Okay, I wasn’t going to say anything, but now so much seems to be kicking off in HE that I’m going to mention it and explain what I’m up to…

First off, TheUniversityBlog is going to return to a much more regular posting schedule in a couple of weeks.  Secondly, with a number of recent life changes, I have been taking a break on a number of levels…with limited success.

I was meant to be spending a month or so relaxing and spending very little time online, very little time researching, very little time writing, and very little time doing anything much HE related.  I planned to keep up to date with what’s happening, but not do much else.

That hasn’t really happened.  I’ve been working on a number of projects and I’ve even posted a few things here in the last month (as you’ve probably seen).  I suppose it suggests I’m happy with what I’m doing, but it’s still naughty when I promised myself a complete break before digging in full on…Anyway, I will be back with a smile in a couple of weeks with more information, advice, comment, and the like.  Get ready!

However, there’s been a load of negative (grrrr!) developments of great importance to students in the last couple of days.  Given the magnitude of what’s been going on, I thought I should at least mention these right now.  So here goes (with links to further info):

1. Student maintenance grants and loans will be frozen in 2010/11, but tuition fees are increasing by 2.04%. Tuition fee loans will increase to cover the new cost of fees, but that’s no consolation.

BBC News
NUS
Guardian
Parliament Written Statement

2. Graduate job prospects are looking their bleakest in years as top employers cut jobs and competition is more fierce.

Guardian 1
Guardian 2
NUS
BBC News

3. Prospective students are less likely to find a place in this year’s Clearing, after the number of available places is cut. This is bad news at a time when more people than ever want to study in HE.

Times Higher Education
Times Online – Have you thought about studying in the US?

4. Some university Vice Chancellors have made shocking comments in a research paper that Times Higher Education has seen. One of the most controversial for students being:

“We all know that education is a commodity that can be bought and sold, often at a very high price.  So universities are busy doing that – charging students a large amount of money to study in England because it is a popular destination. Branding and marketing take the front seat, and education is in the back.”

Times Higher Education – V-Cs’ candid views slip out online

From these stories, it’s clear that things are uncertain right now, whether you’re a current student, prospective student, or recent graduate.  But it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on.  If there are any major developments, I’ll let you know.  And expect a better ongoing flow of information in a couple of weeks’ time.

Seems like I chose a bad time to chill out.  Let’s see if I really do last two weeks before getting totally stuck in with the blog…and beyond!

I have been reading news in The Economist that people with low self-esteem may do themselves a disservice if they try positive thinking.

By thinking positively, someone with low self-esteem doesn’t believe what they’re thinking, which then makes the person feel even worse.

Simply thinking how good you are and making confident statements is clearly not the best solution for everybody. Those with high self-esteem do seem to be able to use positive thinking to their advantage.  So the power of positive thinking may only work properly for people who are already positive thinkers.

That doesn’t leave those with low self-esteem with nothing to do.  Here are 10 ways you can approach positivity and learn to appreciate yourself a bit more:

1. Failure brings you closer to success – Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake, learn from it!  Everyone makes mistakes.  Some of the most successful people make so many mistakes because they’re not scared to make them.  And as they’re trying so many things, they find more success after they’ve failed so many times.  But they’re not counting the failures…they are counting the successes!
2. View ways forward and areas for improvement that you’ll concentrate on – With low self-esteem, we see it’s best not to see things in a positive or negative light.  Instead, find problem areas you wish to concentrate on improving.  Be specific in finding what you need to do going forward.  This isn’t a time to say you’re rubbish at everything, it’s a time to get serious and examine how you’re going to target issues and blast them out of your way.
3. Make a list of the things you DO feel positive about – Low self-esteem doesn’t equal complete negativity.  So focus on what makes you smile, what gives you strength, what boosts your energy.  Write a list on the things about you that pick you up and the things that give you reason to seize the day.  It’s close to positive thinking, but one which has more chance of leading you to positivity, because you actually do believe in these things!
4. Understand that nobody is perfect – Imperfection is nothing to be concerned about.  None of us are perfect.  It’s not positive or negative, it’s just a fact.  So no need to compare yourself with others and imagine you have to reach some imaginary point of perfection.
5. Positive thinking doesn’t help, but neither does negative thinking – If you have low self-esteem and don’t believe positive thoughts, you’re probably going to lap up negative thoughts.  But that’s just as damaging.  The trick is not to see things so clear cut.  Nothing is all good or all bad.  Nothing is all quiet or all loud.  Nothing is all dark or all light.  Look how to progress to the next level, rather than how to turn a negative into a positive.
6. Try not to control everything – Many things are beyond our control.  Most things, in fact.  File it all under “Outside my control” rather than “I wish I had the answers”.  Just try to help as best you can, because doing your best is one thing definitely under your control.
7. Form your own opinions, rather than waiting to be told what to think – When you reach your own conclusions, your outlook on life is certain to be more concrete than if you let others dictate how you should be feeling.  You’re allowed an opinion.  You’re allowed to change your opinion too.  With your own thought-out opinions, you should find a clear boost to your self-esteem.
8. Visualise your purpose and what you wish to achieve – Work toward a clear goal to help gain focus and clarity.  As you picture the way forward, you can be more certain of yourself.
9. Use positive friends to pick you up… – If you interact with negative people all the time, the unfavourable behaviour transfers to you.  With positive people, guess what?  Yup, they’ll help you feel more positive.  No doubt you know some people who are more negative and other people who are more positive.  Spend some quality time with the positive people and let the positivity come your way
10. …And allow your friends to see you in a positive light – When someone appreciates something about you or who you are, don’t argue with them.  People compliment you because they want you to know you’re special.  Accept it as happily as you can when they tell you.

