Sleep prep is a choice. How far will you go to catch the best Zzzzzzzz?

You know the feeling. You wish sleep didn’t get in the way of your life, but you know how fab it feels when you are asleep.

Yes, there are never enough hours in the day. So what can you do?

Lifehack has published “19 Ways to Fall Asleep Fast“, with useful, solid, standard advice.

photo by Paparuchas

However, you may find some – perhaps most – of the tips hard to follow in a student lifestyle:

Limit alcohol?
Stop looking at your phone, TV and computer?
Go to sleep at the same time every night?
Adopt a regular bedtime routine?

Sounds a bit much, eh? No wonder advice on sleep is common, while following that advice is less so.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If your bedtime routine is causing you problems, a good way to frame the situation is to view it with importance. That is, decide how much impact your sleep (or lack of it…) has on the rest of your life. The part of your life where you’re awake.

Well, where you *should* be awake…

What you decide is for nobody but yourself. View it as your choice. Any change you make is with you in mind. How far you take things is a personal matter.

When you’re tired and struggling to cope with the daily routine, something’s gotta give. You can’t be stubborn and have all the things you’re used to. There is no quick fix.

With care, you can make the most of your sleep and do more with your time. Listen to yourself.

Are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting too much sleep? Are you being disrupted and interrupted in the night? Is it quality sleep? How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? What is your mood like during the day?

Questions like these are crucial to understanding where things are going wrong and what you need to do to get back on track. Sleep accounts for around a third of your time on this planet. What happens in that time has knock-on consequences to what happens while you’re awake.

Do you go to bed when it suits your lifestyle or when it suits your body? If it’s more the former, you may not be doing yourself any favours.

For instance, it’s frustrating that some people seem to be able to sleep for four hours and wake up with a spring in their step every morning, but we’re all different. Some of us need double that just to cope with the basics!

Before you scream with rage, there’s hope yet. With a bit of change and a better routine, you may find that you don’t need as much sleep as you think. Change the quality of the sleep you get, rather than increase the number of hours.

To get you there, take the Lifehack advice seriously, and check out these posts from TheUniversityBlog’s archives to get you buzzing when you’re awake and to calm you down when it’s time to snuggle under the covers:

Goodnight. Sleep tight!

8 top tips to help graduates gain employment after university

For many students, leaving university can be a very difficult time. After spending the best part of 15 years in education, moving into the working world can be a daunting experience but it doesn’t need to be…

“Preparation and forward planning is essential for any student who wants to make the best start to their graduate career,” explains Crystal Evans from graduate recruitment scheme GO Wales.

work (photo by will_hybrid)

And I’ve got eight tips from GO Wales on getting into the world of work. Crystal says that by implementing a few simple essentials it will, “put you in a much better position when confronting the competitive job market after graduation”.

I’ve added my own comments below each tip to help you even further along the way.

Eight top tips to help secure employment after university

1. Get out there

Work experience is crucial when applying for jobs because it shows a non-academic interest in your industry sector. Being in the working environment that you strive to succeed in allows you to see what it’s really like. Many graduate jobs go to those who have completed relevant sector specific work experience.

[Martin’s note: You can even ‘get out there’ as you stay on campus… Jobs are often available within uni or your students’ union that can get you useful experience.]

2. Know what you’re doing

Taking an active interest in your career sector will help you stand out as knowledgeable and enthusiastic at the interview stage. Graduate jobs go beyond the skills you learn at university, so a thorough understanding of your industry will help you come across as keen, as well as dedicated.

[Martin’s note: To show your growing understanding, get blogging about the industry and build a portfolio of content that you can refer to at any time with ease. When you know your stuff, it’s valuable to show what you know!]

3. Keep your CV fresh

Your CV is like the window display inside a shop – it brings people in. A good CV must look professional and needs to be well tailored to the job that you’re applying for. Make sure your CV is up-to-date, demonstrates the skills and experience you can bring to a company, is accurate and spell checked.

[Martin’s note: Use LinkedIn so you can keep a living CV online. When you need to update, just add the new information. That way, you’re visible and you don’t have to start each CV from scratch. Job applications need tailoring, but that doesn’t mean you have to write a new CV every time. Also, LinkedIn lets you connect and network, as well as give and receive recommendations. Bonus!]

4. Go and get involved

Taking part in extracurricular activities will help you stand out from the rest. Participating in clubs, socials and sports at university will build your confidence and teach you team building skills that will ultimately impress an employer.

[Martin’s note: Just don’t get involved in too many societies and clubs. Aim for a managable amount that you can do really well, rather than loads of different activities that you hardly engage with.]

5. Network with others

Social networking sites present excellent opportunities for securing a graduate job; enabling you to communicate directly with people who work in the industries you’re interested in. Following the appropriate professionals on social media sites like Twitter and Linkedin will help you to network in your industry; talk to professionals via social networks and don’t be afraid to seek advice from them.

