Pathways to Law launch

On the 4^th of November 2015 I attended the launch for our new group of pathways to law students. This was very exciting as it was the first time we got to see the possible new barristers and lawyers of the future. With me was a small group of past Pathways to Law students to help tell new students why it was the right ‘pathway’ to their future.

Food & Coffee

The event kicked off with food coffee an information folder and a little chatting amongst the previous pathways and new cohort of students.

Welcoming

Welcoming the new students was our pathways team to introduce themselves and the journey that the students will be going on for the next two years. Covering the different events and the reason for attending Pathways to Law.

The Pathways team however could only explain so much as academics, therefore this was shortly followed by current university students studying law who attended Pathways to Law last year. Explaining their experiences from the journey and how it both helped them and their progression into studying law.

Icebreakers & Information on University

From here on families and students involved in Pathways to Law were divided and while parents went to a higher education finance talk. Students took part in active icebreakers to create a talking point for students and help them get to know each other.

Talk & Questions

After all the excitement and information the night drew to a close with a little talk about what’s to come for the students and finally answering any questions still held. 

Do you know what you’re doing after school finishes?

Future Proofing

I attended one of our departments Future Proofing sessions to have a look into what advice we give to Pre-16 students about Post-16 options.

What is it?

– Future Proofing is basically what it says on the tin, the event is focused showing students to research areas relevant to their future to discover what qualification they may need to access them.

–This ranges from jobs, apprenticeships and higher education. Every different type of job or Higher Education has different entry requirements. This means after working out what you want to do the session would suggest how to get there.

How does it work?

The session was broken down into :

Meet greet & Eat

– The year 11 pupils and their families ate together with, and chatted to, our Student Ambassadors

What do you know?

–  The point of this part was it gave pupils an opportunity to ask any questions they had about student life in an informal setting receiving ‘real’ responses from ‘real’ students.

Chat & Research

– This I felt this was the most important part of the whole evening where Student Ambassadors moved around and chatted with the families and students about specific university questions.

– For those individuals who have not yet decided on a future career or pathway, there was a personality quiz to complete. Once complete this suggested areas compatible with the pupils answers in terms of careers to research.

Catch up & Questions

  – Finally pupils and families were asked to consider and state their next steps. For some the session had raised more questions than answers and they stated further research was needed. Others however had very specific ideas about the grades and pathways they needed to pursue. Finally at the end any questions that weren't answered at the start or throughout were quickly answered for peace of mind.

Conclusion

Future Proofing was a relaxed way of allowing for two specific things to happen. First it lets students understand what they may want to do in the future and the pathways to access those things. Secondly, undertaking this research allows them to make informed decisions about what they both can, and want, to do. Therefore it can be said the session ‘Future Proofed’ their Post – 16 choices.

How I found my 'Passion for Fashion' on work experience!

I have always had a lust for fashion, I was one of the lucky people who always knew what I would study once I got to university. I often read magazines and watched fashion shows on the internet. However, I didn't know much about what fashion design students actually did and learnt at university. Nottingham Trent University organise placements throughout the year for students who want to know more about university studies. It is such a renowned university so I wasted no time getting myself on one of their placements.

Students in Classrooms

NTU Students in Classrooms – gain practical experience with our rewarding opportunities to work in local schools and colleges

Want to get involved in a rewarding scheme but  can't drop that part time job?

If this applies to you why not think about applying for one of our Students in Classrooms schemes!

NTU Students in Classrooms offer a range of opportunities to work with young people in local schools, colleges and here at the University.

There are three schemes:

Students in Classrooms Associates

Associates work alongside classroom teachers in:

•    Primary schools
•  Secondary schools
•   Colleges

The aim of the Associates scheme is to provide positive role models and help to raise aspirations and attainment. Associates work with groups of learners, or on a one to one basis supporting pupils with things such as literacy activities or reading.

Associates may also get the opportunity to assist with some non-teaching aspects such as planning and preparation of lessons.

Students in Classrooms Mentors

Mentors work on a one-to-one basis with students between the ages of 13 - 17 providing advice and guidance on:

• Routes into higher education
• Revision & exam technique
• Planning & self-management skills
• Motivation, self-confidence and much more.

The scheme has an overall aim to help to increase attainment levels and raise aspirations towards higher education. This is a good way to engage personally with students and know you're providing a service that may change lives.

Student Ambassadors

Nottingham Trent University delivers a wide range of activities and events working in schools and colleges, as well as engaging parents, carers and members of the general public.