Universities are being asked today to work together to bid for money to develop new e-learning projects.  David Lammy (Minister for Higher Education) is hoping to help ensure UK universities are at the forefront of online distance learning.  Lammy announced a £20million learning innovation fund to allow better access to online learning.

Among other things, a new taskforce is hoping to, “work to increase the quantity of learning resources freely available for all institutions to use”.

For you, as students, the more quality information available for free online, the better it should be.  That’s even if you live on campus and aren’t studying online as such.

You can already access a huge number of wonderful resources for free, but much of the content originates outside the UK.  For the UK to retain a world-class status, more effort is required to increase the amount of quality material placed online.  Better scope to promote lifelong learning and the constant updating of skills is also required.

Now more than ever, we want to find material that speaks to us. It’s not good enough to find a particular resource dry and difficult to study from, yet have no option but to carry on regardless.  More content available in different formats means we have more chance to effectively digest information in whichever way suits us.  And generally at our own pace too.

Lammy said, “Education must be increasingly personalised to meet the needs of the student as the student requires it and wherever the student requires it.”

David Lammy

At the same time, a new report, supported by JISC, has been released.  Called “The Edgeless University“, the report calls for universities to embrace technology and make the most of the tools available online in order to be at the forefront of Web2.0, social networking and communication.

Online study activity is becoming more important for students, as is easy access to material and content online that is openly available to all.  I know not all students are happy to interact online in the same way they check Facebook and chat with mates, but the game is changing fast.

The ‘Edgeless University’ report mentions Dr Michael Wesch, who has worked wonders at the University of Kansas with his Digital Ethnography programme.  Wesch says, “What I need to do is inspire [students] and give them the tools to harness that information and harness the skills of other people to do the things they want to get done. And that transforms the way you approach the classroom.” (Page 37)

And there really is a transformation.  Not all academic material need come from the confines of a university, especially as online collaboration becomes more common.  However, since the greatest amount of research can take place in HE institutions, it’s sensible to see the uni as the best place to make as much world-class information accessible as possible.  This is where the new learning innovation fund hopes to come into play.

Interactivity is a big deal too, which the ‘Edgeless University’ report supports.  When students see a tutor who is open and available online to talk to students, the demand to engage with that tutor face-to-face actually grows. So students demand more exposure face-to-face as opposed to less.

And face-to-face learning is so important, especially for those who have just left school.  While distance learning should be embraced as a good thing, I still see the student experience of 18 (ish) year olds spending three or so years on campus as a worthwhile and fulfilling encounter that should not be ignored.  Living on (or around) campus is important for the social element, the extra-curricular element, the lifestyle element, and so on.  Do everything online and you could miss out a great chunk of what’s possible.

Nevertheless, the ‘Edgeless University’ report states:

“We are having to reassess the stereotypes associated with ‘being a student’ as something that teenagers do after school and before they start work. It’s a three-year experience – you arrive with a suitcase and leave with a degree. In fact this model of higher education – residential, fulltime and pre-employment – now only reflects the experience of a minority. Two out of five higher education students are currently studying part-time; 59 per cent are mature and almost 15 per cent come from overseas; and there is every indication that the student population will continue to grow and change.” (Page 18)

It’s clear that things are changing, but I hope the ’stereotype’ remains a big deal, even if student numbers overtake in other modes of study.

