Archive for Student Life

My evil plans for 2013 and stuff

12 January 2013 Rachel Career, Featured, Just For Fun, Student Life No comments
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There are mixed views on making new year resolutions so I chose to do it differently. Rather than begin my aims for the year at the start of the month I left it until the 12th January.

We’re now far enough into 2013 that eating for chocolate is no longer acceptable, the fairy lights have returned to a dusty loft and optimistic hopes and desires for the years are fading as the miserable January weather brings up back to reality. This means that now is the perfect time to decide what I want to achieve in the next year. I did this last year (although slightly more timely), you can read that here. So how did I do? Well I read more books, I obtained some brilliant placements but I didn’t improve the frisbee, in fact I barely picked one up. Instead I concentrated on other areas of fitness.

So my plan for this year incluldes:

1) I want to read and write more I read more last year than the previous one, but I want to read more in 2013. Instead of watching repeats of the Big Bang Theory I want to turn to books. Additionally I want to write more, my job involves a lot of writing but I want to vary styles. The internet offers us all bountiful opportunities to write so hopefully I can take advantage of this.

I did it! I beat the Great South Run! via bark...

2) I want to learn to run I really don’t like running, so it’s a bit bizarre that I popped this on my aims for the year. Last year I had a running low when problems with my asthma meant I struggled to run 5k for Race for Life, later in the year I had a high when I ran the majority of the 10 mile Great South Run. I’ve never had much success with running over the last few years, so I want to be able to build my fitness up to a point where I am able to run 5k with ease.

3) Seriously reflect upon my career I’m currently half way through my placement year and will finish 2013 having already completed a considerable chunk of my final year of university. We may all enjoy our university years but I do feel ready to graduate and take on the big bad world out there. This means that this is a good time to seriously reflect upon my career. Do I have skills I want to develop? Do I have companies I want to aim to work at? I like to plan, so now is a great time to draw up a career plan, I also know from experience very few people’s careers pan out as expected, so not to let my plans get in the way of potential opportunities.

Well those are my evil (and less evil) plans for the year. What are you wanting to achieve in 2013?

 

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PR Students: How do you stay informed?

20 September 2012 Rachel Education, Just For Fun, Student Life No comments
newspapers (Tehrān)

newspapers (Tehrān) (Photo credit: birdfarm)

The successful PR student is curious, passionate and persuasive. They have a natural instinct for understanding the motivations and interests of their audience and understand how to use these. They also understand what results their client desires and expects and is able to meet  these. The only way that you can achieve this successfully is through staying informed.

When beginning a course in PR you will quickly learn that being informed is very important. In seminars and lectures you will be expected to be aware of current news and affairs and how these relate to PR. This can be a daunting prospect, there is so much news out there, how can you possibly stay informed?

Eight tips for staying informed

1) Social Media

I am a self-confessed Twitter addict, I check it when I wake, when I sleep and multiple times in between. However there are great benefits to using Twitter for staying informed, by following news accounts and PR professionals you can learn so much information. The knowledge I have gained through Twitter has even awarded me a box of chocolates following a class quiz!

Twitter also gives you a great idea of what people are talking about. Following Trending Topics and other hashtags can give you a great idea of what is capturing people’s interest at any time. For example, earlier this year in March #Kony2012 took over Twitter and other social media sites, this is the sort of thing that PR students need to know about.

Blogs are another great source of information, I use Bloglovin’ to keep up-to-date with my favourite blogs, and I have learnt so much from them. Everything from new trends in PR to current issues in the news.

2) News Websites

BBC News is my homepage, and lets me quickly get an idea of the latest news stories. There are many other news sites out there which will give you great up to date information and opinion on news. You can follow news directly from News Agencies such as Reuters, or even from press releases on sites such as PR Newswire if you are keen!

3) Broadcast Media

As a future practitioner you need to understand all types of media from new to traditional. I get a lot of my news from the radio. At times I believe I have a middle aged mind in the body of a twenty-something! Radio 4 is my station of preference, and there is a lot to be said to waking up to the morning news. There are also so many great current affairs programmes, and if you do not want to tune your radio, then they are available via iPlayer.

Understanding the types of news and stories that the radio broadcast is also vital in your career as a PR practitioner when you need to get a client coverage.

