List of Over 60 Student Unions on Twitter

Lots of universities operate Twitter accounts (some listed here on Liz Azyan’s site), but what about the Student Unions?

Essex SU (photo by Arty Smirks)

Essex SU (photo by Arty Smirks)

I’ve long said that the Student Union (or Guild of Students) is a wonderful resource that’s often overlooked by students as just a group that sets up events and handles societies.  But a Student Union is so much more and it’s there for you!  It acts as a representative to all students, working on your behalf to get as much possible to help and support you as you study.

I’ve scoured the Twitterverse to find which Unions have Twitter accounts.  The list is below. They’re worth keeping an eye on as a quick way to stay up to date with events and news.

If I’m missing any that you know of (or run), let me know via Twitter (universityboy) and I’ll add it to the list.

Detail from Winchester SU

Winchester SU

99 Students’ Unions on Twitter (last checked January 2012)

Aberdeen – http://twitter.com/ausatwit
Abertay – https://twitter.com/#!/abertayunion
Aberystwyth – https://twitter.com/aberguild
Anglia Ruskin – http://twitter.com/AngliaRuskinSU
Aston – https://twitter.com/#!/aston_guild
Bangor – https://twitter.com/#!/bangorstudents
Bath – http://twitter.com/BathSU
Bedfordshire – https://twitter.com/#!/bedssu
Birmingham City – http://twitter.com/bhamcitysu
Birmingham – http://twitter.com/guildofstudents
Bolton – https://twitter.com/#!/UBSUnion
Bournemouth – http://twitter.com/sububournemouth
Bradford – http://twitter.com/ubuonline
Brighton – https://twitter.com/#!/subrighton
Bristol – https://twitter.com/#!/ubunews
Brunel – http://twitter.com/brunelstudents
Bucks New Uni – https://twitter.com/#!/buckssu
Cambridge – https://twitter.com/#!/CUSUonline/
Canterbury Christ Church – http://twitter.com/christchurchsu
Cardiff – http://twitter.com/cardiffunion
Central Lancashire – http://twitter.com/uclansu
Chester – https://twitter.com/#!/chestersu
Chichester – http://twitter.com/Chi_Union
City – http://twitter.com/CULSU
Coventry – http://twitter.com/cusu
Cumbria – https://twitter.com/#!/cumbriasu
De Montfort – http://twitter.com/demontfortsu
Derby – http://twitter.com/udsu
Dundee – https://twitter.com/#!/dusa_theunion
Durham – https://twitter.com/#!/durhamsu
East Anglia (UEA) – https://twitter.com/#!/UnionUEA
East London – https://twitter.com/#!/uelunion
Edge Hill – http://twitter.com/edgehillsu
Edinburgh – http://twitter.com/EUSA
Essex – http://twitter.com/EssexSU
Exeter – http://twitter.com/exeterguild
Glamorgan – http://twitter.com/GlamSU
Glasgow – https://twitter.com/#!/gusrc
Gloucestershire – https://twitter.com/#!/yoursu/
Goldsmiths (Uni of London) – http://twitter.com/goldsmiths_su
Greenwich – https://twitter.com/#!/sugreenwich
Heriot-Watt – https://twitter.com/#!/HWUnion
Hertfordshire – https://twitter.com/#!/uhsutweets
Huddersfield – https://twitter.com/#!/huddersfieldsu
Hull – http://twitter.com/Hullstudent
Imperial – http://twitter.com/icunion
Keele – http://twitter.com/keelesu
Kent – http://twitter.com/KentUnion
Kingston – https://twitter.com/#!/kingston_su
Lancaster – https://twitter.com/#!/lancasterSU
Leeds – https://twitter.com/#!/LeedsUniUnion
Leeds Met – http://twitter.com/leedsmetsu
Leicester – http://twitter.com/PercyGee
Lincoln – http://twitter.com/lincolnsu
Liverpool – https://twitter.com/#!/LGoS/
Liverpool Hope – https://twitter.com/#!/LiverpoolHopeSU
Liverpool John Moores – https://twitter.com/LiverpoolSU
London Met – https://twitter.com/#!/londonmetsu
London South Bank – https://twitter.com/#!/LSBU_SU
Loughborough – http://twitter.com/loughboroughsu
Manchester – https://twitter.com/#!/UMSUnion
Manchester Metropolitan – https://twitter.com/#!/manmetunion
Middlesex – http://twitter.com/mdxsu
Newcastle – https://twitter.com/#!/LiveNUSU
Northampton – https://twitter.com/#!/northamptonSU
Northumbria – http://twitter.com/Northumbriasu
Nottingham – http://twitter.com/UONstudentnews
Nottingham Trent – http://twitter.com/Trentstudents
Oxford – https://twitter.com/#!/ousunews
Oxford Brookes – https://twitter.com/#!/oxfordbrookessu
Plymouth – http://twitter.com/UPSU
Portsmouth – http://twitter.com/portsmouthsu
Reading – https://twitter.com/#!/rusutweets
Roehampton – https://twitter.com/#!/RoehamptonSU
Salford – http://twitter.com/Salfordsu
Sheffield – https://twitter.com/#!/sheffieldsu
Sheffield Hallam – https://twitter.com/hallamunion
Sheffield Hallam (Officers) – http://twitter.com/hallamofficers
Southampton – https://twitter.com/#!/YourSUSU
Southampton Solent – https://twitter.com/#!/solentsu
St Andrews – http://twitter.com/standrewsunion
Staffordshire
– http://twitter.com/StaffsUnion
Stirling – https://twitter.com/#!/stirlinguni/
Sunderland – http://twitter.com/sunderlandsu
Surrey – https://twitter.com/#!/Surrey_Union
Sussex – http://twitter.com/USSU
Swansea – http://twitter.com/SwanseaUnion
Teeside – https://twitter.com/#!/teessidesu/
University Campus Suffolk
– http://twitter.com/UCSunion
University College London (UCL) – https://twitter.com/#!/UCLU
Warwick – https://twitter.com/#!/WarwickSU
West London – https://twitter.com/#!/wlsu
West of England (Bristol) – http://twitter.com/uwesu
Westminster – http://twitter.com/westminstersu
Winchester – http://twitter.com/winchestersu
Wolverhampton – http://twitter.com/wolvessu
Worcester – http://twitter.com/WorcesterSU
York – https://twitter.com/#!/yorkunisu
York St John – https://twitter.com/#!/ysjsu

