Welcome Back - to the beginning of the end!

Hello! I'm back! Can't believe it's been 3 months since I blogged last, and I do confess, from beginning of August to October I had nothing of uni on my mind, I was busy getting married! What were you up to over the summer break? I would love to hear it in comments below.

Induction days finally rolled around last days of September/first days of October, and I must say that after 4 months off from university, and even longer from assignment deadlines, it was a welcome sight, marking the beginning of the end, our 3rd and final year, the chance to prove ourselves, and finally take the dissertation "bull by the horns" - or what my peers have been calling "the big D".

I blogged a few weeks ago on my good intentions of the year via UoB's Librarian's Blog, and my practical steps to getting back into the groove, however actions and plans (even when carried through) become difficult when our creativity and writer's block set it. Still, I found new energy in our induction day.

I won't lie and deny that it didn't have its moments of tediousness or wonder if it was a bit inconvenient taking time out of my busy life, but not only did I appreciate having my questions answered from the get go, I also enjoyed and found new inspiration in my peers and the friendly, faith filled faces of lecturers.

As we talked about our summers and each one added their own reason to be excited about the new year, or even talked about their terrors with determined smiles, I felt like I had found that extra strength and spark I was needing to keep going. It makes me wonder if lectures are ever a waste of time, regardless of whether I know the topic or its relevance to me, as I went home to sit down at my desk with renewed determination and looking forward to the challenge.

The Last One

My my hasn't this year gone quick. Only yesterday it seems I happened to see the internships advertised by the UoB and thought I'd look into it. Ten months later and it's all coming to an end. Just another adventure of mine that I've encountered and tackled, and one of many I hope.

So, earlier this year I counted down the highlights of 2013 which included my academic year 1, so I suspect it suitable to count those of year 2. Here goes...

10: Year 2 completion! 4 units, 11 assignments: 3 essays, 5 reports, 1 proposal, 1 mock conference and a wiki article.

9: Completed a periodical blog through the UoB Blogging Internships (thanks for the opportunity guys - you've been great!) with this making my 40th post!

8: Made my first application for funding for a community project (my CAS Conference 2014) which was approved by out very own UoB StEPS programme.

7: Co-wrote my first wiki article on The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

6: Attended an two-day introductory course in Life Coaching which I hope will compliment my professional service.

5: Recieved an appreciation award for Course Representative for my signposting and advocacy. 

4: Documented my 1 year Personal Development Plan (PDP) which I have already crossed over a third off from.

3: Organised a degree wide networking and presentation event for the Child and Adoloescent Society.

2: Was put under more responsibility at work and offered a promotion which I hope to take up this coming year.

1: Applied for and was accepted into the Peer Assisted Leaders (PAL) team - my next adventure - maybe I will meet you there!

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So I guess this is where I sign off! Thank you all for listening and if you want to get in touch for any reason please leave a comment or two. :)

And good luck in whatever you choose to do in the university of life. Don't give up in your vision! Make it work for you and enjoy the learning experience!

Summer Break Thoughts

I'm about to get down and dirty with year three...reading lists, literature review of my dissertation, and getting in touch with lecturers over the learning outcomes from the units I have to choose from.

I understand that there are optional units in this my final year, and I already know which ones I am interested in, but after a brief conversation with a fellow students, I thought about how I want my CV to look in a years' time...what field I am looking at? I confess I am terrified of doing a sociology only unit, because I have found the assignments mind-boggling, but if I wanted to embark on a global scale, say the United Nations, then they would probably be looking for something like that. I think it would be helpful to know what I will get out of it (learning outcomes) as opposed to just what I'm vaguely interested in.

Those finishing their third years this year, thank you - as I am well and truly terrified!  So much work, so little time. So much to be done, so much panic! However in speaking to a few lecturers they have encouraged me that for the well organised, and those who think ahead, in can in fact be easier than second year! I have yet to prove that but it has inspired me to work harder now rather than the new academic year hits.

And if all else fails...at least I will live longer due to having a purpose to strive for in my life. See new study's find at this link...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27393057

job SOURCING

Thought I would refresh my memory on job sourcing this summer, whether exclusively for the holidays, a sandwich job, or your first step on the career ladder (ie. you're doing a Criminology degree and decide to do admin for the Police Department).

As far as I know both Child and Adolescent Studies, and Criminology have lectures/seminars themed around job hunting, interview skills etc, in their 2nd year. An assignment where your CV, cover letter, Personal Development Plan (look below at my sample of a PDP) and job research is graded. I'm not rubbish at CVs, but it was a good way to know I was on the right track, giving me confidence in my interview skills, and analysis of a job is something I'd never done professionally before.

The UoB has a great page for CV and cover letter writing (click right here) but not only that they offer a free drop in session at Career Services on the ground floor of I block. I found this terrifically useful in the assignment, with proof reading my CV and PDP, and one of the advisors even gave me a good hour and a half for some career guidance. They also do a similar certification called the EDGE. 

Having said all that, I'd like to put it out there that the formal "job hut" and CV saturation of your entire town/city, isn't always going to be YOUR route to the job you're after - in fact we may often find ourselves somewhere better than our dream job. For example, when I first signed up to university and was looking for work, I signed up as a Nursery Nurse with a local recruitment agency, staffing nurseries and creches when needed. This led to me staffing schools when Teaching Assistants were absent, which then ended up with my being employed in one (I went through the external interview process but from knowing the school I was much more confident). Now I am seeking what avenues I can pursue to benefit my experience and career, whether it's after-school-clubs, interventions, parent workshops - might end up doing a PGCE yet.

