KINGSTON University student, Luize Razgulajeva, graduated in the last week of July in 2024. Her flat’s lease ended a week before graduation.
“It was pretty intense having to plan and arrange graduation alongside everything that comes with moving. On top of that, I had been looking for a job to have after graduation since February,” she said.
London’s rental market peaks between the months of August and October with students looking for accommodation, graduates starting new jobs in the city and the workforce seeking places closer to work.
Unfortunately, Razgulajeva was unable to find somewhere to live and was forced to couch-surf for the next seven weeks.
She said: “After university, I found myself in this position where I was couch-surfing, I didn’t have a house, I didn’t have a place to live and I was completely reliant on my dear friends and basically every contact I had on my
phone to ask if I could sleep at their house.”
According to the Higher Education Policy Institute, there has been little data collection of homelessness rates among former university students and an underestimation from universities of the levels of ‘hidden homelessness’ among students, such as couch surfing.
“You feel like such a nuisance when you’re staying over at someone’s house. They can’t live by their schedule when you’re there and you can’t live by yours when they’re there,” Razgulajeva said when talking about her experience couch-surfing.
Razgulajeva worked while she couch-surfed, saving up money for when she and her friend Matthew could find a place to move in to.
In September 2024, Razgulajeva and Matthew finally found a one bedroom apartment to rent, but the problems didn’t end there.
A month later, her workplace decided to let her go.
“My first occupation after graduation had me on a three-month probation period, gave me a brown letter
on the last day and said don’t bother coming back in. I had to go to the job centre and seek out universal credit,” Razgulajeva said.
“I mentioned the seven-weeks of couch surfing and the lovely lady who had helped me in the job centre said, in the politest way, that while she appreciated the term, I was, by system, homeless. It’s an interesting trend in society where we almost have accepted that this is a natural part of life; that at some point people couch surf!”
Razgulajeva has now successfully secured a job and been able to pay her rent regularly.
“The agency believes that we’re a couple which is how we managed to get the apartment. We’re not. We turned the living room into my bedroom,” Luize said when talking about the application process.
She added: “There is not a day where I don’t walk up and down my little three-foot kitchen and feel grateful to have this place.”
Eid as a Muslim revert
By Khizra Mahmood
EID is usually a time which Muslims celebrate with family and friends. However, some may not have a choice
but to spend it alone.
This is the case with people who revert to Islam and whose family may not be believers.
Eid can be especially diffi-
cult if you are a revert. Zoe, said: “I keep thinking how I will be spending the month of Ramadan. I will be at university which will just keep me busy I guess, but thinking how I will spend Eid, my parents are not necessarily against it, but I know I will be spending that time alone and it does upset me honestly.”
It can also be upsetting for those who are celebrating but their parents or friends are not very supportive of their decision.
It can also take a toll on those who are more religiously observant than other family members or may not have experienced many family traditions during Ramadan and Eid.
However, many reverts can turn to their local communities and mosques for advice.
Amaal, 21, said: “Every year, I go to Norbury park, where they do the morning Eid prayers in the park, it is really nice seeing everyone pray in congregation. I
Kingston’s screen time
By Izzy Dine
KU students are addicted to thier phones with the average time spent standing at six and a half hours per day, based on 35 students’ daily phone use reports.
Student responses ranged from three to almost 15 hours per day on their phone.
Georgia, 24, whose daily average was 14 hours and 34 minutes says she needs to be watching “two things at once or I don’t pay attention or forget I’m watching something”.
“If we’re watching TV, I am playing a game as I’ll get distracted and not watch the show if it’s the only thing happening,” she said.
Brashen, 23, told the River their screen time was definitely a problem for them.
“At one point I kind of hurt my wrist from the position I was holding my phone in, like repetitive strain injury,” they said.
do tend to see quite a few reverts in the park, I personally like to go up and make conversation with them asking them how their Ramadan went and how they will be spending the rest of their Eid.”
The university also recognises these types of celebrations, as they celebrate with morning Eid salah (prayer).
Every year some parks host events around the Eid period, called Eid in the park or Eid on the green. The KMA (Kingston Muslim Association) and Kingston ISOC did an event like this last year at Kingsmeadow stadium, where the day included prayers, activities, food stalls and funfair rides. This is a way for many to spend Eid in a fun way and get to know their fellow Muslims.
If you are going to be spending Eid alone this year, you can follow the Kingston ISOC on Instagram as there are many resources as well as brothers and sisters to talk to about this.
The most popular apps in the screen time reports were Instagram and TikTok. Research published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction said: “Excessive screentime can harm sleep, learning, memory, mental health and may increase the risk of cognitive, behavioural and emotional disorders.”
The negative effects of screen time are insidious because you can’t see what’s happening in your brain as you’re staring at the screen,” said Maris Loeffler, member of the Stanford lifestyle medicine cognitive enhancement pillar.
However, a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that students who used social media but limited themselves to just half an hour a day, were happier and less lonely than those who used more or none.
According to Yalda T. Uhls, an assistant professor of psychology at UCLA, we could be worrying too much about screentime.
She said if you’re sleeping well, eating well, leaving the house to socialise, physically active and able to work not to worry about screentime.
In an article by Health, Uhls said that she wished adults would worry less about screentime.
Flats to rent. Image: HOLLANDSE HOOGTE/SHUTTERSTOCK
