Yes! Many students using TalkCampus are mature students, studying remotely or studying part-time. TalkCampus is a great way to help people feel connected to their place of study and foster communities. The fact that TalkCampus is accessed via phone and is available round the clock can also help students that juggle busy lives.

We ask you to use your official University or College email address for one purpose: authentication and verification of your student status. TalkCampus is a network exclusively for students. Using your University email address is the most reliable way to ensure no one else can access the platform. This means it remains a safe space for the community it is intended for. In the “Need Help” section of the app, the University’s support services and external support services are linked there for you in case you need to speak to a professional either at the University or at external services. 

Please be assured that TalkCampus is a confidential, third-party support service where your identity is protected. TalkCampus will not share personal identifying details in interactions of those using the platform either with the University or other third parties.

If TalkCampus are concerned about a student’s welfare or at risk of harming themself, they may notify the University to enable us to offer you the right support. TalkCampus crisis support will reach out first in this case. Please be assured that your personal circumstances and any identifying details will remain private and confidential between the treating practitioner/s and yourself, and will not be shared with any other staff at the University, including teaching staff.

Peer support occurs when people within a community provide knowledge, experience, and emotional, social or practical help to each other. 

TalkCampus is based around peer support, where users support each other based on shared experiences of dealing with the challenges of managing their studies and life demands. Relationships of respect and understanding can have a positive impact on student's mental health and sense of belonging. Participating in peer-to-peer support has been linked to an increased ability to cope, a greater sense of well-being & resilience, and higher self-esteem and confidence levels.

UNSW also offers a range of peer support programs for students to engage with throughout their studies. You can find out more about these programs via the link below. 

Explore Peer-Support Programs

TalkCampus is primarily an English speaking network, however, the TalkCampus Buddies can support you across 25 languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Odia, Bengali, Urdu, Swedish, Dutch, German, Russian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Spanish, Tswana, Afrikaans, French, Greek & Portuguese. You may see posts in these languages. 

TalkCampus Administrators

TalkCampus has a global safety team working around the clock to remove inappropriate content and users within seconds. Administrators are professional staff trained in moderation and safeguarding. Administrators review flagged content and content removed by the Moderators and oversee the platform 24/7. Administrators can also suspend and ban users.

Moderators

A Moderator is a TalkLife volunteer who has gone through a thorough recruitment, training and assessment process to be able to remove content on TalkLife. Moderators remove content that is against the TalkLife Community Guidelines. An Administrator reviews everything that a Moderator removes. Moderators are members of the TalkLife community that want to give back and support others. 

TalkCampus buddies/trained volunteers

A Buddy is a volunteer from the TalkCampus community who wants to give back and support others. TalkCampus volunteers undergo training and assessment and learn how to support others online, including active listening, conveying empathy and self-care. Buddies are there to welcome you into the community and support you as you work through the ups and downs of life.

TalkLife Clarity AI

The TalkLife Clarity AI and moderation engine monitor TalkCampus. TalkLife Clarity uses machine learning models to classify content shared on TalkCampus to facilitate faster support and provide additional moderation when needed. The TalkLife Clarity AI and moderation engine monitor TalkCampus. TalkLife Clarity uses machine learning models to classify content shared on TalkCampus to facilitate faster support and provide additional moderation when needed.

Data is collected and used for the purpose of gathering insights on how the platform is being used. Your TalkCampus data is de-identified, and never shared with third parties or advertisers. We encourage you to learn more about how TalkCampus uses your data through their privacy policy which can be found here.

The University only receives data relating to logins and usage, such as how many users are using TalkCampus, interactions on the platform and the frequency and duration of use. No personal identifying details are provided with this data in any case. 

If TalkCampus are concerned about a student’s welfare or at risk of harming themself, they may notify the University to enable us to offer you the right support. TalkCampus crisis support first will reach out to the student in this case. Please be assured that your personal circumstances and any identifying details will remain private and confidential between the treating practitioner/s and yourself, and will not be shared with any other staff at the University, including teaching staff.

TalkCampus has a FAQ page for other questions you might have, including how to use TalkCampus. 

UNSW offers mental health support services through Psychology & Wellness. If you are a UNSW Sydney student, you can access Mental Health Connect. If you are an ADFA/Canberra student needing mental health support, please visit the UNSW Canberra Student Counselling Service.