- Self forgiveness in grief
Loss is often accompanied by feelings of regret, guilt or shame. This has been coming up a lot in conversations recently, and so I wanted to offer some thoughts on grief and self forgiveness.
- Thoughts on Death, Money and Theatre
Charlotte Bennett writes about death, why there needs to be more conversations about it, and how it led to the theatre production “My Mother’s Funeral: The Show”
- Grief can impact our interests and identity
Some thoughts on how experiencing loss while we’re young can impact our sense of self and our capacity to engage in things that bring us joy.
- Sorry isn’t a good enough word but it’s all we have
An interview to help us understand what it’s like to grieve as a student, some misconceptions of grief, and how we can manage this tricky topic.
- Grief & Fresher’s
Grief is different for everyone, but there are some tensions we might want to consider as students start a new year at university.
- Support for those affected by suicide
How can we build a world that supports people to live? And where can we go if we are are feeling suicidal, or have lost someone to suicide?
- Grief doesn’t stop when the funeral ends
Lots of people think life starts going back to normal after the funeral, but for many of us, that’s when the real grieving begins.
- What we need from relationships can change with grief
Relationships are tricky when we’re grieving. At a time when we most need support, we may feel misunderstood and disconnected from the people around us.
- The imprint of grief and impact of alternative therapies
Amber Jarman-Crainey talks about her experience of grief, and her latest show ‘B O U N D’ that explores nine stories of loss through movement, music and memories.
- Coping with suicide loss as a student
Losing someone to suicide can bring up a whole array of difficult feelings that can be overwhelming to deal with all at once, especially on your own, and while you’re also balancing the pressure of university life.
- Grief and activism in an unjust world
I want to send my love to all those mourning around the world; I want to show my solidarity with all the people caught in oppressive and violent systems; and I want to share a couple of thoughts in relation to grief.
- Losing Young, quarter-life grief and why community matters
To commemorate her new book, Rachel Wilson shares some thoughts on grieving as a young adult. It’s a period in our lives that is ‘meant’ to be full of opportunity and exploration, but can be incredibly isolating and overwhelming when you’re facing loss.
- Responding to the Nottingham attacks
Last week I was contacted by the BBC to speak about student bereavement. Yes, this is in response to the loss of two students in Nottingham, but it is also about the thousands of students experiencing grief every day.
- After Tom
A creative piece based on the experience of losing my uncle, Tom, and the days that followed his death as I helped care for my grandparents.
- Sometimes I don’t want to be hopeful
The Student Grief Network is all about hope, really, but I think it’s also important to acknowledge those times when hope it the last thing we want to hear about. When we want the utter devastation of a situation to be allowed.
- Grieving in the Digital Age
Social media and online communities can play an important role connecting people who are grieving and shedding light on a whole range of experiences. But digital platforms can also lead to misinformation, unhealthy distraction, and increased levels of loneliness. How do we balance these pros and cons?
- ‘Our lives are in a different colour now’
Grief is not just a matter of missing a person. It can complicate our relationship with ourselves and the ways we function on a day-to-day basis. Josephine shares some of the ways that her losses impact the way she thinks and feels – from her memory to her self esteem.
- The realities of university support systems
A recent article in The Times shows us how university welfare systems are failing bereaved students, and why we need more well-informed, compassionate and hands on support.
- For those impacted by cancer
Fole recently founded Good Grief, a community to connect anyone who has been affected by cancer. Here she shares some of the ways she has personally been impacted, from losing her Grandma and then her Mum, to finding out the chances of developing cancer herself are significantly higher than average.
- A dream about my brother
I’m not sure I believe in ‘letting go’ of grief, or what that would even entail, but I wanted to reflect on the idea of carrying someone with us as we reconnect to the good in our life. This is a short creative piece based on a dream I had years ago.
- Searching for an anchor
Whatever our age, life stage, whether they were loving and close, or had a more complex relationship with us, or none at all, when we lose a parent, it is felt deeply in every cell of our body. We can feel like we are losing essence, or a part of us is leaving. We may wish to leave with them. The everyday can feel meaningless. The world is different.
- Grieving an absent parent
I have been wildy struck with the fact that I lost a dad who I didn’t have in the first place – anyone with an addict parent will understand this. I lose a possible opportunity in the future to try and build a relationship with someone who I am half of.
- Some challenges uni throws us after loss
Evee shares her experience of university life after she lost her mum in 2018. Evee is the co-founder of The Grief Reality, a wonderful blog where you can read many more lived experiences of grief and even contribute your own story.
- Grief and Loss During Ramadan
We spoke to Shuma from Spoken Grief about her experiences of grief and loss during the month of Ramadan – from the difficulties of fasting when going in and out of hospital, to feeling like she can’t enjoy the month in the same way and missing her mum’s cooking.
- Life After: A Podcast
Life After, a podcast by Theo Silberston, is a platform where young people can share and discuss their experiences with grief. Theo kicks off the second series by asking our founder, Anna, about the loss of her brother and father, and how it is to run The Student Grief Network.
- Working through grief at medical school
Andrew’s dad died in 2012. Here he reflects on how his grief has impacted him over the years, from the initial aftermath, feeling like the elephant in the room and focusing all his energy on his A Levels, to getting into medical school and having to support dying patients and their families.
- Exploring my loss, and making it public
Ellie writes about her experience of putting on an interactive exhibition with The Student Grief Network in December 2021, what she learnt about her own grief and the process of sharing that and guiding others to do the same.
- How did grief impact your time at uni?
