The summer before starting university can be a time of multiple worries for students. Worry about obtaining a place on your desired course. Worry about navigating clearing to confirm your place. Worries about securing accommodation, sorting student finance, preparation for academic studies and even finding the right stationery are also common.

Yet many students’ biggest concern is social in nature: “will I make friends?”. Surveys consistently suggest that loneliness and belonging are major concerns for new students starting university. This challenge isn’t unique to shy or socially anxious students. Most freshers experience worries about fitting in and making connections when starting university, especially when others make it seem so easy.

Something I find in my research with colleagues is how poor we are at estimating others’ beliefs, feelings and behaviour. We also overestimate how much other people notice our own behaviour and any social missteps.

In social psychology, there are two related psychological biases that can explain this pattern. First, the “spotlight effect” explains how we wrongly assume that other people are paying attention to our behaviour. Psychologists Thomas Gilovich and Kenneth Savitsky, who have studied this effect, state that people assume the “social spotlight” shines more brightly on themselves than it actually does.

The other bias, the “illusion of transparency”, explains how people wrongly assume that others can view our feelings, worries and thoughts. In essence, we think that our internal state leaks out socially, and we overestimate how much others will harshly judge us as a result.

So, when we perceive an introduction to a new person to be awkward, forget someone’s name, run out of things to say or generally feel embarrassed after a conversation, it is likely that our perception of these interactions doesn’t match the other person’s. That’s assuming other people even paid much attention in the first place. For students starting university, this means many perceived social failures are largely invisible to others.

The surprising psychology of first conversations

Evidence also suggests people routinely underestimate how much they are liked after speaking with strangers. This is another psychological phenomenon, the “liking gap”. We might think that other people like us less than they actually do (the actual liking gap), or we like a conversation partner more than we think they like us back (a perceived liking gap).

It can be difficult to really know how well a conversation with a stranger has gone. Conversations can be cognitively demanding, requiring us to concentrate and listen to the other person, while following social conventions and expectations around politeness. We might miss key social cues about how the other person is feeling during interactions. As a result, we are often left to estimate how well the conversation went. These estimates are often more self-critical and uncertain than the reality.

After conversations, people tend to think they made a worse impression than they actually did. Students may stop pursuing potentially successful friendships because they wrongly assume initial conversations went badly, or underestimate others’ interest in making conversation.

Small talk matters

Small talk is often wrongly dismissed as being unimportant and superficial. But engaging in small talk can have a number of positive benefits. It creates a sense of familiarity with others, that familiarity promoting trust and liking, and it contributes to improved wellbeing and strengthening social bonds. Small talk is not the opposite of meaningful conversation. Actually, this is often the first step towards more meaningful interactions, developing social bonds and friendships.

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I take inspiration from a professor I worked with who moved across the country to start a new job in a brand new city. This professor, who describes herself as shy, made small talk with a woman as they stood waiting to cross the road near the university. This bit of small talk led to a lasting friendship with “Traffic Light Lady”. Even professors find making friends anxiety-provoking. But brief small talk can be the important first step towards establishing social rapport and developing friendships.

Friendship is usually slower than we expect

Surprisingly, friendships take time to develop. An older psychological phenomenon, the “mere exposure” effect, explains how friendships may emerge over time. Simply put, the more we come into contact with an object or a person, the more likely we are to like that object or person over time. So for friendships, meaningful connections may be built through repeated interactions rather than instant chemistry.

For students, if you feel that you haven’t found your people during freshers week, don’t worry. Chances are the people you meet over the subsequent weeks – during lectures, at society meetings, social events or even in the queue for a coffee – are where friendships emerge. In fact, research estimates that it can take between 40-60 hours to develop a casual friendship in the first six weeks after meeting.

Making friends, whether at university or generally in life, takes time and repeated interactions. We often misperceive and overthink how well social interactions have gone. The importance of small talk, finding similar interests and shared experiences, and being patient, can help to build a sense of familiarity, trust and safety.

Psychology suggests that we are often overly harsh and self-critical in our perceptions of our social interactions and how others view us. In reality, friendships often begin not with brilliant conversation, but with ordinary moments repeated over time.

Michael McIntyre on the phone, during the BGC annual charity day at their offices in Canary Wharf, London, held each year in commemoration of BGC’s 658 colleagues and the 61 Eurobrokers employees lost on 9/11. On Charity Day, 100% of BGC Group’s global revenues are donated to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and other charities around the world. (Yui Mok/PA)

PA Wire

Kynren – The Storied Lands, County Durham’s new live-action show park, is a finalist at the 2026 Park World Excellence Awards, competing against leading attractions from across Europe and beyond.

