A Journey of Resilience

After 3 years studying English with Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University, Olivia left with the dream of moving to London and starting a new life down there. Things didn't workout quite the way she wanted and she decided to document the whole experience on her personal blog. Now she's moving on, once again, she thought it would be apt to share her story of resilience...

Olivia on her Graduation day.

July 30th, 2016

"Upon leaving university, I started interviewing for Graduate jobs in Recruitment, attending assessment days and interviews for some of the top companies in London. The offices were stunning and I felt like a tiny fish in a huge, business-fied pond!  It's a shame the people I came across weren't as impressive as the buildings they were based in...

Life In A Fijian Community: An Honest Experience

Catherine Gryffenberg has been volunteering in Fiji this summer. Here's what she had to say about adapting to life in a Fijian community and some of the highs and lows of immersing into a different culture:

Catherine's home in Fiji

A Fijian community is the warmest environment I've ever been welcomed into. Upon arriving in my village and being sandwiched into the arms of my Fijian mum, dad and siblings, I could tell it wouldn't take long to for me to call this 'my home'.

Catherine with her Fijian family

The lifestyle couldn't be more different to what I was used to, but isn't that half the charm? The water tank became the social hub in the morning with all the village children bounding over to say "Bula!" (wishing happiness and good health) amidst teeth brushing and water bottle filling. Before long I was spending dinner with my cousins and nephews and introducing the other people in the team to my brothers and sisters!

Student Diary: Volunteering in Sri Lanka

Student Volunteers Leaving NTU For Sri Lanka!

Some of the student volunteers set off to Sri Lanka this week! Here's a diary entry written by a few of the girls on the trip...

Travelling

The group met at Heathrow Airport, ready for an adventure. Our first flight was six and a half hours to Dubai. For one member of our team, it was their first time leaving the UK... ever!

After a plethora of movies, entertainment and (surprisingly) good airplane food, we made it to Dubai International Airport. It's the busiest international hub in the world and that was still the case at 8am!

Why Young People Voted In The General Election

This year's general election saw a significant rise in young voters and young people actively taking an interest in politics. I was one of these young people. 

Following on from our post Why Young People Don't Vote, it was clear that young people's enthusiasm and engagement was bubbling away (particularly on social media) ready to boil over in the results of the general election.

As a young person, I can only speak for myself when expressing my reasons why I chose to vote for the first time in this general election.

My Journey Into Mindfulness

On Friday 9th June, I went to Nottingham Contemporary to take part in their June workshop 'The Quest for Happiness'. The workshop was created by Collabor-8 (you can find out more about this creative group of young people here) and the Nottingham Buddhist Centre!

After reading the advertisement:

I was intrigued to go along, so, with an open mind, I made my way down to the gallery on a beautiful June evening to see what I could learn!

Why Young People Don't Vote

These are words you will be hearing everywhere, especially at the moment but do they mean anything to you?

Evidence has shown that young people are interested in elections and politics way more widely right now. They are interested in voting, they do care about who's elected so why have they been so disengaged up until now?

Unfortunately, in recent General Elections, many young people think that the candidates haven't been able to demonstrate the points above effectively.

This has led to young people feeling marginalised and alienated from formal electoral politics which resulted in a low turnout of young people.

So, what does this mean?

#NTUDEGREESHOW

Nottingham Trent University is currently buzzing with creative energy as the Art & Design graduates prep their work for #NTUDEGREESHOW!

Last week, the fashion students showcased their work in a series of catwalks which, we can confirm, were as excellent as ever.

Their work is still up in Newton if you haven't yet seen it and we couldn't miss the opportunity to take a few snaps of their unique and inspiring pieces to give you a little taster...

Collection by Natasha Flannery

City of Literature

Nottingham is a UNESCO City of Literature... but why does this make literacy in Nottingham our responsibility?

The 15 Step Guide To Sending An Email

It's 1975 and you want to send a message and documents to a business, school or a colleague in another department. 

What do you do?

"Today, kids, we're going to graffiti..."

One of the ways our Children's University (CU) pupils can earn stamps in their passport is by taking part in an art club.

The art clubs we put on are run by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) student volunteers. We went along to Carlton Standhill Infants' School to see how they were getting on...

This group of Year 2's were on the third week of art club which run for an hour every Thursday after school finishes. 

6 Ways To Save Money At Uni

Budgeting money can be hard, especially if it's the first time that it's your responsibility. We have pulled together our top 6 tips to give you the best chance in starting and finishing university financially comfortable and ready to start work!