Portsmouth SU (photo by Claire Sambrook)

Portsmouth SU (photo by Claire Sambrook)

Wandering to Whatever (via Wolfram): EduLinks & New Tumblelog

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’m changing the way I do some things around here (for the better!).  One change is that I’ll be posting EduLinks and making short comments of note to a new Tumblelog for TheUniversityBlog.

Take a look and see.  Whether it’s about making slow decisions, creating sexy brands, or smelling fear , I hope to let you know about all sorts.  If you want to see any particular type of links featured, let me know.

That means today will be the final old-skool set of EduLinks posted here.  But fear not!  I will still compile a regular “Best of…” post here to cover what I’ve been adding to the Tumblelog (http://universityboy.tumblr.com).

Now, on with the last EduLinks of this kind.  Enjoy!

EduLinkz

Economist – Encouraging Competitiveness – Researchers have found that people compete better in smaller groups.  Completing a test with 10 people makes average test scores higher than those completing a test with 100 people.  So next time you’re up against 10,000 people, imagine you’re up against 10 to try getting a bit more out of yourself!

EduChoices – 20 Twitter Tips for New Grads and Entrepreneurs – Twitter is apparently being used most by those in their late 20s and older at the moment.  Whether or not the balance changes considerably in the near future, Melissa Kahney has produced some quality suggestions to help recent graduates find new opportunities and network effectively.  Now is the time to strike!

Digital Ethnography – Toward a New Future of “Whatever” – The ever-brilliant Michael Wesch talks of “Meh” and “Generation Me” to describe why education currently brings in many bored faces, while “American Idol” auditions bring in passionate outbursts.  Professor Wesch hopes the colourful history of the word “Whatever” can add a new definition of hope.  Whatever it takes…

Chronicle Wired Campus – Students May Not Be as Software Savvy as They Think, Study Says – An American university has found that students tend to overestimate their skill level when it comes to Microsoft Office applications.  How accomplished do you think you are?

Britannica Blog – Neuroeconomics: Studying How We Make Decisions – This post explains how we sometimes offload the burden of making decisions onto others.  We might think all our decisions are our own, but the brain seems to suggest otherwise.

BBC – Using speech-writing techniques to win – This article from the BBC News Magazine asks, “Can speech-writing teach us skills for dealing with tricky situations in everyday life?”  It is a great piece for help on writing speeches and generally understanding how to get a good reaction.  Tried and tested techniques abound.

Psychology Today – Wandering Into the Innovation Economy – Worried about the recession?  Not sure what’s going to happen after you graduate?  Just let your mind wander and take control of the ideas that come to you.  One of those ideas may be what you need to change the world and find massive success while you’re at it.

Academic Productivity – 10 tips to harness the hidden potential of Wolfram Alpha – Now the hype has started to die down, Wolfram Alpha has emerged as a great tool for specific uses and functions.  It is not a ‘Google-killer’ because it serves a very different purpose.  Wolfram Alpha is definitely a site to remember, and Academic Productivity some of the wonderful ways you can use the powerful computational data on offer.

Why’d it all kick off now!?

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. 🙂

photo by mmagallan

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!

10 Tips to boost your self-esteem

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.

photo by channah

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.