It has been nominated for Best Regional Park, Best Live Entertainment, and Best Marketing, standing alongside attractions such as Puy du Fou España, Walibi Belgium, Bellewaerde, and Doha Quest.

Anna Warnecke, chief executive at Kynren, said: “Opening The Storied Lands was always going to make 2026 a very special year for Kynren, but to receive three nominations in our first season is something everyone involved can be extremely proud of.

“What is particularly pleasing is the breadth of the recognition.

“We have been shortlisted for the park itself, for one of our new live shows, and for the work which has gone into telling people about this new dimension to the Kynren experience.”

The Storied Lands is the UK’s first live-action show park and the most significant addition to the site since Kynren – An Epic Tale of England was first performed 10 years ago.

Among the nominations, The Lost Feather has been shortlisted for Best Live Entertainment.

The bird show features hundreds of birds in free flight above and around a 2,500-seat arena and is staged in a nest-shaped arena.

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A spokesperson for Kynren said the experience is “built around natural behaviours, with birds flying freely above, across and around the arena, emerging from the surrounding landscape and passing close above spectators.”

The Park World Excellence Awards, established in 2018, recognise the leading attractions, experiences, projects, products and people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Winners will be announced at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on Wednesday, September 23.

Mary Berry’s roast potato recipe is a five-star rated dish that adds a 12p ingredient to achieve perfectly crispy and crunchy roast potatoes

With countless roast potato recipes available online, it can be tricky to determine which one will deliver the finest results. Fortunately, Mary Berry’s five-star rated recipe incorporates a secret ingredient to achieve that all-important extra crunch.

The recipe notes on Good Food said: “A roast potato should be ultra crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crunchy exterior and the semolina adds an extra crunchy coating.”

This recipe serves six people and takes approximately one hour from start to finish, reports the Express. Here’s how you can recreate the recipe at home.

Roast potatoes

Ingredients

• 1.5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized cubes
• 40g semolina
• Four tbsp of goose fat or vegetable oil
• Three thyme sprigs
• Salt

Method

Begin by preheating the oven to 220C or 200C (fan) and place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for approximately five minutes, until the edges begin to soften.

Drain in a colander until thoroughly dry, then return to the saucepan and shake to roughen up the edges.

Scatter over the semolina and shake once more until evenly coated. Preheat a large shallow roasting tin in the oven until piping hot.

Add the fat to the tin and heat for around five minutes, or until it begins to smoke.

Carefully add the potatoes, turning them in the fat until fully coated, then scatter over the thyme sprigs.

Return to the oven and roast for approximately 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown and crisp, ensuring you turn them halfway through cooking. The recipe notes stated: “You can prepare the potatoes up to 12 hours ahead of serving.

“The potatoes can be part-roasted for 35 minutes until golden. Then, before serving, roast again in the hot oven for about 20 minutes.”

Semolina is readily available for approximately £1.40 for a 500g bag, and given that just 40g is required per recipe, it remains a highly budget-friendly ingredient.

Audrey Backeberg was 20 years old when she vanished from her family home in 1962 – and was finally confirmed to be “safe and well” decades later

A mum who married her husband at just 15 and then left her two children for over 60 years had a harsh explanation for her disappearance when she finally returned.

Audrey Backeberg’s shocking reappearance astounded the community she disappeared from back in 1962 when she was 20. Audrey was finally confirmed to be “safe and well” in 2025, aged 82.

Police said her disappearance was confirmed to be “by her own choice” and “not the result of any criminal activity or foul play”. On the day she disappeared, she left home to pick up her pay cheque from the woollen mill where she worked.

Her family’s 14-year-old babysitter told authorities she had hitched a ride with Audrey to the city of Madison, Wisconsin, where the pair boarded a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana.

When they arrived there, the babysitter got cold feet but Audrey would not go back and she walked around the corner from the bus station – and vanished without trace.

When she was tracked down by a detective six decades into her new life she is said to have told them she had “no regrets.”

According to the Audrey Project, an organisation which documents over 16,000 “cold case” missing persons reports in the US, Audrey had married her husband Ronald Backberg when she was “about fifteen years old” – but had endured a “troubled” marriage surrounded by “allegations of abuse”.

The childminder claimed Audrey had vanished in Indianapolis of her own free will, but this sparked a dispute with members of her family, who “insisted she would never have abandoned her children.”

After more than six decades, answers began to emerge when Sauk County Sheriff’s Office assigned a detective to the cold case earlier this year. Detective Isaac Hanson meticulously sifted through case files and evidence, as well as re-interviewing key witnesses in the case – but it was her sister’s Ancestry.com account that eventually led him to her.