The TV is also a great resource, I love watching TV News and current issue programmes. If these are not your preference there is a lot to be said for keeping up to date with Soaps and Reality TV. As long as you understand how you can use these types of TV in PR then they are a useful resource.

4) Newspapers

You will frequently be told to read newspapers, but this can be inconvenient. I get a lot of my news from online newspaper sites, but it is very important to understand that this is not the same as reading a printed paper. The Daily Mail is targeting a very different audience online to the one they target in print.

I would recommend making an effort to buy one newspaper a week, this will allow you to get an idea of how articles are written, where they are published within the newspaper and what interests the paper’s audience. Vary the newspaper you buy from local to national, tabloid to broadband.

Free newspapers are brilliant as well, imagine how many people read the Metro or the Evening Standard each day on their commutes.

5) Celebrity News

Understanding the importance of celebrity in marketing communications is important. As a result it is useful to keep up to date with what celebrities are doing, what products they are releasing, or what they are currently promoting. Understanding their personal preferences and beliefs can be beneficial if you have a relevant product you need them to promote in the future.

6) Politics

It may not be fashionable to be interested in politics, but this affects you lives and job roles so it is useful to understand what is happening in the political world. If you are passionate and opinionated it may even be worth getting involved with student politics and your university will have societies to meet most political interests.

7) PR Specific News

You need to be aware of changes in the PR industry. It is a vibrant, innovative industry and as such issues such as measurement, definitions and communications tactics being regularly discussed. You can follow such news on relevant industry blogs (see my Blogroll for suggestions) and also by following websites such as Brand Republic, PR Week and The Drum.

It is also good to keep an eye on current PR campaigns, I cut out information about my favourite ones and collect them in a book. This is useful when needing to understand relevant campaigns.

8 ) Sector News

If you have a good idea of what sector you want to work in you need to understand current issues in that area. For example, if you like fashion you want to know the latest trends. I have an interest in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals and as such websites like Pharma Times can keep me updated on relevant news issues.

Anyone starting a PR degree, you have chosen well, you are about to start a journey learning about one of the most exciting industries! To get the best out of your experience take opportunities to learn in and outside of the classroom.

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Where am I?

9 August 2012 Rachel Just For Fun, Placements, Student Life No comments

My morning commute (image via mbswindon)

It’s funny how quickly 6 weeks will fly by, barely allowing you a moment to catch your breath. At least that is how I have felt over the past month. It seems no time since I packed my bag and moved 130 miles south.

I lead a very different lifestyle here to the one to which I am so accustomed. There I live between a leafy Nottingham suburb, or a student-ridden part of Leeds. Here I live in a small village in the Thames Valley. There I shop at my ease, 24 hour supermarkets make my slightest grocery whim a reality. Here I have endured Weetabix with water for breakfast because I couldn’t get hold of a pint of milk until the next evening. There I am treated to a variety of forms of public transport, would I like to travel by regular bus, train, tram or taxi if I’m feeling rich. Here there is transport, but a lot less.

I’m in Oxfordshire while I undertake my placement year, while this was never what I imagined I’d be doing with my life I learnt long ago life doesn’t stick to your plans, and the placement opportunity was just too perfect for me to pass up. I have high hopes for the year, primarily in building my skills and knowledge but also to continue to develop a strong degree grade. So far, it is proving to be going my way. Six weeks in, I am understanding my job role, the part it plays within my organisation and I have settled in well with my colleagues. Country living is proving to be more challenging!

There are some huge advantaged to the countryside. My commute to work takes me up and down hills with some of the most amazing views I have seen in this country, the 5000 year old Ridgeway is a pleasure to cycle along, even when it’s muddy and defeats my bike, simply because in the worst weather conditions it still looks fantastic. I have seen animals, lots of animals; rabbits run wild in their tens, red kites soar through the skies and I even saw my first cockerel one morning – I thought I’d stepped into a Cornflakes box. Living in the countryside has seen me far more active that I used to be, aside from cycling 12 miles a day, I love walking in the area, have started jogging along the Thames Path and really want to try rowing down the glorious river. Oxfordshire is so breathtakingly beautiful that I can barely keep myself in the house, I want to be outside all the time.

There are major disadvantages, it’s hard to meet people. I am living in a family-orientated village of commuters. The social side of the village is limiting and that can be very isolating. However the village is nicely connected with trains every half hour running between Oxford and Reading, going on to London. Trips to the capital are pain free and I enjoyed my visit to watch Olympic Hockey the weekend before last. The lack of transport to my workplace has been difficult as well, it was that which led me to give up city life as without a car, living any further away would have left me stranded.