Interviews with some of our team exploring the main challenges that grief posed during their university experience.
- How I changed my relationship with anxiety and alcohol
I was coping with the death of one of my best friends at the tender age of 20. The calls to tone down the drinking fell on deaf ears.
- Got Grief Podcast
In this episode, Ollie shares her experience of multiple bereavements – losing her dad when she was a teenager, and then losing her step-dad in her first term at university.
- I wish my friends would talk about my Dad
My life is permanently changed and yet, no one is talking about it.
- Does hiding your grief help others?
We often think that being emotional makes things harder for those we love. But expressing our feelings can actually help others work through their own.
- Two sides to grief
For me, healing depends on striking a balance between acknowledging the pain of loss while also embracing the good in life.
- A photography project on student grief
I knew there were other students feeling the same as me. I wanted to meet some of these people who knew a lot about how I was feeling. I wanted to listen to, and share, their stories.
Loss is often accompanied by feelings of regret, guilt or shame. This has been coming up a lot in conversations recently, and so I wanted to offer some thoughts on grief and self forgiveness.
Charlotte Bennett writes about death, why there needs to be more conversations about it, and how it led to the theatre production “My Mother’s Funeral: The Show”
Some thoughts on how experiencing loss while we’re young can impact our sense of self and our capacity to engage in things that bring us joy.
An interview to help us understand what it’s like to grieve as a student, some misconceptions of grief, and how we can manage this tricky topic.
Grief is different for everyone, but there are some tensions we might want to consider as students start a new year at university.
How can we build a world that supports people to live? And where can we go if we are are feeling suicidal, or have lost someone to suicide?
Lots of people think life starts going back to normal after the funeral, but for many of us, that’s when the real grieving begins.
Relationships are tricky when we’re grieving. At a time when we most need support, we may feel misunderstood and disconnected from the people around us.
Amber Jarman-Crainey talks about her experience of grief, and her latest show ‘B O U N D’ that explores nine stories of loss through movement, music and memories.
I want to send my love to all those mourning around the world; I want to show my solidarity with all the people caught in oppressive and violent systems; and I want to share a couple of thoughts in relation to grief.
To commemorate her new book, Rachel Wilson shares some thoughts on grieving as a young adult. It’s a period in our lives that is ‘meant’ to be full of opportunity and exploration, but can be incredibly isolating and overwhelming when you’re facing loss.
Last week I was contacted by the BBC to speak about student bereavement. Yes, this is in response to the loss of two students in Nottingham, but it is also about the thousands of students experiencing grief every day.
A creative piece based on the experience of losing my uncle, Tom, and the days that followed his death as I helped care for my grandparents.
The Student Grief Network is all about hope, really, but I think it’s also important to acknowledge those times when hope it the last thing we want to hear about. When we want the utter devastation of a situation to be allowed.
Social media and online communities can play an important role connecting people who are grieving and shedding light on a whole range of experiences. But digital platforms can also lead to misinformation, unhealthy distraction, and increased levels of loneliness. How do we balance these pros and cons?
Grief is not just a matter of missing a person. It can complicate our relationship with ourselves and the ways we function on a day-to-day basis. Josephine shares some of the ways that her losses impact the way she thinks and feels – from her memory to her self esteem.
Fole recently founded Good Grief, a community to connect anyone who has been affected by cancer. Here she shares some of the ways she has personally been impacted, from losing her Grandma and then her Mum, to finding out the chances of developing cancer herself are significantly higher than average.
I’m not sure I believe in ‘letting go’ of grief, or what that would even entail, but I wanted to reflect on the idea of carrying someone with us as we reconnect to the good in our life. This is a short creative piece based on a dream I had years ago.
I have been wildy struck with the fact that I lost a dad who I didn’t have in the first place – anyone with an addict parent will understand this. I lose a possible opportunity in the future to try and build a relationship with someone who I am half of.
Evee shares her experience of university life after she lost her mum in 2018. Evee is the co-founder of The Grief Reality, a wonderful blog where you can read many more lived experiences of grief and even contribute your own story.
We spoke to Shuma from Spoken Grief about her experiences of grief and loss during the month of Ramadan – from the difficulties of fasting when going in and out of hospital, to feeling like she can’t enjoy the month in the same way and missing her mum’s cooking.
Life After, a podcast by Theo Silberston, is a platform where young people can share and discuss their experiences with grief. Theo kicks off the second series by asking our founder, Anna, about the loss of her brother and father, and how it is to run The Student Grief Network.
Andrew’s dad died in 2012. Here he reflects on how his grief has impacted him over the years, from the initial aftermath, feeling like the elephant in the room and focusing all his energy on his A Levels, to getting into medical school and having to support dying patients and their families.
Ellie writes about her experience of putting on an interactive exhibition with The Student Grief Network in December 2021, what she learnt about her own grief and the process of sharing that and guiding others to do the same.
Interviews with some of our team exploring the main challenges that grief posed during their university experience.
I was coping with the death of one of my best friends at the tender age of 20. The calls to tone down the drinking fell on deaf ears.
In this episode, Ollie shares her experience of multiple bereavements – losing her dad when she was a teenager, and then losing her step-dad in her first term at university.
My life is permanently changed and yet, no one is talking about it.
We often think that being emotional makes things harder for those we love. But expressing our feelings can actually help others work through their own.
For me, healing depends on striking a balance between acknowledging the pain of loss while also embracing the good in life.
I knew there were other students feeling the same as me. I wanted to meet some of these people who knew a lot about how I was feeling. I wanted to listen to, and share, their stories.