30 Songs To Motivate Success

Whoever you are, listening to a song you connect with can be a great way to motivate you to persevere and succeed.

In our GO MAD training we were asked to bring a song that inspired or motivated us. We then went around the room and explained why we had chosen that particular song. 

After putting them all on a playlist to play during the breaks, our trainer spoke about the power of words and positive thinking. He explained that we can create new neural pathways in our brains through the use of repetition.

This could be some kind of message, quote or affirmation that we say to ourselves daily (or many times daily). Equally, it could be a song we listen to in order to re-affirm a belief, or to make us feel happy, inspired, motivated etc.

How To: Communicate With An Autistic Student

Do you really know how to communicate with an autistic student? We have summarised Special Needs Teacher, Victoria Honeybourne's vibrant article into a list of techniques to help you.

Being autistic herself, Victoria has given us a great insight into the inner workings of an autistic student and we couldn't wait to share it with you!

Before we get going...

Tip: Be sure to check the tips at the end of the sections!

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Young people, in general, are like sponges. They subconsciously absorb the attitudes and beliefs that the adults around them reflect.

World Poetry Day

It's World Poetry Day today so, of course, it's the perfect time to remember our favourite poems!

Now, this isn't the first time we've thought about our favourite poems. When Nottingham was made a 'City of Literature' by UNESCO, we pulled together a list of our most treasured poems and why.

We still feel so honoured that Nottingham is a recognised City of Literature so we pulled together a few poems that really capture the essence of Nottingham for us. The poems we have chosen are about cities over the world but they really remind us why we love Nottingham so much. 

Cities are great, vibrant places to live and study and our favourite will always be Nottingham.

6 Steps to Mindfulness

I can't do this. It's all too much. Why can't I get this right?

No matter what you're studying, there will be some points of your course where you will need high levels of cognitive control, emotional stability and self-awareness. Rather unhelpfully, it's often when you're striving so hard for those things that they're harder to attain.

Mindfulness can help you manage the normal stresses of student life effectively, enabling you to remain calm, be able to focus and work in a way which is enjoyable, creative and productive.

Mindfulness is about being more aware of what is happening and having more choice on how to respond to life's challenges. It is a skill we all have and can be improved through exercises and practice.

Children Are Trees

Last week I was sitting in the conservatory of a very good friend of mine looking out at his garden. He broke my gaze by asking me what my role at the University actually was. I found myself telling him all about how we work to develop growth mind-sets, nurture tenacity and grit and sow the seeds of determination...

"A bit like gardening, then." he said.

"What do you mean exactly?" I answered.

Light Night Nottingham 2017

The lights outside of Nottingham Castle.

On Friday 10th February, Nottingham opened it's arms to welcome in Light Night for the tenth time!

The people of Nottinghamshire flocked to the city to see variations of impressive light shows everywhere they turned...

Here, at Nottingham Trent University, we presented various art installations, exhibitions and workshops all created by staff, students and alumni. 

Here's a taster of what you were able to see...

Children's Radio

Yesterday, Candleby Lane School in Cotgrave welcomed Capital FM radio presenters, Dino and Pete to their school to check out their very own recording studio!

The radio club are part of Children's University and couldn't wait to show Dino, Pete and their producer, Brains, their radio presenting skills.

The visit began with a Q&A with Dino, Pete and Brains where the children were able to ask all their questions about what it's like to be a radio presenter!

The Secret To Making A Difference...

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Did you know that Walt Disney died before Disney World in Florida opened?

A reporter interviewed his brother, Roy, when the park opened and said to Roy

"It was unfortunate that Walt did not live to see Disney World built."

As quick as a flash, his brother replied with

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Now, the secret of making a difference is there is no secret but using your imagination is a great place to start.

Walt was able to create a mental image in his head about what Disney World would look like...

...and we're sure that when you read the story about Walt Disney, you were able to create a mental image in your head!

17 Things You Need To Know About University

1. Budget your money.

It's time to get responsible! So many people blow all of their student loan in Freshers' Week and are left with nothing. If you don't want to spend your first year working debts off or grovelling to your parents, give yourself a set amount each week.

2. Visit the University and city you'll be studying before you get there.

If you're already feeling nervous about going to University, it will be 10 times worse if you're heading to a completely unknown place. Get to know (and love) where you'll be studying, it can only help.