Thinking of Running For a Students’ Union Position? See If You’re Up For the Challenge

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How much do you know about your students’ union?

When I was at university, I didn’t have a clue about the workings of my SU. It was a mystery that I didn’t look that closely into.

I didn’t have a clue about the workings of my SU back then. One of those mysteries that I didn’t ever look that closely into.

Fast forward to today, and I wish I’d known then what I know now. I would have been more involved, that’s for sure.

I’ve interviewed a number of SU officers about their roles for TheUniversityBlog. But it’s been a while since I’ve done one of those. Since I had Beth Moody and Liam Bligh giving some great input on making friends as Freshers last week, I’ve asked them to let us know what challenges they face as exec officers.

Just to remind you, Beth is VP Welfare and Community at Portsmouth Students’ Union (UPSU), while Liam is President of of Northampton Students’ Union.

Now, if you’re thinking of campaigning to become an officer at your SU this year, do you know how different the experience will be to your student lifestyle? What challenges might you face?

I asked Beth and Liam to give a flavour of the challenging, even scary, things about being an elected officer.

After all, getting voted in is just the start. Only after that does the real work begin!

Liam on the transition from student to SU employee:

“So far I would have to say changing my way of thinking from Student to Elected officer; just the lifestyle change between post-exam student and full time worker is massive to say the least. Hearing the alarm clock in the morning never gets any easier!” – Liam

Beth on taking up the challenge:

“Being an elected officer, I feel that I have amazing predecessors which leave a lot to live up to! I feel a duty to them to carry on everything that they did, and to work twice as hard as they did to prove myself. Coming from being unknown in the University to sitting alongside some very well-known students is intimidating too.” – Beth

As you can see, there’s not only a culture shock, but also some big boots to fill.

Talking of big boots, Liam was concerned that he might literally lose his footing:

“I had to do some speeches at the graduation ceremonies. I’ve never had an issue with public speaking, but having to do it in front of that many people is really scary. Especially when you are determined to not trip over your robes or remember whether you are supposed to have your mortarboard on or not!” – Liam

At the same time, both Liam and Beth are up for the difficulties they’ve faced so far and the challenges ahead of them. Here’s Beth:

“Whenever I start to find it difficult or like I am up against a brick wall; I remember that the students chose me to represent them. I really love this job, from helping an individual student to organising welfare related events or making a change in how the university operates, there is nothing else I would want to do, and that gets me through all the challenges thrown my way.” – Beth

An elected role in your SU need to be taken seriously. That can make the difference between shying away from the work and tackling it with confidence.

More than that, if you don’t take the role seriously, you could even be held accountable. Liam is braced for the impact of a new development at Northampton, but he’s also glad the challenges are there:

“We’ve also made it easier for sabbatical officers to be held to account, which puts a lot more pressure on us to do the work the Student Councillors expect of us. However, this additional pressure is a good thing as it motivates the elected officers to keep going and achieve more! So this year be sure to ask your officers about changing things and make the change happen!” – Liam

If what Beth and Liam have said doesn’t put you off…In fact, if what they say enthuses you even more, then you may love the opportunities awaiting you as an SU exec officer.

There’s just that small matter of getting enough votes from your fellow students now!

What do you think? Will we be seeing you in an SU election this year?

How To Sort Out Your Sleep (and Stay Awake): TUB-Thump 003

One of my most popular posts on TheUniversityBlog is about sleeping (and staying awake). Episode 003 of TUB-Thump revisits the piece and gives you the lowdown on how to get the best sleep you can.

Here are the show notes for the 16-min episode:

Find out why some people probably hate me (01:25)
Follow along with the original post: “7 Tips to Top Sleep, 3 Tips for Staying Awake”
Ambient noise app (iOS) – White Noise+
Ambient noise app (Android & iOS) – Rain Rain
Keep a pen and pad by your bed. Write your thoughts down before bed so you can safely leave them until the morning, and make a note of any inspirational thoughts you have in the middle of the night. A pen and pad is the brain-dump by your bed.
Some of my favourite guided relaxations and meditations – MassageASMR (especially Tibetan singing bowls), Marie Forleo’s 10-minute mantra meditation (with MP3 download), Headspace (paid service, but well worth checking out if you like guided meditations).
Powernaps rule! I suggest 18-20 minutes for the most refreshing session.
A future episode will take a look at student-specific issues with keeping a regular sleep schedule. What are your biggest sleep challenges?