He told local news station WISN: “That was pretty key in locating death records, census reports, all kinds of data. So I called the local sheriff’s department, said, ‘Hey, there’s this lady living at this address. Do you guys have somebody, you can just go pop in?’. Ten minutes later, she called me, and we talked for 45 minutes.”

He added that she seemed to have “moved on from things”, and sounded happy and “confident” in her decision to flee many years ago.

A statement from Sheriff Chip Meister read: “Earlier this year, the case was assigned to a Sheriff’s Office Detective for a comprehensive review as part of an ongoing examination of cold case files. Through diligent investigative work, which included a thorough re-evaluation of all case files and evidence, combined with re-interviewing witnesses and uncovering new insights.

“The Sheriff’s Office is now able to report that Audrey Backeberg is alive and well and currently resides out of State. Further investigation has revealed that Ms. Backeberg’s disappearance was by her own choice and not the result of any criminal activity or foul play.

“The Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of Investigators, both past and present. Despite the significant challenges that many cold cases present, this resolution underscores both the importance of continued work and the dedication of the Sheriff’s Office to providing answers to families and the community.”

Hanson said: “I think she just was removed and, you know, moved on from things and kind of did her own thing and led her life. She sounded happy. Confident in her decision. No regrets.”

In Barcelona, researchers found further evidence that the bacterium was spreading between people.

Nine cases identified between December 2025 and March 2026 were caused by strains that differed by just zero to four genetic mutations, suggesting the infections were part of a recent transmission chain rather than separate cases acquired from animals.

The bacterium can survive in crusted areas on the skin for up to 42 months, according to Dr McHale, raising questions about the role of contaminated surfaces, equipment and shared spaces.

People should not be alarmed by the infection, which is treatable with a course of antibiotics, he added. 

This could make hygiene particularly important in places such as saunas, where people may have prolonged skin contact with others and with shared surfaces.

Saunas have historically been a destination for gay and bisexual men seeking social and sexual contact.

Dating apps such as Grindr have since made casual encounters in these environments far easier to arrange, experts say. 

“What we’re seeing is the kind of in-person venues like saunas being combined with apps,” said Rusi Jaspal, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Brighton and expert on wellbeing among gay men. 

“Someone might, for example, be in a sauna but also have their app on, and that might be a way of getting people to come to the sauna. So they’re not only attracting people who are already in the sauna, but who might be outside of that environment and coming in.”

Progress and complacency

Professor Jaspal believes the success of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which protects against HIV, has also played a role. 

“I think that is a really big contributor,” he said. “On the one hand, obviously it’s fantastic that PrEP is there. It prevents HIV; it’s extremely effective against HIV. But it’s not effective against other infections.”

He argued that because PrEP has removed the fear of HIV that shaped gay men’s sexual behaviour for decades, some men are now having condomless sex with more partners, in the belief that other infections are treatable in a way HIV once was not.

“Because they think, well, everything else is treatable – gonorrhoea, syphilis, it’s all treatable – they’re going to just not use condoms,” he said. “That is not only creating more of a risk of infection, but I think people are having more partners as well.”

Sexual contact is not the only route by which the bacterium appears to be spreading.

In Norway, ten cases have been linked to martial arts, with some infections occurring during training in Norway and others during trips to Thailand. 

One case report described a 34-year-old Muay Thai fighter who developed recurrent pustular lesions after returning from a training trip, later confirmed as D. congolensis through whole-genome sequencing.

Dr McHale said the bacterium tends to take hold where the skin has already been compromised in some way.

“Predisposing factors for infection include cutaneous microtrauma, for example, from ultraviolet radiation, tick exposure and insect bites, and maceration of the skin,” he said.

Dermatophilus congolensis is notoriously difficult to grow in culture, meaning infections can easily go undiagnosed or be mistaken for more common skin conditions.

Researchers in Barcelona have warned that cases could be going unrecognised because sexual health clinics do not routinely test for the bacterium.

But Professor Jaspal believes the legacy of the HIV/Aids epidemic explains why this cluster was identified so quickly.

He said the crisis of the 1980s, when confusion and stigma allowed the virus to spread largely undetected, forced public health bodies to build far stronger surveillance and communication systems for outbreaks among gay and bisexual men. 

That same infrastructure, he argued, has since been used to manage subsequent threats such as mpox – and now this obscure bacterium – far more effectively.

“I think we are quite rightly identifying cases early on, so that we can then communicate that risk to people and encourage precautions to protect themselves,” Professor Jaspal said. “That is really, really important.”

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The pair replace Emma Willis, who has fronted the ITV singing competition since 2014.

