Balancing university life, social life, and work life.

Spending £9,000 per year on an education is a lot of money, so it's important to make sure you receive the £9,000 worth. However, it is recognised that a student will want to have an active social life and hold down a part-time job to help pay for additional expenses such as rent. So, how do you balance the three?

Plan your time. A good idea may be to keep a diary. Here you can write all your activities for the day. For example, when you have lectures, when you are planning on doing some of your assignment, what your work hours are, and what spare time you have to socialise. Working things out this way will help you make plans with friends easier, so you don't have to feel left out or stressed because you forgot you had some work to do.

Keep work hours to a minimum. If there is the option to not work, this would be advised. However, it is recognised that many students will need a part time job to be able to afford certain costs such as rent and a food shop. It is therefore suggested that during the term time you keep your work hours as low as you can get them and then over the holidays (Christmas, Easter and Summer), pick up extra hours. When you get a job make sure your employers are aware that you are a student. This will help avoid difficulties if you need time off for an exam and so on. Another option that many students consider is to have a seasonal contract. This is where you only work during the holidays, allowing you to concentrate on your studies.

Have short breaks between work. Whilst working on assignments, have short breaks between working on them. During the breaks, visit some friends and go to town, or what ever you feel like doing to maintain your social life. However, make sure that you do come back to working on your assignment as the longer you leave it, the harder and more stressful it becomes.

Don't be afraid to say no. Often there is a social stigma where if you have work to do and your friends invite you out that you should say yes. However, it is ok to say no once in a while, especially if you are nearing a deadline. If you want to go out with your friends, ask to reschedule so you can join in. Often your friends will agree.
The same idea works for your part time job. If your place of work asks you to stay on longer or pick up extra hours, don't be afraid to say no. Overtime is 100% voluntary in ALL companies. You can not get into trouble for saying no. This being said, if you feel you may need the hours but can't do them on the day you are being requested to, try to negotiate a day that is suitable for the both of you.

How does University differ from school and college?

You may have heard stories about how university life differs from school and college and what to expect when you arrive.  You may also be wondering whether these stories are accurate or not. Hopefully this blog will answer any remaining questions you have.

How many lessons will you have?
Unlike in school or college, you will not have a full day of lessons, where you are stuck in the same building all day unable to leave.  On the Department of English Language and Communication, the amount of lectures/seminars you have will depend on the amount of units you take.  They usually consist of a straight 2 hour lecture/seminar per unit.  This means that depending on the timetabling, you may only have to be in the university for 2 hours a day.

Example of what your timetable may look like. Please note that you may not have to attend all these lectures, only the ones of the unit(s) you take.

What is the difference between a lecture and a seminar?
Typically speaking, a lecture is where the tutor stands at the front and delivers the content of the lesson, whilst you take notes. Interaction in lectures is minimal. Whereas, seminars are more interactive and it gives you a chance to get involved, ask questions and more.  However, on the Department of English Language and Communication, the classes tend to be small, as a result the lectures tend to be more interactive than other, larger departments.

Do the lecturers care if your attendance is low?
There tends to be a rumour that at university, lecturers are somewhat impartial to your attendance. However, that is just a rumour, every student will have a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) who will encourage you to attend lectures and check on your progress throughout the academic year.

What are the assessments like?
There are many different types of assessments, the most common are:

• Written assignments: Your lecturer will set a topic or question that you will have to provide a written essay for.  There is usually a word limit with a 10% leeway.  This means that if the word count for the essay has been set at 2,000 you can write 200 words more or less. You may be asked to submit a paper or digital copy.  The main difference you may experience from school or college is that all essays must have an appendix containing references. Don't fret, this will all be explained and demonstrated before your first assignment.
• Presentations: Just like you may have experienced at school or college, you may have to participate in presentations.  These will be assessed presentations and you will be marked on your presentation skills as well as the content in the presentation.
• Exams: Likewise to school and college, you may have to complete some exams. The exams will be monitored by the lecturers and exam conditions (no electronic devices, no speaking etc) will be in place.

You may have other assessment types such as, portfolio tasks, practical assessments, teaching assessments and more.

Looking for Accommodation

It’s that time of year where many of you will be considering accommodation for the next academic year.  There are so many options available but the question is; which is the best one?

Some students choose to stay in university accommodation throughout the course of their degree.  However, this option is not for everyone. Many other students will be considering a house share with friends, but this is not always an easy option.  There are many things that need to be considered when taking this approach.

• Firstly, establish who you will be moving in with and make sure everyone is in agreement.  There is nothing worse than having a friend invite someone to move in with you when you do not necessarily know the person or get along with them.  Furthermore, a good tip is to make sure that you do not have too many people to move in with.  This can make looking for a house or flat difficult and expensive.  Usually 2-4 bedroom houses are easier and cheaper to look for.

• Secondly, if you are moving in with a couple make sure you have a plan in case of an issue.  You do not want one person of that couple moving out and not paying any rent, resulting in costing you more money.  Make a plan to have a spare bedroom that they can stay in, in case of a break up, or agree for them to continue paying rent until the end of the contract.  If moving in with a couple is avoidable, it is advised that you do not move in with them.

• Thirdly, make sure all tenants agree on a budget.  Set two separate budgets, one for a house/flat that includes bills in the rent (you could probably afford to splash out more on rent) and one for a house/flat that does not include bills in the rent.  Do not forget to take other costs (broadband, TV license, gas, water, electric, and more) into account.

• Finally, start looking for houses/flats early, but do not jump straight into the first one you view.  Request viewings for as many as possible and choose the right house together.  Furthermore, do your research on the landlords or estate agents you choose to go with.  They may look good to start with but you do not want to get stuck with a company/landlord that will rip you off.  Ask around any friends you know that have previously looked for houses, or look on the internet for trusted reviews.

Good Luck!

Volunteering

Volunteering in the field of your choice is highly recommended at university.  However, you may be asking yourself why it is so highly recommended.

Volunteering opens up a large number of opportunities.  It may be common knowledge that employers look favourably among people who have volunteered, whether they volunteered in the field they have chosen to work in or not.  It shows that you have given your free time to help a company and other people for nothing in return; it shows dedication; it shows that you want to learn; and it shows that you have a strong work ethic.  These are all qualities that employers look for.

Volunteering allows you to try out your "dream job".  If you volunteer in the field that you have chosen to work in, not only does that look more favourable to an employer but it also allows you to try it out and see what the job is actually like, and what it actually involves you doing.  Whilst you're there you may decide that it is the career for you.  However, you may not like it and decide that it is not the right career for you.  This will allow you to look for other career opportunities before it is too late.

There are vast amounts of places to volunteer. Within the field of English Language there are many places and careers that are available.  If you are interested in teaching English, why not volunteer at a school, or if you wish to teach to foreign learners look for an education centre that will allow you to do so.  Other opportunities include, Speech and Language therapy (Private, NHS, adult based, or child based), Forensic Linguistics, Neurolinguistics and more.

Make sure you know what you need to do.  Many placements will require you to have a security check (especially if you choose to volunteer with children and/or vulnerable people).  Some organisations/companies will pay for this but others may require you to pay for your own, check with the placement prior to agreeing to the placement. Furthermore, make sure you know and understand the duration they require you to volunteer for. Many placements require a few hours a week for a minimum of 6 months. However this may vary.

Make sure you have proof of your work there. Most placements will give you a certificate to show that you have volunteered for a certain amount of time.  Be sure to ask about this when signing up. Furthermore, it may be a good idea to get contact details of someone you worked with for a reference on your CV.

Good Luck!