Ambassadors get involved with:

• Raising awareness of post 16 opportunities and NTU
• Supporting our outreach team with classroom activities out in schools and colleges
• Helping at events such as University Open days & subject taster days

Overall, being a Student Ambassador involves spreading information and acting as a positive role model for the University. Students in Classrooms are looking for enthusiastic students who are proactive and will be fully committed to the scheme they apply for.

To find out more about each scheme, the commitment involved and the rates of pay, please visit: www.ntu.ac.uk/studentsinclassrooms

Please note that interested students must attend an awareness raising meeting to be eligible to apply. The meetings will be taking place across all three NTU campuses at the start of the next term, dates are available on the Students in Classrooms website.

If you have any questions, please contact studentsinclassrooms@ntu.ac.uk.

Mentoring Student Profiles

Mentor Student Profile

Student Associate Profile

FAQ's For Parents

University, your child’s big step - have you ever wondered what you can do to help them along the way?

When thinking about what you can do when they are preparing to go off to university, parents often tell us that they fear the unknown and even start to feel a little redundant! However, there is lots of support that parents and carers can offer their child throughout the process, and help make it a successful and stress-free experience.

Supporting the application process

The first step on the way is making sure you check through their personal statement. You can play a big part in helping them with this by:

Checking spelling and grammar
Reminding them of their past achievements that are relevant to their application
 Encouraging them to apply before the deadline
     


Tips
 Know the deadlines – the earlier they apply the better chance they have For 2016 applications, the UCAS administrative fee is £12 for a single choice or £23 for multiple courses or applications that are submitted after 30 June.

Attend a number of open days before they make the application so they can find the course/university that is best for them.
 If they have any questions, encourage them to contact the universities directly if they need to.
Help prepare them for potential interviews, by holding a small Q&A session.
Be around for results day

Disabilities & access to Support Services
When applying it’s also a good idea to make sure your child discloses any information about specific learning requirements. This covers all physical and mental disabilities from a need for wheelchair access to autism and learning conditions such as dyslexia.




Supporting the hunt for student accommodation
Parent and carers can often be a lot of help when it comes to securing suitable student accommodation. Some tips you might find especially useful are:


·  You usually apply for accommodation once an offer has been made
·  You will need to finalise accommodation details in August after received your results
· You can pay a deposit to secure accommodation at NTU from March if NTU is their firm choice, if not then accommodation must be booked within clearing.

Quick tips on helping smooth the transition
When you get to send off waving off your child isn’t the only thing you can do. You can guide them with your experience on many important aspects.


Money – help them plan a budget for the year & set up a student bank account.
Accommodation – Room confirmed, when can they pick up their keys?
Term dates – When does Welcome Week start? When is the first day of term?
Preparation work – Do they have any work to complete before their course begins?                     
Contacts list – Make a list of useful contact numbers
TV Licence
Parking permit?
Documentation – driving licence, National Insurance Number, NHS medical card, insurance documents, TV licence, passport, support notification, any information you've been sent by the SLC (Student Loans Company) or Student Finance Direct, paying-in book and bank details.


One last piece of advice:

It can be easy to dismiss Welcome Week as an optional extra, but we encourage new students to make the most of the opportunity. Welcome Week activities play a big part in soothing the transition to new surroundings and successfully finding their feet in a brand new routine. We hope you will soon be hearing about some interesting new hobbies!

Finally it’s important to support your child through their time within university and be by their side as although they may be growing up they’ll always need a helping hand. 

Your guide to being a Student Ambassador

It's simply the best!

Being a Student Ambassador was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I did whilst studying at Nottingham Trent and I would highly recommend applying to anyone. The best thing about the role is the amount of flexibility that it offers. If you are too busy one month to do any events then this does not matter, there is no minimum amount of hours that you have to subscribe to and as a student this is what matters. During my final year at university I did not do a single event for about six months due to the heavy work load of my studies but once they were finished I was able to come back and subscribe to as many events as I could.

It's a great way to spend your summer

The best time to be a Student Ambassador is during the summer, if you are able to stay in Nottingham after the year is finished then I would recommend doing so. During the two summers after my second and third year I worked the busiest block for the School, College and Community Outreach Team. Different schools around Nottingham came to visit the university every day for a month. The highlight of the visit block, however, is always the summer residential's at the end of the month. Student Ambassadors support these events by sharing with students their own experiences of what higher education is about. However, being paid to sleep, eat dominoes, go bowling and take part in quizzes certainly is an added bonus.

Variety is the spice of life!