Another problem I have is lack of access to the Internet. In the last 6 weeks I have learnt to adapt to a www-free life, but I miss it all the same. Instant information is a commodity I feel uneasy without and I am sure when I get back to connected life I won’t be reminiscing on these web-free days!

So that’s where I currently am, in rural Oxfordshire, working on furthering my career into communications. Who’d have thought it?

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Three avoidable student situations

14 May 2012 Rachel Just For Fun, Student Life No comments
Surviving students life: Hangovers, overdrafts and all-nighters

Student Life (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

University has become an accepted rite of passage into adulthood, three years of independent living, self-motivated learning and enriching opportunities. Inevitably this experience comes with a fair few bumps and bruises, but as long as there is no serious damage then it is all part of the learning process.

I take a look at three uncomfortable, but usually avoidable situations in which students can regularly find themselves.
The Hangover
Alcohol plays a huge part in student culture, from booze-fuelled freshers weeks, to visits to the union between lectures. The subsequent hangover can steal away entire productive days, even interfering with education. The easy cure would be to give up alcohol, which is what I chose to do, but that can be seen as not embracing the student spirit. So what else can you do?
  1. Know your limits, if you have an important morning then be sensible with your drink.
  2. Find your hangover prevention or cure, it may be a big fry up, or drinking raw egg before bed, or maybe one of these.
The All-Nighter
There are time where despite your best intentions you find yourself stocking up on high-caffeinated drinks and sugary snacks in preparation for an all-nighter. These are not fun experiences, forcing yourself to work very hard mentally when usually you would be relaxing. Having said this, they are not an indication of failure, my best essays tend to be written the night before hand-in. So how can you turn an all-nighter into a success?
  1. Prepare, by having an essay plan, plenty of reading and detailed notes you make the essay process much more simple. Without this preparation you make the chances of writing a good essay significantly lower.
  2. Find the right environment, usually a case of home versus 24 hour library. Personally the library offers less distractions, shelves full of books to reference and is far enough away from bed I can forget about it for a while.
  3. Avoid following all-nighters with busy days. If you haven’t had the sleep you usually need you will struggle the following day.
The Overdraft
Budgeting is not unique to student life, but often it is one of the first experiences of managing money effectively. Sometimes a visit to the overdraft can be the only way to afford food and electricity. Top tips:
  1. Know your income and expenses then budget around these.
  2. Do not treat your overdraft as free money. This is often a sales tactic used by banks when getting you to sign up for student accounts. Your overdraft should be a last resort if possible.
  3. Don’t panic if you are in your overdraft, ensure that you are managing your money responsibly and have a plan to pay it back.

So there’s a little snippet from my personal guide for surviving student life, it may not suit everyone but so far it hasn’t done me any harm.

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Hello summer

8 May 2012 Rachel Student Life No comments
Summer field in Belgium (Hamois). The blue flo...

A summery picture

Recently I have found myself a little bit quiet on this blog and Twitter, even Facebook has taken a hit in the final weeks of university. Instead of scanning the web, my nose has been buried in text books. Now I have only 3000 words until I have officially completed second year.  

So what will I be doing over summer? My plans include:

  • Lots of reading, nothing is better than reading.
  • Learn to run, because I always avoid running and I can’t afford the gym.
  • Organise all of the stuff I have accumulated, Oxfam will soon be receiving a new shops worth of stock.
  • Gain some more important work experience.
  • Prepare for the next part of my adventure, down in Berkshire, this includes finding a place to live, suitable transport – I don’t know how to be a grown up!
  • Writing exciting blogs!

So that’s what I have been doing and planning to do.

What are your plans for summer?

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Leeds Met SU Elections

27 February 2012 Rachel News, Student Life No comments
English: Ballot Box showing preferential voting

Leeds Met students, now is the time to share your opinion and let the university know what you want by voting for your student union officers. Voting only takes a moment and is available via this link.

This year we are spoilt with a wide range of talented, passionate and capable individuals campaigning to be your officers for the year. They are offering a range of objectives, aims and goals to improve your experience while at Leeds Met.

