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?

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.

...The Benefits of Failing

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Believe it or not...

Now, this is not a completely bonkers title to get you to click on this post but it is actually true...

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In our post The Secret To Making A Difference we introduced to you the concept that imagination is one of the key skills to making a difference.

Whether that's a difference to your own life or someone else's it is so important...

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.

5 Study Tips to Survive your Exams!

You're well into your first term of the year and some of you will already be starting to think about studying for your exams. Whether it's your mocks, resit exams or the real thing, some of you will probably have questions about how to study for them.

If the word 'exams' fills you with dread and anxiety then stop. You don't need to worry anymore! In this post, we are going to share 5 of our best study tips that you can start using straight away so your exams are as stress-free as they possibly can be.

1. What type of learner are you?
It's important before you even start studying to know what sort of learner you are. By understanding how you learn, you can tailor all your revision to exercises so they will be most beneficial to you.
There are 3 styles people learn best in which are:

Visual (SEE it)
Auditory (HEAR it)
Kinesthetic (DO it)

Have a Creative #WorldMentalHealthDay

It’s #WorldMentalHealthDay today and in the true spirit of the day, we have decide to explore how creativity can help sufferers of a variety of mental health issues.

It can be scary and lonely when suffering from a mental health disorder and sometimes it is hard to see a light at the end of it.

Creativity, however, can help lighten these overwhelming feelings of negativity. It helps by focusing your mind on something positive and by creating something bright and beautiful.

Although mental health is an extremely complex and varied topic, these 3 self-help activities are brilliant at allowing you to take a few minutes out of your day to relax and create.

1. Positive Origami Heart

Once you’ve got the hang of folding these origami hearts, you won’t be able to stop!

Our step-by-step guide shows you how to fold your square pieces of colour paper into a lovely heart. It’s really simple and very effective in switching your mind off from any stresses and allowing yourself to concentrate on folding precisely.

Freshers' Week: 5 Tips for the #BestNightIn

It's Freshers' Week for nearly all Universities across the country which means lots of new students are embarking on one of the biggest journeys of their live's...

Starting University is an exciting and nerve-wracking life change and one that usually does take a while to adjust to. Also, believe it or not, most students aren't starting University just to party every night and live on a diet of instant noodles!

So what about those students who do prefer a quieter night in opposed to going out clubbing? Being recently graduated, I know that lot's of my best nights were spent staying in with my flatmates watching films and cooking together.

Volunteering in the local community: Zoe’s story

Meet Zoe, a member of our department who volunteers once a week at her local community centre:

Here's what she had to say about her experiences as a volunteer, and why you should think about getting involved in volunteering in your local area!

When I was younger, I had no idea I was even going to go to university, let alone work at one! But here I am; 8 years after graduating, and still hanging around on campus (although now, I get paid for it!)

I've worked at NTU for 5 years, and I really enjoy it. One of the things I like most about working here is getting to meet and work alongside a variety of people, and one way I get to do this is through the NTU Staff Volunteering scheme.

The scheme is fantastic; it offers staff time off work to engage in a range of volunteering activities. I chose to volunteer in my local community, and help out once a week at a community centre in Netherfield.

The role involves:

·        Preparing food

·        Working on the tills

·        Chatting to a wide range of local residents

·      Helping to plan and run special events, such as themed food nights (e.g. curry nights) and Halloween celebrations.

It’s a fantastic way to help out and meet new people from my local area, as well as build lots of useful skills!

NTU offers lots of volunteering opportunities to our staff and students; but even if you don't study/work here (yet!) i’d recommend looking out for opportunities to get involved in volunteering in your community – it is a brilliant way to make new friends, give something back to the place you call home and build all kinds of transferable skills that will help you when you come to apply for jobs and courses!

Want to know more, you can watch the video about it here:

Paul's Volunteering

Hi I’m Paul and I work here at SCCO. Here’s a little bit about what I do!

When students first arrive at NTU in September they get to take part in a huge programme of fun events which we call Welcome Week. This is a chance for our 7000 new students to meet one another, find their way around and have a great time while settling in to Uni life. There are trips to do fun stuff like karting & ice skating, chances to hang out with other students, nights out, sports, big events, small events, clubs… you name it, we do it! It really is an incredible week and there’s such a buzz about the place!