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud, YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!

Take Lecture Notes Using These Two Rules: TUB-Thump 002

I worked with a two-rule approach to lecture notes at university. That’s what Episode 002 of TUB-Thump is all about.

Here are the show notes for the 6-min episode:

My lecture notes were always different. Sometimes a couple of words, sometimes several sheets of paper. Although the length of the notes were always different, the method of taking them stayed the same.
Rule One: Only write down the stuff you don’t actually know. Work out the context and bigger picture and limit it to that, alongside anything you don’t already have an understanding of.
Rule Two: Engage with the notes within the next 24-hours. Don’t leave them, use them to deepen your understanding. Do it while it’s fresh in your mind.
Yep, it was that simple. There are loads of ways you can take notes and they should all work under this two-rule method.
This should help you write fewer notes, not more. That’s the magic!

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud,YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!

Why Your Careers Service is Just as Great When You DON’T Know What You Want To Do In the Future

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“Planning for the future can simply be about a toe in the water, not commitment.”
– Sarah Longwell, Careers Adviser (Keele University)

Student data suggests that many who would benefit from their university careers service tend not to use it.

Similar findings are in this year’s Unite Students Insight Report, which echoes previous years of the student survey. While most students are aware of the benefits of their careers service, they don’t always take action and visit.

Also, students without solid future plans in mind are less likely to use their careers service. It’s worrying that one of the best places for further research and thinking about future possibilities could be overlooked.

This year’s Unite Students report states:

“Students have most commonly gone to their parents and the internet for advice about choosing a career and applying for jobs; it is less common that they have used career services at their university for advice.”

I asked Sarah Longwell, Careers Adviser at Keele University, about what students can do when they’re not sure what they want to do when they graduate.

TUB: “How can students plan for the future when uncertain about their future plans?”

Sarah: “Planning for the future can simply be about a toe in the water, not commitment.

“The best place to start is for students to think about themselves – what do they enjoy, what motivates them, what matters to them and what are their strengths.

“Consider what activities they have gained the greatest satisfaction from, what aspects of their degree they enjoy, how others would describe them… Students can then consider opportunities that tie in with all the above. It’s all about starting points!”

TUB: “What’s one simple, yet effective, action someone can make right now to start their career journey?”

Sarah: “The simplest action a student can take is to go and see a careers adviser early in their degree. A careers adviser can help them to reflect upon what they might be seeking in a career and make suggestions based upon this. These will only be suggestions, as no one else can tell a student what would definitely suit them, but careers advisers have the expertise to advise and guide on the basis of an in depth discussion.”

TUB: “Why should Freshers start thinking about their future plans in their first year, even though graduation seems so far away? And why is it important they visit their careers centre sooner rather than later?”

Sarah: “If students start early, they have plenty of time to research ideas, reject or further research them and then attend events with employers and arrange work experience with the option to change career ideas or direction at any stage.

“Panic career decision making is rarely effective!”

The bottom line is this:

If you’re not sure what your future plans will look like when you graduate, it’s well worth checking out your careers service at university and chatting with a careers adviser.

At worst, you’ll feel none the wiser for a quick visit.

At best (and far more likely), you’ll have some food for thought and you’ll be one step closer to finding something that’s right up your street.

High Fliers Research [in The Graduate Market in 2016] found that:

“Almost all the leading graduate recruiters are working with local university careers services this year and there has been a marked increase in employers taking part in university recruitment events”.

According to the report, 94% of employers used careers services, with over a quarter of them doing more in that direction than the previous year.

Most employers also used campus presentations and careers fairs, so there’s plenty happening on campus.

Even if you think it’s too early to check out what your university has on offer, take a look while you can do it casually.