I will be honest and say I don't know where I'm headed, but if you keep asking questions, keep throwing yourself out there, you are bound to end up somewhere very interesting and possibly the best thing that could happen to you. Now to keep my eyes peeled and myself at the ready this summer holidays ….

Student Experience Awards

My humblest apologies for being so late with this week's post, I wanted to wait until after Friday as June 13th was the UoB's annual awards event for the Student Experience. I was delighted to recieve an invite and also accompanied my best uni bud who had been nominated for the Community Contribution award.

So, all dolled up and refreshed after the end of the teaching year, we toasted champagne and cheered the awards for students and staff alike, those who had made a contrubution in some way: Inspirational Teaching, Role Model of Professionalism, team players and student achievments. It was terrific to recognise those who had played a part in the year and made a difference. Some who had been poorly but continued to shed light and guidance to their students, some who had given of themselves through volunteering alongside their studies, and those who through their friendly and genuine nature had made an impact. I left that evening (a leetle tipsy) but realising how human we all were but how we each had a part to play and whether recognised or no last Friday evening - I salute you as you go into the academic year 2014-2015. Keep up the good work!

CAS Conference 2014

This week saw the First Ever Child and Adolescent Studies Degree Conference - and I had the pleasure if being a part of it this last Wednesday.

Over two months in the making, and with the wonderful StEPs team joining us late last month to help make it a reality, we invited students and organisation representatives to talk about the power of volunteering, and how to apply what we have learned on our degree to our work field.

From crèche nannying to College lecturers, the university's Children Centre partnership with the local council, to The National Citizenship Service - I was amazed to see how diverse the experience and opportunities are to those coming from our degree. Students volunteered to speak for fifteen minutes about their experiences, hold poster presentations on their roles, and host promotional tables for the charities they were involved in. By the end of the day I was truly proud not just to be a part it, but to be a park of a community of professional learners to whom the sky is the limit.

Well done CAS students 2014, 2015 and 2016! X

Descriptive > Analytical > Critical analysis.

These were the three degrees of university learning that my lecturer told of me yesterday. I had asked to meet him due to getting a grade (not a very bad one I might add), but wanting to go further and keep progressing, I needed to find out where I was going wrong and could improve - I'm going to need to if I want a decent degree to talk about like a first or an upper second.

You're on a trajectory path, he said. Something I had never heard of before. In your first years you 'die' for an A, but you don't always get it, perhaps due to the challenge of the assignment or your personal ability. But one doesn't simply arrive on site at university and within days become a raging, A+ academic. And I realised that in order to be happy professionally, efficient and achieve my goals, I needed to stay on this 'trajectory path'. (1) Descriptive = our first year academically, describing what we read and see. (2) Analytical = dissecting, looking carefully at, reasoning within ourselves the theories and current policies. (3) Critical Analysis = making our contributing, taking all we have learnt and arguing what holds true and what does not.

A friend of mine started out her first year as a C student, which might have discouraged or hit me hard, but then in her second year she was a B, and her third she is now an A student (getting regular A-, A and A+). And when we talked about it, that was a success story. In today's climate where it's more than the paper that says you've got a degree, it's the 3D learning, it's the character you build and display from your learning years. Perhaps this is a good thing, employers (while they look at your qualifications) are looking even more at YOU. What has our degree made us, how do we present ourselves, how have we spent our time. I could be wrong but I believe this is the way of future employment and success stories.

Which brings me to what my lovely unit co-ordinator told us in an informal meeting one day: I don't care if you get A's, B's or C's, as long as you work to the best of your ability.

We are each on a different journey, with different abilities and talents (some aren't even academic), but to know you had been through university and not reached your full capabilities, THAT'S painful.

And it comforts me to know that even if I don't get the first or even the upper second class degree, if I challenged myself, and aspire to the next level at all time, then I will reach my full potential and be happy no matter what my grades are.

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On another topic, if you would like to see the StEP project I have been working on, here's is a sneak peak poster advertisement made for the event….

StEPs

UoB came up with something new last year: Student Experience Projects (StEPs). An opportunity for students to bid for funding from the university to put toward university student led projects. I went along to one this week as I was presenting an idea (I proudly came in the runnings, cheers!) and found it to be quite exciting and nervewrecking at the same time. I've NEVER volunteered to do a presentation, but somehow got intertwined in this one, which had its perks. As a professional in human services you have to develop some kind of presenting and people skills, so I was glad to be pushed out of my comfort zone, and although I fumbled and threw away my disorganised flash cards halfway through, I was glad to have done it and I know I will get better next time.

There were four other bidders, each with a unique suggestion, but I have to say that each one of us really needed to do our homework better. I realised that as students, I haven't met many that imagine they can step out and do something original in the way of projects and enterprises (unless already on a business degree). We get this idea that we are learning theory and academia to find our place in the employment world...but what if that is not for us? What if we have something bigger and better and new inside of us to develop? Scary no?

As I said we all needed to do more homework in preparation for the Dragon's Den type event last Tuesday, as such I would recommend the B-Innovate Programme (a european course run right here in our UoB) or Prince's Trust Enterprise Programmes. Any avenue to teach you about business plans, projected cash flows, budgeting and logistics. Perhaps in Applied Social Sciences or my own Child and Adolescent Studies, opening your own project is not what you had in mind, but we don't know what the future holds and at best it is good to look behind the scenes what occurs in welfare economics and national budgeting even in a small way.