Recharge and reinvigorate this exam season

Resources to inspire you

Films

We subscribe to several film databases which provide a rich selection of films and TV shows to support academic study.

• Kanopy – enjoy critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films and more.
• Artfilms is the video steaming service of Contemporary Arts Media, offering over 5,000 films for art educators and practitioners, including a section of films on 'Healing Arts'.
• BFI Online - hundreds of exceptional films handpicked by the BFI and made available to UCL students and staff for academic purposes only.

Magazines

Magazines are a great source of inspiration and fresh insights on a range of topical issues to reinvigorate your research.

• You can access several print copies of art magazines in the Main Library.  
• Rock’s Backpages – an archive from rock and pop music history which has full text of popular music magazines like NME and Melody Maker.
• Vogue –We have every issue of Vogue from 1892, a brilliant resource for social history and style tips.
• New Scientist – stay on top of what’s happening. Science and technology news from around the world.
• We also have access to Sight and Sound, London Review of Books, the New Yorker and much more…

Resources to help you relax

Make time to relax, connect with friends and family and rest from revision.

Books

Daily reading for pleasure positively affects mental health, lowers stress levels and improves concentration among many other things.

• The UCL Main Library has a fantastic range of fiction, art and design books. 
• We also have dedicated ‘Wellbeing Collections’ in many libraries with novels and books related to mental health and wellbeing, including several from the Reading Agency’s ‘Books on Prescription’ list. Check our Mental Health and Wellbeing Reading List.
• Several libraries have book swaps which are a great way to declutter your shelves and to find brilliant new reads.
• We also recommend joining your local public library. Anyone can join Camden and Islington libraries, and Westminster accepts anyone with a permanent UK address.

E-books and digital collections

Escape to other worlds and discover treasures via some of our online collections, including:

• UCL Press – the world’s first fully open access university press has published 189 books which have been accessed over 7 million times. Highlights include Treasures from UCL and the World of UCL.
• Digital Collections - many important items from our world renowned Special Collections have been digitised, including items about the history of UCL, medieval manuscript fragments and the George Orwell archive.
• Literature online (LION) - access more than 350,000 works of poetry, prose and drama.
• Oxford World's Classics - read over 300 great novels and other books, which have proved the test of time and inspired hit shows like Bridgerton or Clueless.

Take a break in our libraries

Regular screen and study breaks are important. 

• Community jigsaws - available in the School of Pharmacy, IOE Library and LaSS Library.
• Origami - create beautiful paper animals in the School of Pharmacy Library.
• Chess - The SSEES Library chess board is very popular and you will easily find someone to play against.
• Visit one of UCL’s museum or exhibition spaces - which are free to visit. Check opening times online before planning your visit.
• Nearby nature – spending time in green spaces has been proven to be good for your mental wellbeing and focus.
• Exam Season Toolkit  – Student Support and Wellbeing have organised activities across the exams season to help you “relax, unwind, and take some time out away from the books”.