Confusion, Uncertainty, and the Need to Be Kind

Note (just in case, mainly for copyright): This is a half-duplicated post that has also been posted on my blog over at OurWarwick. I’ve essentially just plagiarised myself (please, please don’t do this in your assignments!).

Not a post that I could have ever anticipated writing. However, in light of the current situation, I didn’t think it was appropriate to go on and ignore what is happening.

In a post a couple of posts ago I had spoken about the fear of uncertainty in the context of what next in an education/careers sense, concerns over finance, feeling disconnected, and having those anxious, anticipatory thoughts.

Without a doubt, we are all struggling with a mixture of these to some extent at this very moment.

• As students, we’re concerned about the replacement of exams online and the implications of not being in the right environment to complete them to an adequate standard, to not being able to focus on upcoming assignment deadlines and the consequences of not being able to complete research for projects and dissertations. I know that many of us will have secured work experience-y related work over the next term and the Summer which have had to be cancelled, and of course some of us are concerned about how this may affect our next steps.
  
  

•  A Level and GCSE pupils are faced with the uncertainty of their grades and are worried about how the proposed assignment of grades may not reflect their capabilities.
  
  
• Then there are the fears over jobs, finances, and the physical and mental health of others and ourselves.
   

Naturally, we are all feeling a sense of confusion, vulnerability, hopelessness, and potentially disappointment for a variety of reasons. 

One thing I have seen a lot of is people (rightly) expressing their concerns and disappointments, only to be belittled by others. Yes, there are always people who are going through much more dire situations than we are. However, one thing to remember is that someone’s concern is just as much of a concern as any other. It may not be in your perspective, but it is. We’re all in different situations and stages of our lives, and therefore facing different challenges. We all also will have faced some sort of disappointment, possibly independent of those challenges, whether that’s missing out on those months of school and your prom that you have been looking forward to all year, to losing out on a day out that you had had planned, or even something as large as potential research funding. 

They are all totally valid reasons to feel disheartened. We shouldn’t be pitting each other against one another. Everyone should be sensitive of each other’s reasons, regardless of what they are. Stress can get the better of us, but we all need each other’s support right now.  

That aside, here are some things to keep reminding yourself of:

PHYSICAL HEALTH:

• 

  Edwintp | PxHere

  We all know the precautions that we need to take. Take them.
  
  
• Face time a friend  to do a daily workout routine together if that’s something you would be into!
  
  
• Make sure that you are still able to get your prescriptions when you need them. GPs may have different procedures for this for the time being. Most non-urgent appointments have also been cancelled so if you don’t hear anything, it may be worth checking in even if its just to cancel it yourself and be put onto a waiting list.
  
  

MENTAL HEALTH:

• Many of us are unable to access the support systems that we rely on, and that’s tough. Please, check up on your friends. Take advantage of the technology we have and schedule phone calls with them. Sill let out your concerns because we know that keeping them in does no good, but perhaps do that to begin with and steer away from talking about current events for the majority of the remaining conversation if possible.
  
  
• Charities such as Mind have put up resources for some practical advice, support and guidance.
  
  
• Striking the balance between staying up to date but not being constantly reminded of the dreaded word is tricky. It’s all that is ever spoken about, but if you can try and  lock yourself in your room to watch a movie or do some crafts to distract yourself, then that’s great!
  
  
•  Of course, we’re going to have arguments with those in the same household. If you don’t have you own space or privacy (I feel you…) it can be frustrating not being able to get that alone time we may need to clear our minds. If at all possible, tell your family that you’re going into a particular room and kindly ask them not to disturb you. 
  
  

RACISM IS NOT OAKY.

There is no excuse for it and his situation provides no justification for it either. This is not something I wanted to bring up but unfortunately it is a problem. It’s incredibly degrading and insensitive.

To not end on such a negative note, here are some general activities you may want to do in the meantime. It’s so easy to get into the trap of doing work when there’s nothing else to do, but it’s important to give yourself a break, especially in this kind of situations where you may find yourself lacking focus.

THINGS TO DO:

•  Every time you wish that you could be doing something instead of being cooped up indoors, write it down! You can still make plans and fulfil them at a later date.
  
  
• That Netflix film or book you had been putting off reading/ watching because you had so much work to complete first? Give yourself a break from reality!
  
  
• Do you have an instrument that you haven’t played in ages or maybe haven’t even started to pick up yet? Pick it up and go for it. Write that song you had been putting off doing. Alternatively, have a karaoke session with you family if that’s something you’re into (please mind your neighbours though!).
  
  
• Keep up those sparkles of curiosity. You may not be able to do that (research) project now, but you can still build up some research profile to keep yourself motivated with new and exciting ideas. It may come into use when you are able to conduct it!
  
  
• 
  Crafts and Games: Pebble painting, crochet, puzzles, painting and creating things out of ‘rubbish; (like egg cartons and toilette roll tubes – Google is great for ideas!). This one could potentially turn out to be a disaster but reintroduce those Christmas board games.
  