So, my job is to work with other people in SCCO and right across NTU to make all this happen. It takes months of work to get it all just right but it’s well worth it.

When I’m not doing that I also produce media to support SCCO’s work, like some of the videos and photos that you can see all over this blog.

The thing I really want to tell you about is the volunteering that I do. All NTU staff get the opportunity to volunteer and make a difference through a community project or school in the local area. So for example we have someone who regularly helps out at a community centre in Netherfield, and another who gives her time to help at the Hayward House care unit at City Hospital. There are lots more.

I volunteer at Welbeck Primary School in the Meadows through a scheme called Number Partners. Every Monday, I go there for an hour and take a small group of Year 3 & 4 pupils for some extra Maths support. We have some special board games to help them practice their Maths skills which they get really competitive about! It’s turning Maths into a fun activity: they want to win, and we have a lot of laughs while they’re playing. They love it and they think of it as a treat. I wish there had been someone at my school doing the same! 

Why do I do it? For me, it’s great to help them have fun while learning and improving their confidence with numbers. Over the half a term that I’m with each group, I see the children’s skills and their belief in their own ability grow, which is really satisfying - especially for those who are maybe quieter and lacking in confidence in the regular classroom setting.

There’s a personal reward too in giving something back to the local community. Not everyone has the same start in life, and I like that a little effort from me can make a real difference to others. With the children getting so much out of it too, it’s a winner all round!

Family supper 2016

The family Supper events are collaborative events run at either Nottingham Trent University (NTU) or the University of Nottingham (UoN). They run from March to May and in 2016 saw over 410 attend the 3 NTU evenings with a similar number at UoN. Attendees were Year 10 pupils and their families from across Nottingham City and County. The aim of these events is to provide those Year 10 pupils and their families with information about higher education as well as allow them an opportunity to ask questions of current students at both institutions. 

Why people came?

Student discussing with her parents university.

The evenings are a great way to not only find out about the benefits of going into higher education, but also to get an understanding of what topics pupils would like to study, and  routes into university. This is done mostly through talking to current students who give examples of the real experiences they have gone through in attending university. This was all after a family dinner with other families, staff and students from each university.

The main topics discussed on the night

Whilst year 10’s were concerned about having enough student loan to live (party) and study if they chose to come to university, parents and carers were more concerned about whether or not they would need to financially support their young people in higher education. An overview of student finance was provided through an interactive quiz but more information can be found on the Student Finance England website.

Student ambassador answering parents questions

Another concern was what if I don’t get the grades or I haven’t picked the right subjects for post-16… Each university student on the event had a different experience when it came to how they got to university. Families got a chance to talk to UK based and international students as well as mature students and those further on in their HE study working towards a masters or PhD. Essentially the advice coming from all was do some early research if you have an idea about what you want to do or do something you enjoy if you have no idea what you want to be ‘when you’re a grown up’. The UCAS website has a section on it for pupils aged 16-18 to help them through this.

Family playing quiz together

Families left with some questions answered about higher education but most importantly an overall sense of positivity about the prospect of higher education for their futures.

Ben's finance teaching volunteering

Name: Ben 

Course studied at NTU: Business Studies 

Year Of Graduation : 2017

Organisation name: NTU

What volunteering were you involved in whilst a student at NTU?  Was it course related or to help with a particular career choice?

I volunteered on Santander’s Financial Literacy Scheme at Meden School from 6^th Feb 2015 to 27^th Feb. The project was related to my course, as I am studying International business and this opportunity allowed me to develop my presentation and team working skills. Along with my ability to efficiently communicate information that can be difficult to understand to a specific audience that may not be able to fully grasp the topics that I was communicating.

Has your volunteering helped your employability since graduating?  If so, in what way?

I was involved in two training sessions and was then tasked with creating a presentation with another student and then delivering this to classes of 15-year-old pupils at Meden School. Volunteering has greatly help develop my employability skills as well as my CV as it has shown that I am proactive and diverse. Volunteering has also made me think about my career direction, this is mainly because of the contacts I have made while volunteering. As I was given a small insight into banking I decided to use the contacts I have made to gain some work experience in the banking world, which has made me direct my career approach to this field.