Whatever the future holds, the materials that should arise out of the new learning innovation fund would hopefully be of use to each and every student, regardless of their circumstances and the materials they already have access to.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has published a blueprint that suggests setting up a People’s Trust for Higher Education.  It is, they say, “A fund built mainly on contributions by former undergraduate students and their employers, and the employers of current students”.

Rather than ramp up fees, lift caps and get universities charging different fees, the NUS blueprint asks for a form of graduate tax that would be paid over a fixed period of 20 years, based on your earnings.  The more you earn, the more you pay back.  This has been suggested as a reasonable alternative to implementing higher and variable fees.  In fact, it’s designed to abolish fees completely.

This blueprint has been written to stimulate public debate, rather than answer every question, rather than prove a solution to every problem, rather than explain a perfect system.

That said, it is still a clear set of proposals aimed at creating a fair system for all and encouraging widening participation.

The NUS state:

“Our proposals would end the very notion of a course fee or price, and shut the door on a market in fees. Graduates should contribute to the future costs of higher education according to their actual future earnings, so that those who benefit the most from university by earning more will contribute more, in order to give future students access to higher education.”

However, Nick Taylor brings up a valid point that the NUS suggestions could be “Funding Our Failures”.  He asks us on his blog to “think of an alternative that doesn’t persecute successful students and reward idiots”.

Taylor’s blog post asks a reasonable question, especially as the NUS blueprint specifically states, “Those who leave higher education and, for whatever reason, have only a very low income for the rest of their working lives, may pay nothing at all, and will have relatively little debt compared to today.”

Problem areas like this do need to be addressed, otherwise the system is open to abuse.  It is, therefore, up to us to contribute further to help introduce a system that works for all.  The NUS brings us closer to a way of funding HE using methods other than charging sky-high fees.  So now we have a more detailed, greater supported and generally talked about platform to work from and mould into shape.

Although an open statement, the NUS blueprint also starts to talk about the future of HE given the likely boost in revenue that’s been calculated.  They call for the funding to:

“be conditional on new measures to monitor and improve the quality of the student experience and the impact of higher expenditure in the higher education sector. We believe this should be focused on the outcomes of higher education and the extent to which it actually changes people’s lives.”

If widening participation is truly being taken seriously by the government, it should be made clear to all that HE can change people’s lives for the better and that it’s worth being a part of.  There will always be the ‘Wasters’ that Nick Taylor refers to, but I believe more can be done to persuade these individuals that they can achieve more to the benefit of themselves and others.  It won’t work for everyone, but this new blueprint should go beyond the debate of graduate tax versus student fees and look to the way in which individuals can be encouraged to make the most of their time within HE.  University looks like a laugh because it really can be a laugh.  That doesn’t stop it from being a positive and rewarding move in life at the same time.

Finally, the blueprint opens the way for better support of lifelong learning (which is something I’m all for).  The graduate tax would be related to the number of credits that people have studied.  That allows people to move in and out of HE in different ways and benefit without being hit with huge fees, just for trying to gain more education.  A graduate tax would still need to be paid, but in such a way to allow greater access and better participation.

I am pleased to see today’s blueprint and hope for a wider debate within HE because of it.  While we may not have all the answers right now, we’re certainly a lot closer to finding an effective and fair system of funding higher education.  Now it’s up to us to get working on filling in the cracks and building a system that works for as many people as possible.

The more of us who get involved, the easier that should be.  Let’s do it!

Related Links:
The Guardian – Wes Streeting (President, NUS) on the blueprint

The Guardian’s own take on the graduate tax

BBC News

24dash

Compass Online

Metro

Times Online

University and College Union (UCU) response to the blueprint

Million+ response to the blueprint

The Guardian has put up a voting and commenting page about “Graduate Tax vs Tuition Fees“.  Be sure to watch the comments both for and against!

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The effectiveness of your timetable depends entirely on how you see the world and what you want to achieve.

It may not seem important, but the way you plan your future can impact just as heavily on your success as the planned actions themselves.

For instance, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys seeing an empty timetable, it’s no good filling it up with small tasks throughout the day.

Before you start making plans for anything, ask yourself how you will best make use of those plans.  Not all to-do lists are the same!