[Martin’s note: Online networking is a big deal right now, and it’s easier than ever. Also, take your social shine to the next level and meet up with your online contacts. Attend seminars, conferences, and tweetups (put simply, meet with people you follow on Twitter!). Join industry groups online and check out what events they’re holding near you. Face to face encounters can be more memorable and more rewarding than online alone.]

6. Fail to prepare: prepare to fail

Turning up to an interview unprepared will waste all the work you’ve put in to getting to that stage. Research the company beforehand to demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of what they do. Make sure you look professional and remain confident throughout.

[Martin’s note: Even after you have prepared, don’t be scared of failure. Every interview is an experience. You may have prepared extensively and still get thrown a curveball when you’re there. Far from knocking your confidence, let each failure boost you up for success further down the line. See the next tip for more on this…]

7. Don’t give up

Finding the perfect job takes time and a lot of effort. The graduate job market is very competitive and only 50 per cent of students find work in their preferred industry straight after university. Staying positive and realising that every failure has taught you something new will help you progress. Finding relevant part-time work or volunteering will keep your industry knowledge up-to-date and you will also learn new skills along the way.

[Martin’s note: It’s also important to start early. Build up your strengths (both new and old) and tailor yourself as soon as you can. Don’t wait until you graduate!]

8. Use your resources

GO Wales works to help students and graduates secure work placements and quality work experience opportunities. Work Placements not only give you the chance to develop your knowledge and skills in a real work environment; you will also be paid a minimum of £250 per week. 65 per cent of their graduates secure long-term employment as a result of work placement schemes.

[Martin’s note: While GO Wales is aimed at students in Wales or graduates who are looking to develop their career in Wales, don’t stop if you’re not in that neck of the woods. Seek out other services either in your area or nationally. A good place to start is with your own uni careers services. Don’t be shy; they exist for you to make the most of them.]

Now go back to the first point. Time to get out there and be awesome!

Visit uni on an open day, or a normal day? 11 tips to make both work.

I love university open days.

There, I said it. I’d love to be a prospective student again just so I could check out the uni tours.

That might sound a bit weird, but:

Higher education is WHAT I DO!
I’m always banging on about how open days are massively important.

Anyway, I saw a chat over at The Student Room about open days. A user asked whether they should go to a normal uni day, instead of (or as well as) an official open day.

Good question. Now, you can’t beat a good open day, but there’s no harm in checking something out in a more natural atmosphere.

My advice would be: Do both if you can!

Not easy if you live hundreds of miles away, but worth keeping in mind.

And to help you out, here are 11 tips for you for deciding when to go, and how to approach the visit when you’re there.

photo by hownowdesign

There is no normal day at university – An open day helps you get a feel of the place. A lot of the time you’ll just ‘know’. It either happens or it doesn’t. Nothing to do with what day it is and everything to do with what day it is.
Open days are useful for other reasons – Staff are ready to speak with you, students and ambassadors are on hand to help you, and most areas are open and accessible for you. Also, you get to speak with other prospective students, which can help the atmosphere.
You’ll get a real flavour the more you hang around and explore – If you can spend longer in the area, do it! Revisit the campus when tours aren’t in full swing and see how much is different. An overnight stay could also let you check out the town/city and the nightlife, for instance. Combined with an official open day, it’s like an unofficial extension. Bonus!
Many questions need asking, but it doesn’t always matter where or when they are asked – The point is to ask the right person and show that you’re serious about asking. It’s often easier to ask at an open day, but you may fare better in a different setting. There’s no answer to that, but your genuine interest will usually get you a long way.
Open days allow you to see how well organised things seem – Not all open days are equal! I’ve been to some where it ran wonderfully. I’ve been to others where it didn’t even feel like a real open day! The better organised, the better you feel about the place.
Find the best of both worlds – Ask in advance if you can visit on a regular day. At some unis, they’ll still try to show you around with a senior student or a student ambassador at your side. You may get an official tour, yet on a very real day…
Access won’t always be complete on normal days – Access isn’t guaranteed, especially in accommodation and places that aren’t regularly open for casual viewing. Be prepared to miss out on a tour of ‘the full works’.
Open days are story days – You’ll get a better narrative on organised visits. Yes, it may be the narrative the university chooses to give you, but being there helps you see for yourself when it doesn’t feel right. Most of the time, you’ll be thankful that each part of an open day tour has its place. If you’re not given the story, you may find it hard to follow the plot!
Don’t use either experience for information you can get elsewhere – No matter when you visit, use your time wisely. Basic questions that are answered on the uni’s website or covered in promotional literature are not worth asking when you’re scoping out the joint.
There are no stupid questions, so don’t be scared to ask anything if you aren’t sure. I’m just talking about saving time. The best bet is to look up what you can in advance so you already have most of your questions answered.
Be comprehensive – Open day tours aren’t going to show you every single type of student halls. The tour will concentrate on a lovely, shiny, new complex. Lucy Tobin suggests that you should go off trail and “see the ropey old [halls] that you’ve got a better chance of affording too”.
Enjoy – You get more out of the experience when you treat the day out as a day out. Fine, you’re making a serious effort. Yes, you’re on a fact-finding mission. Okay, this visit is about deciding your future.
But…that’s *why* you need to enjoy your time. Feeling tense and worried about forgetting something or missing out on something will stop you from seeing the place as you’d want to on a day-to-day basis. Your visit has a serious purpose, and that’s why you’ll get the best from it when you’re relaxed. It’s less to do with the type of day you’ve decided to visit on and more to do with what you notice on the day.

