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.

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.