Posted 1 month ago
Mon 13 Oct, 2025 12:10 PM
Transitioning into life in halls is a big move, and it can be overwhelming at times. It’s important to make sure you’re keeping an eye on your physical and mental wellbeing whilst you’re studying.
Here are some of our top tips for staying healthy in halls!
Have regular meals and eat a healthy diet
Eating a balanced diet can help you feel well and think clearly. While ready meals and takeaways might seem like the most convenient option sometimes, it's often tastier and better for your body to take the time to cook a nutritious meal. If you’ve not quite perfected your culinary skills just yet, why not grab some of your flatmates and cook something together?
Here are some quick and easy meal examples you can follow:
| Ingredients | Method |
| 1 chicken stock cube | Pour 700ml or 1 ¼ pint of freshly boiled water into a saucepan |
50g/1 ¾ dried egg noodles (around one nest) | Add the stock cube to the boiled water and stir until dissolved |
50g/ 1 ¾ frozen peas | Add noodles, spring onions, peas and chicken to the boiled water |
| 1 spring onions thinly sliced | Bring everything to a boil and cook for five minutes or until the noodles and peas are cooked and chicken is hot throughout |
50g/1 ¾ shredded cooked chicken or tofu | Ladle the soup into a deep, wide bowl |
| To serve (optional) | If you want you can top the soup with chilli, garlic and soy sauce to finish |
| Half a thinly sliced red chilli | |
| Half a sliced garlic clove | |
Dash or soy sauce |
| Ingredients | Method |
| One tablespoon vegetable oil | Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic |
| One chopped onion | Fry over a medium heat for five minutes, stir to avoid burning |
| Four cloves of finely chopped garlic | Add the spices and chilli until the onions have softened |
| On teaspoon of curry spice | Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to boil |
½ teaspoon of cumin | Add squash and chickpeas to the pan and reduce the heat |
½ teaspoon of turmeric
| Put a lid on the saucepan and leave on a low simmer for half an hour to forty minutes |
| 1 chopped chilli | Place rice in a pan filled with 500ml of water. |
| 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes | Season water with salt and bring the water to boil |
| 400g tin of coconut milk | Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook the rice for ten minutes |
½ butternut squash chopped into small chunks | Leave rice to cool for 10 minutes |
| 400g tin of chickpeas | Serve the curry and rice together, add optional naan bread to the side |
| 150g of basmati rice | |
| salt |
| Ingredients | Method |
| 200g/ 70z chicken breast | Place chicken breast on a chopping board and cover with cling film |
| 1 tablespoon vegetable oil |
Use a rolling pin to flatten the thickest parts of the breast so they are even across the breast
|
½ teaspoon of cumin
| Mix oil, spice, garlic, black pepper and half lemon juice into a bowl and cover the chicken in the sauce to cover it completely |
| 1 finely chopped garlic clove | Cover and leave the chicken in the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes |
| 1 lemon | Heat a frying pan until very hot and cook the chicken on high heat for two minutes on both sides |
¼ chicken stock cube dissolved in hot water | Add the stock, reduce the heat to medium and partly cover the pan |
| salt and pepper | Cook the chicken for five more minutes or until cooked through |
| Salad |
Place them on a warm plate and scrape the juice off the chicken
|
| Bag of mixed salad | Take two tortilla wraps and add hummus to the inside of both |
| To serve | Add mixed salad on top of the hummus |
| Tortilla wraps | Slice the chicken and add on top of the salad and add a squeeze of lemon |
| 4 tablespoons hummus | Roll the tortilla and serve |
Get enough sleep
This one's a biggie. When you're tired, any worries or anxieties you may have can get blown out of proportion. Getting into a regular sleep routine can help you stay on top of university life, and will give you more energy and focus during the day.
Try something new
Finding a skill, activity, or sport as a student can help build self-confidence which enables you to try new things, learn new information, and take risks. Signing up to a society or joining a sports team is also a great way to meet new people and make friends at university.
Remember to have fun
University is your chance to explore new things, find your independence, and just have a great time. Finding an activity or hobby you enjoy and find pleasure in can often help your mental health.
Don't know where to start? Why not join an upcoming ResLife event - it's a great way to try new activities and meet other people in halls!
Exercise regularly
Keeping active can help you improve your mental health, and even gentle exercise, like yoga or swimming, can help you relax and manage stress. Building up good habits takes time, but the more you stay active, the easier it becomes. Make the most of your Premium Edge membership and visit the gym on campus!
Using The Edge Gym as a Halls Student
Don’t forget you have a Premium Edge membership as part of your halls of residence contract! Your membership gives you access to over 130 exercise classes per week, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, personal trainers, swimming lessons and access to a whole host of other member benefits.