What open day experiences have you had so far? Have you ever checked out a uni on an unofficial visit?

photo by Mr Ush

Graduates and the language of jobs

Is getting a job more important than being employable?

Martin Edmondson, CEO of Gradcore and Graduates Yorkshire, has found that graduates and employers may be looking at careers from different perspectives.

photo by Zach Klein

In preparation for the Graduate Employment Conference 2012 (#GEC12), I’ve asked Martin whether students and graduates viewed ’employability’ differently to employers and, if so, how parties could move closer to a shared understanding:

“The whole of the Gradcore business concept is built on improving the understanding and interactions between organisations, universities and graduate. Therefore we take this issue pretty seriously.

“We have recently finished our second running of the ‘Big Graduate Survey’ in Yorkshire, and have doubled our responses this year, with 3800 graduates responding. One of the free-text response questions asked what they wanted from their careers services. Whilst we haven’t yet had time to process the 1400 comments, our clever survey software can produce a wordcloud from the responses, with the biggest word being most commonly mentioned. The word that emerged was ‘Jobs’ and not ‘Employability’. This does not mean that employability is not important, it just means that the head down graduate view of employability can be encapsulated in ‘help me get a job’.”

When I speak with graduates, language does turn to matters of ‘looking for a job’, ‘applying for jobs’. ‘Employability’ isn’t a term frequently mentioned. And with a lot of advice suggesting that graduates tailor each application to the particular job, perhaps the focus moves to being employable for every individual job, rather than growing an understanding of what makes a person employable in an overall sense. There is no single answer, but there are certainly common themes.

Even common themes can prove difficult, as Martin explains:

“From the employer perspective there is as much disagreement about what constitutes employability as there is in Universities. One of the most commonly cited components of employability cited by employers is ‘commercial awareness’. Unfortunately when you ask 5 different employers what commercial awareness is, you will get five different answers. In our employability development courses we have taken this on board and now coach graduates in what we have categorised as the 5 key elements of commercial awareness. Maybe even that is too complex, as I recently met a chamber of commerce president who insisted that her members knew graduates had skills but simply wanted them to get better at being ‘nice people to work with’.

“As with all things, ascribing a single view to an imaginary homogenous group of graduates, universities and employers is dangerous, but these are real life examples that illustrate the gaps that need bridging. I have found fairly consistently is that in the interconnection of businesses of graduates, common and key factors are culture and values.”

Culture and values suggest an ongoing desire to extend understanding of a wide range of issues. These are not so much skills, but a sense of empathy, engagement, and a forward-facing attitude that’s ready for change.

As Harold Jarche recently said, “Given that 65% of todays’ students will end up in jobs that don’t exist today, we know work will change significantly in the next decade. The network economy is changing everyone’s business, and will significantly affect education and training as well.”

Martin explains that as HE continues to move toward marketisation, students will increasingly consider the link between fees and graduate employment outcomes. He says, “more than ever before, universities need to produce employable graduates (whatever they think that means)”.

The ‘whatever they think that means’ part is important too. Without linking up the views of students, universities, and companies, there is a danger that thoughts will be a confusion of irrelevant assumptions. Without listening to each other, how would students be best placed for the jobs they desire and how would employers be able to find the right fit?

As for universities, how would they keep on board a large number of their students ongoing? While the purpose of university is not solely to train people up for employment, many people attend university in order to help their future prospects. If the links between study and future employability are not forthcoming, what then?

CIHE’s David Docherty suggests, “[Universities] need internships, placements, short-work bursts, and embedded doctorates to help them develop ‘fused graduates'”. Think of it, perhaps, as university beyond university.

Martin Edmondson left me with a number of questions that he sees as important for each group to consider their position:

Is one of the issues in student engagement around employability the word itself?
How can business adapt to and embrace the qualities brought by generation Y graduates?
How can graduates accelerate their understanding of different workplaces so they make themselves attractive to employers?
How can culture and values be harnessed to build understanding and connectivity between employers and graduates?
How can Universities act as a bridge between the two groups, and develop ones understanding of the other?

These are important questions. It is up to all parties to ensure graduates can shine after they have been at university.

Change is ongoing, which gives much room for innovation. As a recent Harvard Business Review piece asks, “Isn’t real innovation supposed to blow through thresholds to create something of new value?”

So, who’s up for blowing through some thresholds?