular university is right for them. In most cases, we find that their fears are unfounded, and OFT students cope well once adjusted.
b. Is mental health bad at Cambridge?
Cambridge offers a strong commitment to mental health services in their marketing material, and some students do receive very helpful support from the university. Their offering is comprehensive and deals with a wide range of issues. Cambridge sometimes has a reputation for being a high-stress environment thanks to its high global ranking and the intensity of the academic work. Highly intelligent people have also been statistically shown to be more predisposed to mental health conditions. Therefore, mental health issues are more common at Cambridge compared to other universities. That being said, everyone deals with it differently, and it should not put you off applying. Although the first few weeks can be difficult, most people settle in and find a healthy balance between nurturing their needs and performing well academically.
6. Costs and fees
a. Is therapy free at Oxford?
The services provided by the Oxford University Counselling Service (UCS) are completely free at the point of access. This means that you’ll never have to pay to utilise any of the university’s resources. Public mental health services in Oxford are also well above the standards of most parts of the UK. This is because Oxford is a psychology research hub, and the region often gets access to new trials and techniques earlier than everywhere else.
For specialised care, more regular appointments, or shorter waiting times, it is possible to use private practitioners for therapy in Oxford. There are several excellent professionals that operate in the area, many of whom have been trained at the university. Similar to the situation with public health services, private services are likewise better in Oxford compared to other parts of the UK. This is because of the top-tier training on offer and the socioeconomic wealth of the region.
b. Is therapy free at Cambridge?
As in Oxford, Cambridge’s University Counselling Service (UCS) offers all its services completely free. However, since Cambridge prioritises urgent care, those looking for long-term therapy may be better served by private therapists. Private therapy can be covered by medical insurance or it can be purchased on a per-session basis. Usually, it will be up to the terms of the specific policy you have taken out as to how much is covered.
7. The UK health system
a. How does the NHS work?
The NHS (National Health Service) is the UK’s public health care provider. Almost everyone uses it, from rich to poor, migrants to natives, and it is almost completely free. It is one of the most socialist health services in the world, and for UK citizens, there is rarely a significant surcharge or cost for any service covered by the NHS.
However, many opt to go outside the NHS for certain things. For example, when you are prescribed medicine, you may have to pay a flat fee of a few pounds per month to receive it. For dental work, it is usually done outside the NHS, particularly for aesthetic rather than medically necessary treatments. Physiotherapists and non-urgent care are often provided by private practices and covered by medical insurance.
"Going private" gives you much shorter wait times and sometimes better care. The NHS offers fairly quick initial appointments with a family doctor, but getting an operation or a scan booked in can take a while sometimes, as the system has to cover 67 million people. On the other hand, for emergency care, the NHS is one of the best in the world, with globally leading ER centres. If you are in a car accident or stabbed, you will usually be flown by helicopter to London and treated within 15 minutes. Many lives are saved in the UK that would not have been in equally rich and developed countries.
b. Is healthcare free in the UK?
Yes and no is the answer. For British citizens, it is usually almost completely free, although increasingly locals will get private insurance too as a backup for when NHS waiting times are long. For non-citizens, most services are free or nearly free. However, they will have to pay an additional charge when they arrive and register with a UK doctor’s office. There may also be a modest annual surcharge for people of certain nationalities. These fees are supposed to cover some of the basic administrative and care costs and dissuade people from abusing the system.
Fees for accessing the NHS are likely to change based on the political climate and may decrease in the near future.
The NHS provides mental health services for free, and in some regions, this service is all you will ever need. The Oxford region provides excellent therapy through Oxfordshire Talking Therapies (formerly TalkingSpace Plus), independent of the university. This support is also completely free. The Cambridge region has its own Cambridgeshire Talking Therapies agency at no cost. Both provide support for anxiety, depression, and social anxiety, along with many other conditions.
8. What we do
a. What is Oxbridge Fast Track?
Oxbridge Fast Track is an admissions mentoring service for top universities. We focus on ambitious candidates looking to study in the UK or at high-ranked universities worldwide. We have a team of dedicated and experienced mentors ready to assist you with your applications and offer the kind of support that you can only get from a professional agency.
We conduct all our tutoring online because we have an international base of clients and offer comprehensive packages for every timeframe and budget.
b. How hard is it to get into Oxford?
We have a 100% admissions success track record for getting our mentees into Oxford. The typical rate of success for a candidate with no admissions mentoring is 10–15%.
c. How hard is it to get into Cambridge?
All of our applicants who have applied to elite universities received offers they were happy with. Similarly to Oxford, the typical Cambridge acceptance rate is just 10–15%.
d. How can I contact you?
Email us at hello@oxbridgefasttrack.com, message us on Instagram at @oxbridgefasttrack, or submit an online query at oxbridgefasttrack.com. We can set up an initial consultation totally free of charge to determine whether our services are right for you!