Thank you Judy 95 if it went on Medium Wave and on digital radio. Whites Good morning arms police and military personnel are being deployed at key locations across the U.K. Following the raising of the terror threat level to critical the highest possible alert it means that after yesterday's bombing of a crowded ship train the government believes a further terror attack may be imminent Police Scotland said it will be increasing the number of armed police on patrol particularly at key locations and crowded places officers will also be reviewing all significant events taking place in Scotland over the next few days I'll increase security when appropriate the Scottish Labor leadership contest takes a big step forward this weekend with the launch of the competing campaigns and our Star Wars set out his stall in Glasgow last night and Richard Leonard will follow suit today the winner will be declared in November a day after its latest ballistic missile launch North Korea has said its final goal is a military echo Librium with the United States last night the U.N. Security Council described the missile test over Japan as highly provocative but no further sanctions were imposed looking at sport an eye on the 2 all draw for Partick Thistle zone Rangers last night has moved the I broke side to 3rd in the table but failed to draw them level on points with leaders Celtic and Aberdeen today in the Premiership Aberdeen's and Johnson and Celtic old defends their unbeaten records and improve 14 in Iraq being at a red head coach Richard Cockrell is better Lee disappointed with a side 1720 loss the Benetton Meyer side last night and Glasgow Warriors take on Cardiff Blues at home later today. Time for a look then at Scotland's weather rather cloudy with occasional rain or sharers of the were dry and bright starts in the south it will become drier and brighter from the north during the afternoon with some science spells developing by the end of the day it will be cool though with temperatures reaching just 13 or 14 Celsius and that's elitist B.B.C. Radio Scotland nice. The. If you've been to college or university pause for just a moment and cast your mind back is a blur of exam stress is trying to make friends and late night parties to fast forward to today and all of a sudden you're sending your own kids off to university are they ready are you ready I'm Julian Russell and on today's personal best we've got a guide to a healthy happy student life so that your kids and you can survive intact here son you're a parent who's been there done that bought the T. Shirt. Send in your children to university is always quite an anxious time I was concerned particularly my son about moving up his comfort zone and focus on you know student life and what that would bring whether it would be well whether he would look after itself in a healthy kind of way in terms of my daughter very much more independent very much more tempting to go to Mr far out the shopping and then please can you go now and I was like well why I. Really really upset that she wasn't missing us as in which we've been missing her but we recognise that's probably the best way today she was very very keen to make friends find out who else was in the halls of residence you know sort of like just Oriente itself and the quicker we were out the way. The quicker she could do that and what we did with both of my children is that we did and before the when in the summer talking about some of those challenges that they may face and talking about well you know this arises how would they face those challenges you have to come worries about how they will manage different social aspects you know so hard to learn about drugs alcohol or you know how they will settle in socially how they'll be dealing with the academic side of things with the be able to cope emotional issues so a lot of those worries were with me before they actually went to university and neither of my children knew how to cope beforehand despite the number of times that used to say to them Well what you all need to learn this they knew how to do a scrambled egg and I knew they couldn't do a partner will and I knew the Learn and that's exactly what they did. As we all did and actually they would be the 1st to survive there well I'll put my hand up and confess that it's a long time since I was at university so let's get a sense of what student life is like now Judy weight is from the National Union of Students Scotland do you not long a few Tell us what student life was like for you a student life was deference to how I imagined it being I thank. Before I when I went to university straight from skill I had this idea that it was all going to be party and it was going to be making lots of new friends and actually for the farce little while that. It wasn't really a lake that I still left home so I was travelling men and going home at the end of the day so I wasn't really hanging out to get involved in activities in fact so for me student life was not that definition for it actually being a skill but as time went on I realised that there were things to get involved. My students association I got involved in fact things like radio sure I got involved in societies I got involved in sports clubs so actually you know very see with more can of socialize and meet new people and it did take me a while votes it to find those fags I didn't get involved until I was about 30 or if you know Verity so I don't have a couple of years where I didn't really involve myself at all the social aspect of acting on account takes time that's a reality when I'm sure things have changed massively since I was at university so I kind of wonder if students have different concerns now or do they still worry about the same kind of stuff Frankie Vonn went to the University of Glasgow and asked Katie Livia and Lucy what kind of things they want the update I think probably for me was coming up from the south of England and not knowing a single person at university moving into halls as well is quite daunting