1.  Always feel safe: if you don’t feel safe, don’t follow him/her. Don’t think about how you will look to him/her and do not fall into peer pressure. You must be comfortable at all times and never feel threatened by anyone. Remember: if you don’t feel safe, you will not enjoy anything.
2. Have a backup: backup plans are great for when you need to leave an uncertain situation. Always think of one. Have a trusted person on your phone that you can call at all times.
3. Know where your medical centre is: it is important that you always know where the hospital is and where your uni medical centre is. Just in case.
4. Say what you want to: make your partner understand what you like and what you do not like. Ask them to slow down if necessary and feel comfortable with them. No one is pointing a gun at you: do only what you feel up to doing.
5. Alcohol or drugs: If you do not feel yourself because you are either too drunk or you think someone has put something in your drink, go home. Do not do things that you will regret in the morning.
6. Know them a little bit: before falling onto a bed, just know them a bit. This will lead to way less awkward moments, more intimacy and more relaxed foreplay.
7. Be safe: if you do not want to get pregnant or get anyone pregnant, always carry a condom and use any of your other preferred method of contraception. Be responsible.
8. Check: remember that many methods of contraception will not stop you from getting STIs (sexually transmitted infections)! Hence, it is very important that, if you are sexually active, you

• Talk to your partner about STIs
• Go to a clinic to get tested regularly

1. Ask: there are a lot of services in place where you can go and ask if you have any doubts about your sexual health or your health in general. Do not be put off as their job is to help you!
2. Enjoy: do not have a relationship because you need one. Do not get into bed with anyone because “otherwise he/she will leave me”. Do not do it for your friends or for anyone else. Safe sex also means doing it when you are ready, without any type of social constraints. If he/she’s not the one, then don’t! The right one will come along. You fully enjoy it only if you do it because you want to, and you will avoid any emotional psychological problems as well.

For more info on sexual health, check out our dedicated page.

In fact, 40 students from each of the two universities were tracked, interviewed and matched by degree and sex. The researchers have found out that their involvement and activities in the Universities were different and that one of the factors that most influenced their experience was still money. In fact, many middle-school students would go off to do extra-curricular activities, while working-class students wouldn’t so much and would rather get a job to support themselves while studying.

The findings are interesting also because middle-class students tended to think of university as a given, while working-class students would weigh the pros and cons of being a student versus immediately start working. However, the experience that working-class students would get from handling severe financial responsibilities at times is thought to be very helpful for their future career and their personal development.

Many students were also recorded as talking in the interviews about the worries of having a full CV so to boost their chances once leaving the university.

This study is interesting in understanding that even today, the financial situation of young students walking into universities may really affect their development and their overall social experience while studying. Hence, studying the same subject does not mean having the same experience. It would be interesting if future research would follow-up these students and careers and find out what happens once they are out of Uni. Further studies could also analyse several other factors and deepen the understanding of whether students actually get to share experiences and talk amongst themselves, outside of their own social class group.