Ms Willis recently left the show to take up a presenting role on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

In a wider shake-up, ITV has also confirmed that Cheryl and rapper Aitch will join the programme as new coaches, taking up seats in the show’s iconic red chairs.

Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland will remain on the coaching panel, alongside Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am, who has been a coach since the show’s launch.

However, long-serving coach Sir Tom Jones won’t be returning, alongside McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, who shared a joint chair.

The changes will take effect from the next series, which began filming on Friday (September 11).

The series currently airing on ITV was filmed in 2025.

ITV also paid tribute to the departing cast members.

A spokesperson said: “We thank Emma Willis, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones for their brilliant contributions, and who all brought so much dedication, expertise and energy to The Voice UK and wish them the very best of luck as they embark on their next chapters.”

Sir Tom, 86, said he had been offered a “much-reduced role” on the show, which he was “not thrilled about”.

Kelly Rowland and Will.I.Am will be staying on as coaches for the 2027 series (Image: ITV)

He said: “The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance.

“They now say in the press they wanted to ‘refresh’ the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me.”

A spokesperson for ITV said: “ITV would like to thank the irreplaceable Sir Tom Jones for all his years on The Voice UK, and the countless incredible and unforgettable moments he gave the show.

“He has brought joy to audiences, and to every singer who performed for him and with him.”

How did The Voice fans react to the new presenters and coaches?

In response to the news about changes on The Voice, some fans were not particularly happy, especially regarding Sir Tom Jones’ departure.

Taking to X, one person said: “ITV thanks the ‘irreplaceable’ Sir Tom Jones by replacing him… how stupid are they?”

Another wrote: “How can they call someone irreplaceable when they’ve fired him to replace him.”

A third posted: “Calling him irreplaceable and replaced him with somebody else I don’t think they know what that word means.”

Another shared: “Replacing Tom Jones with Cheryl and Aitch.

“Surely you should have vocal talent to be qualified to judge others?”

Speaking generally about the show, one commented: “The death of The Voice”.

The history of The Voice UK

The Voice UK first aired in 2012, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates.

Emma Willis took over hosting duties in 2014, and joined for several series by Marvin Humes of boyband JLS.

The show moved from the BBC to ITV in 2017.

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Unlike other singing competitions, The Voice UK is known for its blind auditions, where coaches face away from contestants and judge solely on vocal talent.

If impressed, they turn their chairs to offer mentorship.

Other previous coaches on the UK series include Olly Murs, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora, Anne Marie and LeAnn Rimes.

What are your thoughts on the changes to The Voice UK’s presenters and coaches? Let us know in the comments.

Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns as they head to Sunderland in tonight’s Premier League action.

The Gunners have won their opening three games of the new season – conceding just once – and got their Champions League campaign up and running with a win over Napoli on Wednesday.

Ben White has been ever-present in the starting XI this season but came off late on in Naples, appearing to be in some discomfort.

The former Brighton defender is ‘fine’ according to his manager however and is expected to take his place in the side at the Stadium of Light tonight.

Ezri Konsa has impressed at the heart of defence alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, drafted in against Chelsea and Napoli after an injury for Cristhian Mosquera.

The Spain international had started the season at centre-half in place of the injured William Saliba but an injury suffered in the win over Aston Villa opened up space for Konsa to come in.

Arteta confirmed on Friday that Mosquera is ‘progressing well’ and could be in contention to make the squad today.

Timber meanwhile is continuing to step his recovery from a groin problem that has prevented him from starting a game since March.

Arteta hailed his efforts in training this week but it remains to be seen when the Dutchman will be considered for selection.

Saliba remains a long-term absentee as he recovers from his back problem.

Arsenal XI to face Napoli – Metro prediction

Arteta was able to rotate his side midweek in the Champions League with Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Piero Hincapie coming in.

Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench after his recent issue with Arsenal fans eager to see him start alongside Declan Rice in the heart of midfield.

Myles Lewis-Skelly hasn’t put a foot wrong in that role however and will be hopeful of keeping his spot.

Sunderland vs Arsenal TV channel, live stream and kick-off time

The Premier League match takes place this afternoon (Saturday 12 September) with kick-off scheduled for 8pm.

You can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 with streaming also available through the HBO Max app.

You can also follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE matchday blog.

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A woman and child fled their 17th floor flat before it was engulfed in flames early this morning.

Around 70 firefighters were called to the block in Poplar, across the Thames from the O2 Arena in east London, at 4.35am.

The London Fire Brigade said: ‘A two-room flat and balcony on the 17th floor of a 22-storey residential block of flats was damaged by fire.

‘One woman and one child left the flat before the Brigade arrived.