Kingston University rolls out mental fitness booster course for new students

Posted Monday 27 July 2020

Kingston University is to offer a four-week course to boost the mental fitness of new students and help them bounce back from the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

The new course, which has been developed in partnership with mental fitness experts Fika, will be offered to students on Kingston's transitional summer programme Head Start which is designed to prepare new starters for life at University.

The Fika Bounce Back course will empower and reinvigorate students through four individual sessions which will teach them how to beat stress and increase positivity, strengthen their connections, boost their confidence, and feel engaged and increase their focus. They can undertake each session in their own time via app-based exercises delivered remotely through the Fika app, which features content from Olympic athletes and British sports stars.

Students will also be invited to an introduction to mental fitness with Head of Psychology at Fika Dr Fran Longstaff before kicking off the course, which includes four sessions with a mental fitness personal trainer.

Those taking part will receive an overall group mental fitness profile at the end of the course, outlining their greatest areas of strength and areas for improvement. These will be based on Fika's seven skills of mental fitness: stress management, focus, positivity, connection, confidence, motivation and meaning. The fitness experts' research has linked these skills with important metrics including student retention, attainment and employability, as well as staff happiness, productivity and collaboration.

Head of Access, Participation and Inclusion at Kingston University Jenni Woods said, "Fika's Bounce Back programme will be a wonderful addition to our Head Start programme this summer. It will help create a sense of community, connectedness and support for new students, which is particularly important in the wake of Covid-19.

"We're delighted to be working with Fika to add an additional layer of remote mental fitness boosting value to this year's Head Start programme, and hope our students will really feel the benefits as they start their higher education with us."

Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Fika Gareth Fryer said, "We're excited to be working with a like-minded organisation in Kingston University - one that understands that remotely delivered education can be stimulating and fun, as long as students feel supported and connected.

"Our four-week Bounce Back course, complete with mental fitness personal trainer, is designed to add just that sense of community and support - as well as arming students with skills they will benefit from for years to come as their academic and professional journeys unfold."