BetterU has taken its first big step toward student-led wellbeing content, with eight contributors helping shape a more authentic, student-driven voice.
Semester 2, 2025 marked a significant milestone for BetterU: we welcomed our first group of students on placement to contribute to the BetterU News Team. These eight students – Jinbo, Rachel, Fern, Fiyo, Laura, Akon, Abby, and Annette – helped launch a new chapter for BetterU, one where student voices take centre stage in promoting wellbeing across Flinders University.
BetterU is a wellbeing initiative that connects students with services, programs, resources, and tools to support their mental, physical, spiritual, and social wellbeing. Since its launch in early 2025, BetterU has grown into a vibrant platform, and now, thanks to these students, it’s becoming a student-led news service.
While we’ve featured student contributions in the past through the Student Health and Wellbeing Blog, this is the first time we’ve formalised the process. Through future placements, our goal is to build a consistent stream of student-created content that reflects the lived experiences, insights, and creativity of our student community.
Each student has written and published articles that reflect their unique perspectives and interests. Topics range from emotional awareness through cinema, coping with stress, and art therapy, to music and mood, international student wellbeing, and study tools. You can read their work here:
- Understanding Emotions Through Cinema: Lessons from Manic
- Stress Happens: Here’s How I Cope (and Where You Can Get Help Too)
- Weaving & Art Therapy
- Read & Write: The Free Study Tool I Wish I’d Used Sooner
- Mental Health Challenges for International Students: The Perspective of a Chinese Student
- How Music Shapes Our Mood: The Science Behind the Sound
- Oasis: A Place That Gives Hope
- Why Your Study Playlist Matters: What the Research Actually Shows
- Do Less, Get More Done: A Subtractive Mindset for Uni Life
- What Students Told Us About Mental Health at Flinders: Real Voices, Real Experiences
- Finding Balance in Constant Change: How International Student Mothers Redefine Health
- The Healing Power of Art: From History and Inspiration to Our Campus Art Club
- The Importance of Listening, Understanding, Empathy, and Non-Judgmental Support in Social Work Practice (and Life)
- The Happiness Behind a Wagging Tail 🐾
- End-of-Semester Overwhelm? What I Do When I’m Drowning
- Why Your Study Playlist Matters: What the Research Actually Shows🎶
Meet the Team
Here’s a little more about the students behind the articles:
- Jinbo is a Social Work student from Qingdao, China, with a strong interest in social justice and culturally safe practice. His studies have deepened his understanding of therapeutic approaches like narrative therapy and the importance of empowering clients. He’s also passionate about community development and enjoys cycling through nature, especially when he spots a kangaroo.
- Rachel has a background in Media Studies and a passion for storytelling as a tool for connection and wellbeing. Her volunteer work in Bali inspired her journey into social work and deepened her interest in mental health, creativity, and community engagement. She enjoys painting, reading art history, and exploring the potential of art therapy.
- Fern is a Social Work student who enjoys creating wellbeing content that translates core social work values into practical, relatable resources. She’s passionate about creative expression and loves drawing and watching films as ways to explore emotion and experience.
- Fiyo is a Public Health student with a keen interest in how music, study habits, social connection, and self-care shape student wellbeing. They enjoy sharing practical, evidence-based tips that students can use in everyday life. Outside of study, they love discovering new music, spending time with friends, and exploring Adelaide’s food and culture.
- Laura is a Public Health student with a passion for medicine, psychology, and creative problem-solving. She’s especially interested in designing tools that translate research into real-world impact. Originally from Corsica, she spent five years in Darwin before settling in South Australia. Outside study, she enjoys coffee, period dramas, cooking, and drawing—often in a burst of ADHD hyperfocus. She’s also a parent and loves spending time with her blended family.
- Akon is a Public Health student with a strong interest in mental health and building healthier habits. She’s contributed to projects with BetterU and the Flinders Wellbeing Working Group, including an article on stress management. She hopes to pursue a career in psychiatry and enjoys working closely with students to improve wellbeing at Flinders.
- Annette is a Social Work student passionate about promoting wellbeing through empathy, empowerment, and social justice. She enjoys creating practical resources that support both students and the wider community. In her spare time, she loves exploring local culture and listening to music.
We run BetterU a bit like a newsroom. Students pitch ideas, we meet weekly online to share progress and troubleshoot, and I help shape their drafts into publishable content. The goal is simple but powerful: wellbeing for students, written by students.
Importantly, you don’t need to be on placement to get involved. Students can also join BetterU as volunteers and participate in the same creative and collaborative process. If you’re interested, check out the Placement and Volunteer Guide to learn more about how it works and what you can contribute.
This initiative wouldn’t be possible without the support of topic and course coordinators in Social Work and Public Health who trusted us with their students. Thank you for your belief in this project.
To the students themselves, thank you for your creativity, courage, and commitment. You’ve set a high bar for future cohorts and helped lay the foundation for a more inclusive, student-driven wellbeing platform.
If you’re a staff member running a topic and think this kind of placement might suit your cohort, please reach out (gareth.furber@flinders.edu.au). We’re keen to expand.
And finally, please show your support by visiting the students’ posts (links above) and leaving a kind comment if something resonates with you. Your encouragement means a lot.
— Dr Gareth Furber
e-Mental Health Project Officer
BetterU News Team
