Jumpstart Your Success: Everyday Matters

25 Sep 2025

First year students on selected modules have an opportunity to 'learn to be well' so they can 'be well to learn'.

Leading universities around the world are teaching students about wellbeing to support their success in learning and life. Students increasingly value their wellbeing and personal development while employers seek self-efficacy skills including resilience and self-awareness.

Here in UCC, in September 2025, incoming first year students on selected modules have an opportunity to 'learn to be well' so they can 'be well to learn'.

Twenty-five module leaders across the four colleges in UCC are devoting time and space in their semester 1 curricula for 2300 students to take 'Jumpstart Your Success: Everyday Matters', a bespoke self-paced online unit that is available to students on their Canvas dashboard.

In this unit, students explore what being a successful student means to them, learn what mental wellbeing means, describe how the brain develops in the late adolescent years [up to 24 years, 80% of all undergraduates in Irish universities within this age band], analyse their time use, learn how to build healthy habits that stick and strengthen their resilience by considering their support network.

Here are some of the comments from first year students who have worked though the content so far:

"Knowing there is a support system."

"I loved the videos. They provided short, scientific-based, engaging insights into the topics being discussed."

"I think it sign posts many of the likely challenges to come for new students."

"The wellbeing part I think was the best"

"The personal examples of the pill organiser and the swimming bag really help me to understand how atomic habits or creating a better environment can change the bigger actions."

"Labeling types of time usage and how to develop habits"

"Understanding how the brain works"

"Habits - Three E's"

"It made me feel so much more confident in my ability"

"Everything I was worried about starting college was included"

"All information was very useful and made me feel more confident"

Students can earn a micro credential for completing the full Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits for University Life® ️digital badge, a more comprehensive time use and wellbeing course which complements Jumpstart Your Success: Everyday Matters.

These curricular innovations are elements of a three-year wellbeing and the curriculum project underway in UCC supported by Higher Education Authority Mental Health funding. This pioneering project is progressing national policies on promoting mental health across the population and Higher Education Authority policies on student success and student mental health.

This project is designed and led by Dr. Eithne Hunt from the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UCC in collaboration with students, academic and professional services staff.

For further information please contact Eithne at e.hunt@ucc.ie