There are a vast amount of different events that Student Ambassadors support throughout the year, from going into schools and colleges leading a variety of activities, to supporting with university Open Days and UCAS Clearing. There are events available to suit any type of person as Student Ambassadors support events aimed at all year groups from Years 5 to 13.

The people!

The one thing you can guarantee as a Student Ambassador is that you will get to work with some of the greatest people. During my time as a Student Ambassador the people I have worked with have become my closest friends, friends I will stay in contact with long into the future. As well as the other Student Ambassadors, the Outreach officers who lead the events are outgoing and easy to get along with making the events extremely enjoyable. The camaraderie between the entire team is second to none and is unlike any other job I have had.

It looks great on my CV

Being a Student Ambassador is suitable for students studying all types of degrees. I studied for a Law Degree and the skills that I have developed will no doubt help me in becoming a successful lawyer. However, I have not gone straight into my chosen career path. Being a Student Ambassador left such a lasting impression that I am now working within a college as a Mentor, imparting the knowledge that I have gained and helping many students achieve their goals. There is no doubting that I would not have got this job without being a Student Ambassador and I am glad that I now have the skills to go down a variety of career paths. 

Answer these few simple questions...

Do you want to meet some great people who will become lifelong friends? Do you want to earn money whilst studying but want flexibility? Do you want to have a job where no two days are the same? If yes is your answer to any of these questions then apply to be a Student Ambassador and you will not regret it; I never did!

Author: Jamie Watkinson

Edited by: Declan Manning

My work experience at Nottingham Trent University

My name is Zahra Mahmood and I am 15 years old. I am a British Pakistani and attend Bluecoat Academy. I am in year 10 going into year 11.  The GCSE’s I am studying are English Language, English Literature, Double Science (Core and Additional), Maths, Religious Studies, Geography, German and Information Technology. I am a very active person, I am always playing sports or taking part in activities at school. I play for a cricket team called Notts and Arnold Cricket Club and once played for the Under 13’s Nottinghamshire County Girls Cricket Team! 

NTU Arkwright Building

I was quite nervous on the first day of work experience at Nottingham Trent University.This was a new experience for me, I had never had a job before this. I was to work in the Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach department. My supervisors were Laura Hope and Siba Munsanje,  they gave me a timetable for the 3 days and vaguely described what I was going to do. Most of my time was spent with Siba, she showed me around the university and helped me complete my tasks. 

My first job was to attended a Pathways to Law workshop. It showcased the different types of jobs students could expect to do with a degree in law. It was quite interesting and new to me.  I learnt that particular areas in law are in decline, which was surprising as I assumed more students would be interested in those particular areas. After the workshop, I took my lunch break and met up with my friends. They were on work experience too so it was nice to compare notes. 

Just after lunch, Siba took me on a campus tour around the university, I had the opportunity to see what it offered to students. Siba then explained what her job was, she mentioned the department was looking for someone to replace her for next year because she was going back to studying at university for her final year. She showed me how to manage the different social media platforms used by the department. LinkedIn and Pinterest, in particular, were new to me. Perhaps I'll use them more often when I attend university in the future.

Year 9 campus visit

I wasn't nervous on the second day of work experience because I knew who I was working with and what I was doing. Siba taught me about SWOT analysis, which is analysing a business by knowing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It is used a lot when studying business at university, which is interesting to me because I may decide to take business when I get to university. We used SWOT to analyse the department's Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages in order to see how we could improve them. 

Later in the day, I helped out with a year 9 campus visit. I was in charge of the department's Instagram and Twitter pages.  My responsibilities included tweeting the school that was visiting and taking photos of the activities they were doing. I escorted them on the campus tour, afterwards each group did a presentation about their SAM’s (Student Ambassador Mentors). The year 9’s were interesting to help because I was older than them and they listened to me. At the end of the visit, I  went back to the office and edited a blog about budgeting. I did not know much about budgeting so I did some research on it. As editor, I made it easier to read by structuring it better, added a few pictures and made it more engaging.

On day three of my work experience, I learnt about an online learning space called NOW for current NTU students. Almost everything at university is online and if you miss a lecture from your module, you can access it from that website. Lecturers tend to put resources on there. This is completely different to how work is at school, everything is on paper and the only time you work on a computer is during IT or Computing lessons. 

I helped out on a year 12 campus visit. My responsibilities were to take pictures of the students and post them on Twitter and Instagram, to respond to online comments from the students and monitor the entries to our online competition. The year 12’s did different workshops compared to the year 9’s, they learnt how to write CV’s and did mock interviews. I noticed the year 12’s were more serious about Higher Education compared to the year 9’s, they worked independently during the activities. 