 What advice would you give students when considering taking part in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering?

 I would absolutely encourage people to take up volunteering, for many of the reasons that I have mentioned above, as well as the sense of achievement you get and the fact that you are helping your community as well as yourself. I would continue to volunteer, as the more experience you have, the more you can stand out.

Nicola's 'Art'astic Time Volunteering

Name: Nicola

Course studied at NTU: Sociology

Year of graduation: 2015

Current Job :  Volunteer counsellor

Organisation name: NSPCC’s Childline

What volunteering were you involved in whilst a student at NTU?  Was it course related or to help with a particular career choice?

“I volunteered for the ARTiculate project whilst studying at NTU. I got involved by volunteering with the programme during my first year and then became project leader for two years. The project runs fun arts and crafts sessions on Saturday’s for children from the charity Spiral, who have experienced a close bereavement or domestic abuse at home.

 As a project leader I was responsible for recruiting eight volunteers each academic year to help prepare and run the sessions. I carried out the communication to the parents/guardians of the children, the charity spiral and the Nottingham Trent volunteering team who fund the project. I also undertook safeguarding and leadership training for the role. The project had a great impact on the charity, reducing the waiting list of children not engaged.

Has your volunteering helped your employability since graduating?  If so, in what way?

I choose to volunteer for the programme because I love working with young people and the project stuck out as something really amazing to get involved with. I found giving a little bit of my time to others also had great benefits to me. I was working alongside so many inspirational people, whom I learnt lots of new skills from, all of which made me realise I wanted a career with a sense of purpose within the charity sector.

Therefore, I am just about to start a graduate level job at a youth charity, where I will be delivering a widening participation programme to disadvantaged children and young people. My volunteering experience was a great boost in my application and interviewers were really impressed to hear about the volunteering I had done.

What advice would you give students when considering taking part in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering?

I wanted to keep on volunteering after university and am very excited to start the training course for a volunteer counsellor role at NSPCC’s Childline service. I would advise everyone to do some volunteering whilst at university you will meet amazing people, learn so much and not regret it giving a little bit of your time!”

Jackie's Prison Volunteering

Name :Jacqueline Adedeji 

Course studied at NTU: Broadcast Journalism 

Year of Graduation : 2015 

Current job title: Production Office Assistant

Organisation name: Zig Zag Productions

 What volunteering were you involved in whilst a student at NTU?  Was it course related or to help with a particular career choice?

I was involved in a scheme called The Big Book Share that was based at Nottingham Prison, which involved connecting with prisoners, creating parcels filled with books for their children, talking to them on a personal basis and helping them focus on the future. It wasn't course related but.. I like to scare myself, I always think if you're not scared you're not really living, I aspire to be a television presenter. So I wanted to understand things and life from their point of view, not from the newspapers view or the victim's there's. I won't say it wasn't scary at times because it was, you are with people who you know have the mental capacity to kill you. But it taught me about how the other half live, you hear about prisoners but who knew they were so vulnerable? I don't condone anything they have done but I can understand why they have the mental capacity to hurt others in a way. Because they are hurting inside, hurt people hurt people after all. 

Has your volunteering helped your employability since graduating?  If so, in what way?

I think yes, especially working in a prison, people are really shocked, maybe because I'm female I don't know but people often thought I studied psychology to examine them or something, but when I said no, I study journalism people got really confused.

Personally, when I do interviews for jobs and talk about working in a prison I seem to instantly get the job. I think maybe because people don't expect a 21 year old to have done that, and because it isn't directly related to my career its obvious I'm doing it for a good cause. I have lots of stories about working in the prison as well, incidents that shouldn't really have happened (but did! oops..!) People are quite captivated by them, I guess people are really interested in me knowing I have done that.

 What advice would you give students when considering taking part in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering?

