How to pick the right university.

It's a big decision to narrow down your university choices to your top two. So how do you do it?

When I was picking which universities I wanted to attend, I concentrated on which university offered the best course, course units, the location (for me it was important to be a distance from home to develop independence but close enough to travel back when I wanted to), and finally, the reputation of the course at the university.

So what should you consider?

The course. First and foremost it is all about what course you will be studying. There is no point spending £9,000 a year on a course that you don't really want to do at a university you chose because you thought it was nice. When you're considering the course, make sure you know what kind of units you will be taking to see if it's the best fit for you. Additionally, make sure you know and understand what kind of assessments you will be given. Will they be mostly exams? Written assignment? Portfolio tasks? Practicals? Presentations? Or other types of assessments?

Bedfordshire on map of England.

The location. For many, the location is an important factor in choosing which university you want to attend. Some people want to stay near the comfort of home, others may wish to move as far away as they can. Whatever you wish to do, make sure the location is right for you. The Luton campus has a train station located an approximately 10-15 minute walk away, so travel is no hassle.

The reputation. Many people find the reputation of the university and/or the course important. People often want a university that is recognisable on their CV. The linguistics (including TEFL) course at the University of Bedfordshire is currently ranked number 6 on the Complete University Guide. However, it is important to note that reputation at a university isn't always the most important factor, as you will get the same degree at all universities.

The support. Taking the amount of support each university provides is a good thing to consider. With the English Language and Communication department being a relatively small department, it means that the amount of support and concentration on the students is large, Additionally, there are many university services designed to help students for example SiD (The student information desk) and PAD (Personal Academic Development) and more.

The University of Bedfordshire: Luton.

Be a part of university.

Want to get involved at university? There are many ways you can do this. In my first year, I chose not to get involved in university and as a consequence I found that I was missing out on things that my friends were doing. In my second year, I chose to get involved and be a part of university, so I became a PAL Leader, a Course Representative and a Student Blogger. You can do this too!

There are many things you can do to be a part of university and get involved in. You can like me do volunteering schemes such as PAL and Course Representatives. If these don't appeal to you there are more volunteering opportunities available on the BedsSU website.

If you don't want to volunteer you can work in the university. You can do this like myself by applying to be a student blogger or work for the Student Union. Alternatively you could get a job in the campus centre (For instance in the cafe or Costa).

You can get involved in the university by joining societies and sports teams. There are many to choose from. If the sport/society you want to join doesn't exist, the BedsSU have funding available for you to make your own.

Get involved and have a good year.

Stress

It is that time of year where everyone has their final assignments to write up and exams to revise for. This time of year, stress is very common among students. So how do you control your stress levels?

1) Start your work early. If you start your work/revision early, it means that you get to do it at a steady pace rather than feeling pressured to do all the work at once in a short space of time.

2) Take breaks between your work. Don't sit in the same place all day doing work, this could make your stress worse. Instead, take regular breaks between working sessions, perhaps a short walk outside, see some friends, Whatever works for you.

3) It's not all about work. Yes the work is important, however you need time for yourself and time to relax. So, when you can take some time away from the work and try not to think about it too much.

4) Lead a healthier lifestyle. Studies show that during stressful periods, if you eat healthier and get regular exercise, or spend time outside in some fresh air, your stress levels could be radically reduced.

5) Talk to someone about it. It's not good to keep the stress bottled up to yourself. Talk to someone, it doesn't have to be a professional, it could just be your friends or maybe even your family. Sometimes they can give helpful advice or help take your mind off things.

6) If your stress is really bad, seek help. There are many places that can give you professional help with stress. There are even services in the university that can help you. Ask at SiD for more details.

Hopefully, you won't find yourself feeling too stressed but if you do, I hope this helps. Try to stay relaxed and good luck!

University Accommodation

The university accommodation is run by Student Village. Student Village offer many different halls of residence; Fitzroy Court, Wenlock Court, Lea Halls, University Halls, Guildford Halls, and John Street. (Details on each of halls can be viewed here.

Wenlock Court

In my first year, I stayed in Wenlock Court situated approximately 2 minutes away from the University.  Staying in university accommodation was ideal for me as it gave me the independence and confidence needed, not only for my course, but for dealing with adulthood in general. That's not to say that I wasn't scared moving away from home; I was terrified. However, the fear quickly passes when you meet and get to know your new flatmates, who may even become your close friends.

Fitzroy and Wenlock Court single bedroom

It is important to try and interact with new people around you as soon as possible. You don't want to be the one that's left out after they've all already made new friends. But, at the same time respect the fact that some of these people are going to be scared, maybe more scared than you. You don't want to be too pushy and make a bad impression.

There may be some things you want to consider before choosing your accommodation; Is it important to you whether you have an en-suite or not? Can you afford the monthly price of the selected accommodation? How close is it to your place of study? How many people do you want to share with? Who do you want to share with?

All accommodation has free Wi-fi, the utility bills are included, a social area (excluding University Halls), contents insurance, on-site laundry, and 24 hour security and CCTV.

Any further details can be found here

#6 in Linguistics

The Complete University Guide have released the 2016 university tables.  In the subject guides, the University of Bedfordshire has been ranked number 6 in linguistics (including TEFL) in the UK. This is a huge achievement for the department as in the previous year, the university was ranked 14th in linguistics in the UK.

The Complete University guide, first launched in 2007, measures factors such as, student satisfaction, completion rates, graduate prospects, spend on academic services, the spend on student facilities, and more.

The tables are available to view here: http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Linguistics

Further information about how The Complete University Guide ranks universities in the UK is available here: http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/guardian-league-tables/


Well done to all staff and students on the department.