I think my biggest concern was and for sure living at home and whether or not I'd be able to make the same amount of friends everyone else but obviously that's something you just have to overcome peer self more. I found it really difficult doing a subject I've never done before but the way of learning and the sort of stove exams and things were very different so it was just a bit overwhelming initially but you just got used to and everyone's in the same position as we get it. Would like to bring in Nicole Jackson who's the student wellbeing advisor at Glasgow Caledonian University they call that sense of not knowing anyone being away from home the the subjects and studying being very different so on I mean how typical at these rallies for students we see on a very regular basis especially obviously around September and take time everyone is coming with exactly the same anxieties and fears and I think that's something really key to kind of beat and maint and some people may look like they've done it before and they know exactly what they're doing but 9 times out of 10 they're they're probably feeling the exact same we as and as you are and especially as parents as well to take knowledge that in your children that they'll be. Other people they're exactly the same as them and so yeah we see it every year it's something I see most days almost as a sort of homesickness a defect and isolation as well at the start anyway and would you say they're the biggest issues to begin with in that sort of transition P.D. It yeah absolutely I think it is it's that the field of not knowing and not knowing anyone is well and I think the key to it as is really just like Jodi said pin yourself. But also get involved in things like induction program everything is given to you know the information is the are and I think a lot of students worry about what they don't know before they get there but that's OK You know nobody knows either well what kind of support is on offer if students are feeling a bit homesick and a bit isolated to begin with I think in the 1st instance when you 1st move it will be the same support probably across most universities so it'll be events that are going on our university has an events team for example so they'll be putting things on throughout that sort of month of September to get everybody involved in talk to her but kind of moving on from that if things get a little more extreme there's usually for us we have a student wellbeing service that supports students there if it's really struggling with sort of a solution homesickness I think in the 1st instance it's really about get yourself involved and like Jodi said as well get involved in Students Association activities and grips and trying to kind of make friends that we in the in the 1st at least I would see could couple of months to be honest I think that's that's the best time to do that and the gas that's fine in freshers' week and in the early weeks when it's all going on but then beyond that I guess it's you know if you're still feeling like you're not quite fitting in or belonging then that might be when you know a student needs to to seek some kind of help Yeah absolutely and I think the key there is same kind of Airlie intervention so if if you can recognise or feel that things aren't just kind of going the way you planned then the best thing to do is it's. Because I owed it to somebody you know we quite often be the student wellbeing service we would say come and speak to us that's what my role is for really is to support students in getting the best of their their education and their university experience and I think most other universities will have a similar you know have a counseling department or a disability service that kind of thing is going to see I mean presumably like a lot of things in life prevention is often better than cure so it's running students can do in advance really doing a bit of research if they can about what is there so if you've got a particular interest or something that you know you're going to do a bit of digging and find out right well is there maybe get in touch beforehand with the group or if it's something else around you perhaps already got a diagnosed mental health condition for example or a disability that we support university for things like that so if you can link in with those services entry I think that's absolutely key I mean you mentioned mental health them and that's something we've spoken about in the program a lot and it is a major issue these days I mean how is that being tackled in universities Yeah it's yet something is massive in the sector at the moment universities are doing a lot I think to battle it just know I would say it's still quite early doors but for us and we've brought in a mental health advisor which we didn't have before so he's been in post for about a year and a half and I it was key to the team ethic that we're an aim that has rule exists and he's just been fantastic actually and very busy which is disconcerting in a way but really nice to know that he's you know been able to provide that for students and link them in with usually community support is what he'll do not keep banging on about how much of a strange since I was at university but one of the things I'm thinking about is social media and I mean Jodi I want to bring you back in here it's a huge part of all of our lives but especially students friends or foes social media Judy I think it depends how you use social media and as Nicole said they are I think doing preparation before coming to university and can really help with social aspects. And what you find is that usually there are events and things for freshers' week and beyond that on social media I fall off university Facebook pages and I fall off their Instagram page as and sometimes and social media can be a really good tool to find out what kind of things you think you'd be interested in so they put a lot of things about events that are going on called us that you can join but then I suppose on the flip