Even with summer approaching, your time is best used with some form of timetable, so you are best prepared for the time to come.  You may have a summer job, a reading list for next academic year, holidays planned, thoughts on going out with mates, personal goals, fitness regimes, and a lot more in sight.  A good timetable will bring all your thoughts together and let them take shape without overwhelming you.  A bad timetable just makes you feel like there isn’t enough time for everything.

So what are the possibilities?  Here are some ideas:

1. Every last action written down and dealt with – If you need to take stock of everything, no matter how big or small, you should first outline your longer-term goals and intentions.  Then all you need is persistence, a good diary and a solid technique for getting your extensive daily to-do list sorted quickly at the start of each day.  Don’t try to plan much further ahead than this, as it will become too difficult to comprehend each and every issue you want to handle each day.

2. Bare timetable, only listing lectures, seminars, meetings, job hours, and any unavoidable deadlines – This method is suitable for those who have the focus and  determination to work without procrastinating, but who do so by seeing large sections of free time available.  Clearly, this doesn’t work if you treat it as free time.  Neither does it work if you don’t give yourself a break…  If you’re serious about your work but don’t like to restrict yourself with plans, a bare timetable can pay off.

3. A timetable, plus a to-do list – You might not want to schedule your to-do actions for the day.  Perhaps you sort those tasks much better when you find small pockets of time.  For a bit of flexibility throughout a generally ordered day, it does no harm to consult two forms of forward planning.  Just make sure the to-do list doesn’t involve items that must be timetabled, otherwise you’ll duplicate yourself unnecessarily.

4. Simple to-do list only – While we all need some sort of timekeeping, if you’re happy to remember the one or two appointments you need to keep in the day, you may prefer to keep the times in your head.  Instead, all you may want to write down is a basic list of jobs you need to do.  Although basic, you should still be more specific than to list “Write essay” and “Visit library to research topic X”.  You could list “Write 200 words for Introduction” or “Use reading list to find relevant books and scour for quotes based on this week’s essay”.

5. Boxed 24-hour timetable, like David Seah has designed – Even if it doesn’t work for you, you’ve got to admit it’s kind of awesome.

There are many ways of scheduling your day/week/month/year/life, but only you can find what works for you.  It’s important you do find a working method though, because it makes a big difference to who you are.

Please feel free to suggest any other timetabling and scheduling methods that work for you in the comments.

Not content with my previous posts on saving money, here are some more tips to get stuck into when trying to survive on a student budget:

Shopping & Eating

• Cut down on convenience food – I’m not talking about ready meals, I’m talking about buying food when you’re on the go and when you haven’t planned your day.  Stop spending on takeaway meals, ready-made sandwiches, coffee/tea/bottled water, cafe grub and pasty purchases.  They eat up valuable cash.
• Buy special offers – I like a bit of variation, so I don’t mind trawling the supermarket for what’s on offer.  It’s cheaper (for me) than making a list of specific items to buy.  Then again, if you’re tempted by too much when you don’t write a list, you may prefer to stick with just the items you know you want…
• Go to more than one supermarket – If you can get to a few different places to buy your food, it’s worth seeing what’s on offer in each place.  I used to go into town to get just the special offers from Sainsburys, Tesco, Somerfield, Marks & Spencer and even the convenience store.  Those shops all had different special offers, so even an avid writer of shopping lists should come out with most (if not all) they want at a good price!
• Don’t give in to impulse buys – Okay, I admit, some special offers will result in an impulse purchase.  But most buying on impulse is because the product is tempting you as you wait by the checkout, or it has a big presentation associated with it down an aisle.  The food may look better than anything you’ve ever had, but it’ll only end in tears and a premature parting of your cash.
• Haggle for a discount (even over any student discounts you may already be eligible for) – Student discounts are great, but there’s no harm in asking if the seller can go any lower in price.  It doesn’t have to be an expensive item and you don’t have to be buying anything else in order to ask.  It doesn’t even look cheeky if you’re serious about saving money.  The worst answer you’ll get is “No”.  I’m sure you can live with that.  You weren’t going to get a discount anyway if you hadn’t asked.  No harm done, eh?
• Check the charity shops for bargains – Forget about stigma and start enjoying the fact that you’ll help a good cause and get some good, cheap clothes/books thrown in.  It’s worth spending a few minutes looking around for a bargain, even if you come out with nothing.
• Check prices online – What you can buy for £20 on the high street, you could get for less than £10 online.  Some things may even be free on the right promotion.  The Web is awash with brilliant prices on almost anything you want to buy (even your shopping!).  Always see how much you can save online.  I know a lot of you do already, but I still don’t see everyone doing it.
• Cut back on your shopping habits – Do you need to visit the hairdresser so much?  Are you buying posher brands than you really need?  Have you even tried to buy a cheaper version of something as a test? Are you carelessly texting and calling on your mobile (be it PAYG or contract…) without considering the cost? Do you buy expensive glossy magazines for a quick 10 minute fix? Are you subscribing to services you don’t really use?  Claw back all the money you can and you’re bound to save a bit here and there.