The elected roles include:

  • Students’ Union President
  • Vice President Education
  • Vice President Welfare
  • Vice President Student Activities
Details of what each role involves are available here.

Usually I try to keep my blog relatively neutral, but today I make a slight detour from this route by sharing the video campaign for one of the candidates who I believe would do a brilliant job as SU president.

Ultimately the decision is yours. All the candidate manifestos are available here and I would recommend considering their objectives carefully. These officers are working for you, so make sure they achieve the things that you believe are important and make sure you vote, it only takes a minute! You can vote via this link.

Voting closes at 16:00 on 29 February 2012, with results announced that evening at 19:00.

Five considerations before working for free

23 February 2012 Rachel Career, Placements, Student Life No comments
Bookstand with large textbook
This article features a popular theme in my blog, that on unpaid placements and work experience. Rather than ask whether or not it is ethical or moral, today I ask you as a student or graduate looking to gain valuable experience to consider important factors before you accept working for free.
1) Would someone else pay me to do this job?
If you were offered an identical position at a similar organisation tomorrow would they be likely to offer you a salary? By accepting an unpaid position are you undervaluing your skills and allowing employers to exploit you and take advantage?
2) Can you afford to work for free?
The demands of work experience can result in significant costs, from travelling to food and even accommodation, not to mention lost salary from alternative work. If you cannot practically afford to carry out your work experience you may need to ask your employer to offer a financial incentive, if only to cover travel expenses. If they are not willing, do they value you enough to offer you a good placement?
3) Is the organisation in a position to pay you?
Some organisations simply do not have the human resource budget to offer you a salary, perhaps you are working for a small charity or new company. Maybe you are doing a favour for a friend who simply is unable to offer you financial remuneration. However if they can afford to pay you, ask yourself, why aren’t they?
4) Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Through your placement are you gaining skills that you simply could not gain elsewhere? Are you receiving valuable training that could further your career? Are you building up a portfolio to wow future employers? You need to ensure that any potential sacrifices you are making to complete the placement will be worth it in the long term.
5) Will you enjoy the placement?
Most importantly, if you are working for free, you need to enjoy the placement. You need to learn, develop your skills and have a great experience.
Some organisations are seen to take advantage of students and graduates who are willing to take unpaid placements, but the majority of opportunities will allow you to apply theoretical knowledge and build skills that will be invaluable to you in the long term. And if that dream placement turns out not to be what you were expecting? Consider an alternative placement.
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Student House Hunting Advice

16 January 2012 Rachel Student Life No comments
Estate Agents

Image by gusset via Flickr

It is that time of year when first year students start to panic about finding somewhere to live.

From my experience here are five tips that I offer to first-time student house hunters:

1) Plan your house hunting

I am something of an obsessive planner but there is definitely a lot to be said for planning your house hunting before you meet an estate agent. After choosing who you want to live with you need to decide:

  • What areas you want to live in
  • How much you are willing to pay a year (I find it most useful work out the annual cost rather than weekly cost)
  • What you expect from your house, do you want space for a bicycle, double beds, modern furnishings etc.

2) Use all 5 senses

When viewing houses what you see is not always the whole picture. I probably would not recommend using taste however do smell and touch. My current house looks perfect at the moment, but this is due to freshly painted walls hiding the damp. In areas of the house you can smell the damp and several of the walls are wet to the touch.

Your sight can be deceptive, you could see a messy student house when in reality you are in the perfect house. Try and look past the clutter and mess of the current residents.

3) Do not expect to move into your parents house

Luxury student accommodation does exist, but it is accompanied by luxury price tags. If you cannot afford this you may need to lower your expectations. If you want a house furnished like your parents you are most likely going to be disappointed and if you have had the luxury of ensuite halls, again you may need to prepare for a lower standard of living.

4) Know what you are paying for

Depending upon what your estate agent provides you will be offered bill included or excluded. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and which you choose to take is down to personal preference. It is important to know exactly what you are paying for, what bills are paid by the landlord and what are you expected to pay. This should be included in your contract but if you have any doubts do not hesitate to ask your estate agent or landlord.

5) Look for Unipol

You do not have to rent from Unipol but it is recommended that whoever you rent from belongs to Unipol Code or the Supporter of the Code. This can make life easier in the future if there are any issues with the property. Many estate agents and landlords do support the code so there should be no trouble finding one with your perfect house.

Have a look at some of the links below for other great advice.

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