side of that when it comes to assessment and exam tell you you need to know when to be able to target your social media off and concentrate on your studies starting in a very C. As the start if you become an adult so it's kind of a glaring uncarved to be able to do that yourself yes that's a good point taking responsibility I mean Nicole what's your take on social media yeah I would agree with that I think. What Jody was sayin Absolutely because a lot of the things that universities are doing now you do find out about it through social media but I have seen students in the past that it has been especially. Well sorry not that are just showing kind of people's good points of their life I think we've all got a habit of one to just publish the things that are happening they're good for us and for somebody that's maybe going through a really tough time or is struggling to kind of entity are make those relationships and friends they're seeing this kind of filter I was call S. Are filtered of your life you know that it's not always like that but that's what people are seeing sometimes through social media and it's just keeping that in perspective yeah absolutely you know I've had students in the past that we've agreed that right for a certain period of the day they're going to Tarnoff a certain apps or during the night even that's been a key one get off in the evening and not turn it back on again until the morning you know notifications and things start coming up through the evening and that seems to have helped a lot but you know it's time to remember that what do you post on social media as old as the good things well that's probably the same for most other people as will sooner now we're not just about advice for students today who want to help patients through this transition period to I mean the column is that I think we espied and it's can do to help ease that transition for our kids but at the same time not to interfere Yeah I think I think that is key is kind of alive in the student to kind of take lead and for I guess the parents or grandparents to sort of try and tape take a step back as difficult as that may be I think something we find can be really helpful is for the patient to sort of understand the life cycle of a shouldn't do a bit of research themselves I suppose with a doesn't need to be in conjunction with their child but just kind of an understanding of when maybe the more stressful P.D.'s are going to be and for your university so exam takes over 80 from Institution across institutions so having a new knowledge of OK is it peaks Christmas time or is it going to be post is that going to make Christmas quite a tough one or it you know are they going to be quite relaxed and I'm going. But there is something to you know there's something testicle only. Resources and things there's the complete university gate there's a website called family life as well and they have some fantastic ideas and information for parents to help get their children ready I mean the thing is as a parent you know we want to help we've been used to doing pretty much everything for her kids before they go off and we might be anxious about our offspring going off but you know we're also trying not to put our worries onto our kids so how do we get that right and home I mean I've had parents in the past that have contacted our will be in service just to ask for a bit of advice or support before their their child started just email and some questions in queries about support available or how to access it or what kinds of things are going on that may benefit their their child then I think that's a great way to start Definitely and it is the parents' main that eases will for sure I'm just thinking what was in there about social media I mean when I was a student we didn't have social media and in a mobile phones home really giving away my hits now but I wonder if that can sometimes be a drawback nowadays as patrons because Would we be better off not knowing for our student kids are up to 247 and not being constantly in touch and or because it's a constant sort of remainders wail and you see em midges and people post and things but I think it comes back to the fact that there is definitely opposed to fear as a paid in if you can follow perhaps the institution on their social media that might make Yeah I think at least you know then what's happening is that exam time because there's a lot beyond you know the social media pages or is it a study week or is it a summer break rather than see maybe individual for your child but if you at least have an idea of what's going on at the university then I think that's a great place to start without knowing the nitty gritty. While listening with us to this signed advice is Georgia White who's about to start university for the 1st time how are you feeling about all Georgia oh I'm a wee bit nervous I'm not going to lie looking forward to. It's staff and 1st time away from home what kind of what is do you have if any American of anything that you've heard so far to sort of chime in with you know definitely it's like I'm a bit like Judy of I'm just coming straight from skill but I'm really eager to get involved with everything so I'm a bit nervous about meeting new people but at the same time I know I've got to some going to really try and push that in freshers' week I think by taking part in everything that's going on in the end I think that's well stay with us guys there's lots more to come today including advice on damage limitation for students who don't disappear You're listening to present best on B.B.C. Radio Scotland with me Gillian Russell if you've just joined us if you've missed anything at all don't forget you can catch up on the B.B.C. I Player or download our free part cast now when you hear the word student what image does a country up in your head pints pizza late nights and skipping lectures or was that just me Ian Bell is a health and wellness consultant from the executive fitness foundation in does that description send that