Money & Banking

• Treat any gifted money as savings – Don’t spend gift money from family and loved ones at the first opportunity. It’s worth less that way.  Save it for something special when you have a true want for something.  Even better, just save it amongst your everyday cash and be happy that you’re a bit better off this month…
• Note your purchases – Write down everything you spend your money on. It can open your eyes to where you waste it most.  Who thought the 50p you spent on a chocolate bar most days came to over £100 in a year?
• Don’t see lump sums (like bursaries and loans) as a chance to splash the cash – It needs to last over a lengthy period of time.  Large deposits into your bank account look exciting, especially the first couple, but you’ll soon find you aren’t as rich as you think, alas!
• Have some emergency cash – Even if you normally don’t have two pennies to rub together, try to keep an emergency fund to one side.  Maybe have a separate account for it.  Keep as much as you can manage, even if it’s just a small amount.  You never know when something unexpected is going to bite you on the bum.
• Don’t see credit cards as available cash – If you must use a credit card, use it sparingly, wisely, and pay off as much as you can when you get the chance.  I had to use a credit card at uni, but it was the first thing I paid off when I left.  It’s a costly burden.

Going out

• Take a fixed amount of cash – Only have the amount of money that you’re willing to spend.  Don’t go above it.  If possible, take the cash out so you don’t forget how much you’ve spent on a debit/credit card.
• Get some cheap alcohol for indoors before you head out – The fun starts at home, so you won’t be tempted to buy so many drinks when you’re out (although remembering this after a few too many is a danger…).
• Book events in advance for maximum savings – Paying ‘on the door’ usually means a few quid more out of pocket that you needn’t have spent.
• Check out flyers when you’re handed them – Even if you’re offered a flyer for an event you’re already set to attend, it’s worth taking a flyer to see if you get any money off for taking the flyer with you on the night.  It’s another way to pull in the punters.  They don’t need to know that you were already going to attend!
• Play sports, go for a walk, find out about free events – It’s better than defaulting to theme parks, cinemas and anywhere with an entrance fee.

Books, Entertainment, Fitness & Fun

• Choose DVD over cinema – Unless you’re a huge movie fan, or you’re studying film & media and want the most recent film exposure, it doesn’t hurt to wait a few months for stuff to come out on DVD.  Of course, you may like downloading the latest films for free online, but you know you shouldn’t be doing that…tsk, tsk!
• Buy secondhand books if possible – Amazon and abebooks show secondhand sellers who may be able to save you a bit for a slightly used book.  And past students may offer to unload their textbooks onto you for a good price.  But beware some older editions of books…they may be cheaper, but make sure it’s not out of date for using on your course.
• Don’t sign up to a gym – See what your institution has to offer.  And go for a run outdoors.  And buy a few cheap pieces of equipment for your own personal fitness routines. So much less than finding a private gym to throw stupid amounts of money at.

Utilities (gas, electric, water, phone, etc.)

• Find the cheapest electricity and gas deals – If you’re renting with mates now, don’t just go with the first suppliers you see.  Go to uswitch and see who gives the best deal for you.
• At least find a better tariff with your supplier – If you can’t be bothered to go to another supplier, the utility company you’re already with may have different offers that can still save you a packet.  Online tariffs usually mean you cancel a paper bill, but get a reasonable saving.  Also, try paying by regular direct debit if you can (so long as you trust your housemates to pay you for their share…).  Gas and electric companies usually discount a bit more when you pay by direct debit.
• Personally save energy – From turning off lights and appliances, to using the rights pans and curtains, you can do a lot around the house to save money.  Get all your housemates on board…it only takes a few moments to think about it, but it could stop you from wasting money.  Check out the tips on these three sites.