I would say, do something that can help the community that can teach you more about not just yourself, but others. I come from London so for me Nottingham is tiny, but I was intrigued into this little community how everybody is so tight knitted, I thought it was absolutely brilliant! I learnt so much about people, people make the world go round and truthfully you don't know who needs you - everyone needs someone. Do something that gives you the chance to change somebody's life for the better, do something that takes you out of your comfort zone that forces you to be stronger, because life is about growing you have to do things that are outside your norm to be successful. 

If you want to read more on Jackie's time with prison here's a link to her blog.

Callum's Year of Volunteering

Name: Callum

Course studied at NTU: Computer, 
Science and Mathematics

 Year of graduation: 2017

 Organisation name: National Video-game Arcade

What volunteering were you involved in whilst a student at NTU?  Was it course related or to help with a particular career choice?
I currently volunteer at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries, whose sites include Nottingham Castle and Wollaton Hall amongst others. I started my volunteer journey before university during my gap year, I realised I wasn’t very good at anything really (or rather I didn’t really have any opportunities to find out if I was good at anything) so was keen to try my hand at anything, everything really.

I joined a variety of volunteer projects, I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do. Some of the projects I joined where wonderful but required me to commit too much time (knowing that I would be joining university). Some were good experiences but not really what I wanted to do, it turns out that in the end the project that I didn’t think I would enjoy suited me perfectly!

Has your volunteering helped your employability since graduating?  If so, in what way?

As I said earlier I currently volunteer (and have for around 4 years now) at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries, or more specifically on their Illuminate group, which is a young people group that work on a variety of projects at the museums. I do other things too, but this is my core volunteering there.

The experiences I’ve gained have not only helped me grow as an individual but also have given me a plethora of work skills. Last summer I applied for a job at the National Videogame Arcade, I remember in the interview rather than not having enough to say having far too much. I gained all this experience that didn’t really feel like work and it helped me get a job at the National Videogame Arcade.

What advice would you give students when considering taking part in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering?

I just wanted to note how much I appreciate the volunteering team here at NTU. While I didn’t need assistance finding the volunteer work knowing that there only an email/phone/visit away to help me with any problems is very reassuring, so if you’re unsure on something or want to try out something new there to help.

There’s this notion that volunteer work is for the elderly or just working behind a till in a charity shops. It’s not at all, it’s for everyone and the experiences are so varied. Volunteer work has quite literally change my life, it has given me some wonderful opportunities, I have grown as a person and feel confident when I leave university that the skills and experiences I have had will help me secure full time employment.”

If you would like to volunteer at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries like Callum you can log on to FutureHub to view their opportunities: https://futurehub.ntu.ac.uk/students/organisations/jobs/96099 or view a range of other volunteering roles here: www.ntu.ac.uk/volunteering 

Anna's Volunteering Experience

 Name: Anna 

 Course studied at NTU: Fine Art

 Year of graduation: 2014

 Current job title: Post Graduate student - MA Art Psychotherapy

 Organisation name: University of Hertfordshire

What volunteering were you involved in whilst a student at NTU? Was it course related or to help with a particular career choice?

I volunteered with the following projects whilst a student at NTU:

Headway Nottingham -  A weekly volunteer throughout 2nd and 3rd year.  This experience helped build up my hours of experience to gain entry to my MA. 

Radford Care Group - Project manager of a 6 week student-led project called ‘Therapeutic Art’.  This was part of a 2nd year teamwork module.  Although the project was assessed by the course it did really contribute to my MA application. 

Mural Painting - A one day joint project to create a mural on an elderly man’s wall.  This experience was advertised to the course and did relate to my career choice. 

Has your volunteering helped your employability since graduating?

Without these experiences I wouldn't have been offered a place on to my MA when I applied.  My volunteering provided me with relevant experiences which will hopefully make me more employable after I graduate again.  They have already supported my MA course and these experiences aided my application for my two MA placements. 

What advice would you give students when considering taking part in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering?

I really recommend spending a few hours a week volunteering with the same organisation.  This time not only helps distract your from your course but you also get to experience another side of being a student in Nottingham.  It would make it far more enjoyable if you chose a project or organisation that you have a personal connection with or that relates to your course/career path.  At the same time as helping others through your volunteering, you can also help yourself by being a stronger candidate for employment opportunities. 

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.