your student days or were you always Mr fit and healthy well I'm going to try to be more careful than you are not suggest how old I am I know I will be right. And I do remember my student days very well and as Nicole Jordi and in Georgia will it's obviously support is not just studying it's a transition into life an adult with itself so that journey as we know as you know I know was tainted with alcohol it's all about understanding that you do have to build confidence that you do have to extend your character and you do have to socialize as much as possible in order to make those things happen and that is when they are whole comes into play so that's the social lubricant that makes people feel relaxed makes things humorous it creates memories but there's also about the damage limitation we do have to understand that our goal. All is good in the right amount but also very harmful in too many quantities Well well how do we do that then you talk about damage limitation I mean what would be your advice if it students are going to drink and they want to drink and they're going to do all those parties how do they get it right obviously the 1st thing is experience and it's not feeling too nervous and going in the deep end which I'm slightly looking across at Georgia thinking dear don't die even if you have to think about the rules and they're quite clear 1st of all try and have some kind of food in your stomach we all know the drinking an empty stomach will increase the absorption of alcohol rapidly so that's always a good thing to be wary of and as I'm saying to Georgia take a banana with you when you go drinking so that if you can't get more food as you're drinking then have a banana Jewing the drinking and top up with extra water as you're consuming alcohol I'm just wondering if people down the pub are OK start laughing of if we all appear with a banana Well you can conceal it in any way you wish but it's having that imagine you know when you start to feel oh this is starting to really affect me I need food in my stomach and it would be great if somebody could be a banana to try and slow dying the absorption of our whole into the bloodstream that's the key factor here how much is sponsibility is there for the wider community for the universities for the bar staff and so on to take on board as well it's definitely both sides of the fence were entering students into probably the 1st time they're going to be binge drinking which can be anywhere from $4.00 to $6.00 drinks in a short period of time but also if you're drinking in a collective rind is to try and avoid that because that then puts pressure upon you to drink with 5678 other people so I say to students look after yourself look after the people you're drinking with but most importantly we have to remember that all the bar staff have a responsibility to Sarah our. Whole responsibly to consumers and that includes a university bar or a bar in the street so we have to be very mindful that we reduce the levels of harm that may be presented by people whose having served too much alcohol Well George you're about to go off to university for the 1st time as we said I know Ian's been giving you kind of drinking lessons this is he has been giving you some advice and what have you learned. Learn that it's all right to skip around if you saw a need. Yeah and also need to be aware of. Things like that. And just drink plenty of water as the night goes on so I'm not damaging myself really how easy do you think it's going to be to take the device with you Well yeah I guess it's already seen and I have got to agree because it's right next to me. Because we should maybe check back with you in a few weeks time then. I say. Yeah I'm a bit worried actually except just I don't know what to expect I mean I've only experience kind of high school parties and things like that in the house it's kind of a safe environment so to really know what to expect but certainly remember that face going with your eyes open because Jackson and Judy Waite are still with us and you're just out of University Judy what is the drinking culture like there's there's Georgists and unsure what to expect and yeah the drinking culture is definitely there and we'll have people given promotions campus joined freshers' week you'll have well it depends on where you are you may have a bar on your campus. But I think something we often forget is that and general if you're going to drink you're going to drink with or your university or whether your work can filter you so actually if you're at university it tends to be kind of a safe environment you know you have a lot of AM places where you can get advice and you have peers all. Often with you Don't worry if you're rich if your child is going to university because if they were workin or if they were a college or you know if they were anywhere else they probably be there in the sea and actually university as a safe environment for them to do that well Nicole and I wonder in terms of the drinking culture. Is it is it soo prevalent in university life or can you escape it . I think you can definitely it depends on what your kind of interests are than your You're sort of social circle I suppose we definitely see that certain groups or certain programs sometimes have a group within them that that's just what they want to do and that's that's fine you know it's after class or whatever as I think if it's not your bag you'll find people out there that it's not there's either a New York kind of create a group that we don't think it singles people in any way there's loads going on that doesn't revolve around alcohol especially on the university it's cute to hear Well we've dealt with a drink what about the food is of chips and chocolate or in these health conscious times has nutrition advice filtered through to student land and is anyone actually listening Well let's hear again from the students themselves about how much attention they pay to their nutrition you know with a diet I think very definitely was a big shock to