I then went back to the office to start working on this post!  I felt like this work experience was a good experience for me and was something that I might think about doing in the future as my job. It taught me useful things that could be of use while I'm still at school. I'm more confident with meeting new people and I got a chance to put my knowledge of social media into practise. Naturally, my generation grew up with social media around us so it was great to use this for my job.  I plan to complete my A-levels and get a job in my free time to gain experience of being in work environment. My goal is to go to university and see where it takes me from there! 

Please note: The work experience was from 24/06/2014 to 26/06/2014.

Author: Zahra Mahmood 
Editor: Siba Munsanje

Make your summer 'AMAZING'

It's very easy to spend your free time during summer watching back to back series of your favourite show, but there's a lot more fulfilling stuff to do...

Travel

Credit: Clipartpanda.com

You can leave behind the doom and gloom of the English weather and swap it with some fun in the sun! Rev up your search engine and look for  some far away exotic country like Barcelona or Rome. There's a lot of cheap holiday deals to be found if you spend a little time surfing the internet! 

Credit: nccoachscorner.com

Work experience and Volunteering

Yes it can be tedious but can also be fun, a lot of smaller companies will expect you to work for free, but it can still be a rewarding experience. This may also be a chance to brush up on your tea making skills. NTU offer a ton of opportunities to volunteer, so start looking!

Start a blog...or Vlog

Starting a blog is very easy, the most popular blog sites are Wordpress and Blogger. It is a great your way to document your fun experiences, it looks good on your CV and its great for reflection. If not you're not the type to blog, you could try your hand at Vlogging (video blogging). It's easy and convenient, all you need is a camera-you could even use your phone. Video blogging has become very popular, you never know, you could be the next internet sensation!

credit: Patreon.com

Festivals

summer festivals tend to sell out early, so grab your ticket while you can! if you missed the early bird rush, then search out local festivals to go to. Sometimes, upcoming performers start their careers at small festivals, you never know, you might discover something new. Plus, the atmosphere is always great

Bucket list 

Why not draw up a bucket list of all the things you want to do before you have to go back to sitting through lectures (or lessons) in the autumn. You might decide to go skydiving, or learn to play chess, heck you can even decide to attend summer schools if you miss school that much.

Whatever you decide to do, make this summer, your best summer!

Author: Siba Munsanje

Our Family Supper 2015 (#FamSup15)

...Continued from part one.

How do I Pay?

SAM's from NTU and UoN

Any loan – tuition and / or maintenance – that the student has taken out will have to be paid back after the student has graduated and is earning above a specific wage, currently this is £21,000 per year before tax. The repayments are taken straight out of a student’s wage at the same time as tax and national insurance as the loan is linked to the individuals national insurance number. As this is a loan there interest applied to it. All outstanding monies will be written off after 30 years.

How does the uni spend my money?

So where does the £9,000 go? The tuition fee from each student goes into the running of the university they attend. This may be partially into wages, services such as catering and the estate itself with the repair and refurbishment of buildings and facilities. 

Pathways to Law 2015/16

Are you interested in studying a law degree and following a career in law?
Are you starting your AS levels in September?
If your answer is YES!
Then Pathways to Law could be for you!


Pathways to Law is an exciting two year programme that will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to make you stand out from the crowd when you apply for a law degree at university. 

This national programme recognised by both universities and employers ,which will give you the chance to:

• access a work placement within a legal setting;
• take part in taster sessions;
• participate in masterclasses and lectures on subjects that directly relate to the law;
• develop an insight into what the university experience is really like;
• build new friendships and develop your professional legal network.


Activities as part of the programme will develop debating, negotiation, team-working and communication skills that will be essential for your professional development.

Other opportunities and guidance available on the programme include: 

• advice on applying through UCAS;
• writing personal statements;
• employability and careers information.  

The programme will also give you access to an online mentor (a current law undergraduate student) who will be available to answer all your questions about studying law at university. 

Pathways to Law will also give the chance to participate in trips to the Inner Temple of London and a national residential conference.   

This fantastic opportunity has limited places so please apply NOW!  The deadline for applications is Monday 28 September.

To find out more and apply for a place on the Pathways to Law programme follow this link:
www.apply.suttontrust.com/pathways-law/

If you have any questions about the Pathways scheme, please contact Joanna Welch:
Email Joanna.welch@ntu.ac.uk or call on 0115 848 2007.

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