the system you don't realise quite how much planning goes in review with your parents and the weekly shop but in the last year I have sort of spent every bit more time trying to plan what I'm eating where like I'm going to go into my big shop and things like that and just taking a little bit of that extra time does make a huge difference and you will be a lot healthier for it as even just going to the shop with a list something as simple as that makes a big difference you know the exact same thing I think when you come to uni it's all very exciting you can eat what you want when you want and then you quickly realise that's not sustainable so I think it's very much kind of I was saying trying to Clancy making big batch the food something for something kept or for that week I'm just kind of juggling your diet because it is so easy otherwise to slip and to take poison on the other face nobody can afford to live off takeaways so I think that's the main thing is you just got kind of find that balance so the next you really can't be bothered cooking then also then trying to peer so those night she got something already made so making the most of it. Interesting well in the sun is like. The penny has started to drop for those students and that's just the thing isn't it you soon learn that you can't keep living off takeaways financially or her health wise but tell us just how important good food and good nutrition is for students it's absolutely crucial because remember we're reflecting not just her energy systems or we go to bed and turn up alleges but also feeding our brain and how we process the knowledge that we learn. Applies to everyone it's all about eating good fruit vegetables good carbohydrates and of course there's again there's a balance point where if you're going to take away. After a few drinks then that's also fine because there has to be a sound degree of reality but remember the access and the cost to cheap healthy food as as best as it has ever been in Scotland and I think students are aware of that and should try and pursue that is as often as possible Judy I mean Hyla Where do you think students are of healthy eating and good food and the importance of it I think students are very aware again there's so much advice on university campuses that you like students at university are in a really good possession to be able to to get advice on healthy eating and also Israel students can set up society and set up groups as well if that's something that they're entrusted then or something that they want their peers to get involved and wife so things like fits prepaying as specially if you're in accommodation then they can definitely be in ways that you can eat healthier for example doing great food shops and didn't get picked prepping for the week I have a new stick ever but generally you know universities are places where there as a lot of advice on this kind of stuff well George are you moving out of the comfort of your home to fend for yourself or shortly how much can you cook. And I'm going to say it's quite limited and I can make a lot of basic things you know like pass the. Kind of things that everyone can do but yeah I'm going to buy a few critics and try and get new things I like that idea Judy was saying about getting a group of mates together once you've made those mates. And cooking together learning from each other which is which is a nice idea there in how important is fitness for students physical fitness I'm talking about in terms of the general wellbeing I think it's absolutely crucial and again we've highlighted that a lot of the changes in nutrition and indeed the presence of exercise in students society is far more prevalent than it's ever been it's saw cheap and cost effective for a student to join part of the college or university gym they can also join as social and sports clubs which again increase their their peer territory which is great so they then socialize with people in 234 years above and they can lend lend themselves to a broader social network and perhaps feel that their student life is easier and in addition of the fuel they want to exclude selves from the university gym all the private facilities are available in Scotland they provide a student membership program so it's again almost just a bit more expensive to join a private health club as well as university one and if money is tight I guess is always welcome because that's us we as it comes I would recommend that students try and walk at lunchtime that the Triune God in the morning and walk towards the 1st lecture and try and walk home all those times allow yourselves to meet other students as you're walking home can various talk about student life but also stimulate the respect or interest system in the cardiovascular system just with a 20 to 30 minute walk and of course of about smartphones there's no excuse get one of those apps pedometer apps and tend to those 10000 steps a day please just never know there's another. Your list of things to do were just about time but just finally we've been talking about some of the challenges that students might face during the time at university Nicole for parents or for students listening if they're worried about any aspect of forthcoming student life what one thing would you say to take away. I think don't be afraid to ask for the support or at least seek a what's what is there. Every university know will have a similar tires will be in service with Kempson teens mental health advisors will be an advisor saw I think the key there is just to find out what you know you don't know and accept that there will be some things that you learned over the 1st few weeks but certainly doing a bit of research in that area as I think he definitely on a learning curve for US presence to this one has the students back thanks to all my guests Jody Nicole Ian and Georgia Good luck to Georgia if you've missed anything at all don't forget you can catch up on the B.B.C. I Player or download our free podcast next week we'll be finding out whether.