  
• This is a classic point, but that language that you wanted to learn or haven’t returned to since A Level? Why not start now?
  
  
• Organise. Go through everything you have and clear it out: clothes, drawers, makeup, anything! You will feel pretty satisfied and pleased with yourself afterwards.

GENERAL REMINDERS:

• Shop responsibly. Remember that some people have strict dietary requirements and don’t have flexibility. Taking specially made food from the free-from section because there’s nothing else is detrimental of their health.

Finally, I just want to also take this time to thank all of your family, neighbours and friends who are still working to maintain the running of essential services. No amount of thank yous is enough. 

Also a quick note for students: 
You can imagine the massive task that universities are faced with transferring to online classes, remotely supporting their students, and reforming hundreds of exams under such a short amount of time. Don’t complain about constantly getting the same updates. For example, we have been so lucky at Warwick as we have been regularly kept updated with the progress on alternative arrangements and general updates on a regular basis, even if it’s simply to let us know that everything is still in progress it’s good information to have. Consider that some students are being left in the dark, so it’s something to be extremely grateful of. It’s only been a few weeks in and these things will take time.

Remember that this WILL pass eventually. When it does, you can pull out your list and begin to work your way through it and really appreciate those little things that were once a usual part of our routines.

Be Responsible. Stay safe. Take care of yourselves and those around you.

Virtual hugs and love to you all 💕

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Missing Out and Living the "University Experience"

I have been terrible at updating this blog. I know that I seem to say this all the time, but honestly, so much has been happening this term that my brain has kind of been in an overload. Sometimes you have to put certain priorities in place. Not that I don't like blogging anymore, because I love sharing my experiences with you but as I've said before, I don't want to put up half-thought-out posts.

Warning: This post kind of turned into a little rant...

I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind an awful lot lately about the whole 'university experience' frenzy.

As I am approaching the end of my 2nd year (I can't believe it...), I'm beginning to look back and wonder, "What have I done in these last 2 years?".

I know that I talk a lot about the not-so-'typical' journey that I and many other students have had/ are having, and whilst I do promote that it's completely okay, you do have to fight that feeling of feeling like you have missed out. The cognitive dissonance really hits hard there!

I'm going to say that I feel like have done barely anything rather than have done nothing, because I know that I've gone (and am still going) through a lot of personal development and trying to find my ground. It's definitely coming together now, but I can't help but feel like I have lost out on a lot because of how long it has taken me. On the other hand, it's also partially to do with the nature of university social life and the expectations surrounding that. The whole social culture at university is extremely one-sided. Due to that, I feel like I have not lived the 'university experience'. That sounds so wrong and I hate myself for even saying it because there's no one way to live it, but truthfully, that's how it makes a lot of us feel.

No matter how many times it's promoted that there is more to being social than clubbing, drinking (and 'Circling' if you're a Warwick student!), house parties, and all the other mad stuff that goes on, that is all that ever happens. Most societies and social events that are put on and highly promoted at university are all revolved around those few activities. I've spoken about this before, but then there are the societies that claim to be inclusive and accepting of all students regardless of abilities, when they're really not. Some are also fairly 'cliquey' (new word that I learned!) so if you don't fit in well with the current members, you end up feeling quite closed off. It's honestly so frustrating because societies are supposed to be a time when you can de-stress from student life, not add more stress and worry. Our degrees do that more often than enough!

Maurício Mascaro | Pexels

That's not to say that societies aren't a great way to have fun and meet new people because for so many students, they are a brilliant option. I've said this before also, but it all depends on what your interests are, and which type of societies are competitive at your uni.

Some people will even tell you that "you're not trying hard enough" if you don't like clubbing or drinking, which is nonsense. Trying is one thing, but don't force yourself to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable for the sake of fitting in. By no means am I saying that clubbing and drinking is bad (my closest friends all love it!). I'm just saying that those who don't shouldn't feel forced to partake in them for the fear of negatively being judged for it. It's the worst thing getting told that you're not trying hard enough when you are doing all else that you can. It can make you feel so isolated.

Despite other options, it's kind of like to have to meet a criterion to be able to easily have fun beyond academics at university, or it takes so much effort just to be able to find something else to do. You really have to dig around. I was speaking to someone in the common room the other day about how although I am having such a great time with academics, I've not done anything much concretely beyond that. They had actually felt the same way during their undergraduate studies for the same reason, so we're certainly not alone. Unfortunately, it's not something that it spoken up about much, and like a lot of things, if something doesn't appear attractive to the majority, it's usually pushed behind.

It's quite ironic, because clubbing and drinking excludes so many people including those who have sensory disorders, medical issues, mental health conditions, as well as those who just aren't that type of person.

Everyone (so it seems) always hypes up about how brilliant the social life is at uni, but looking at is holistically, is it really?

I am also at that point where I'm questioning whether I've done enough myself, not just socially, but in general.

Again, I have been dotting all over the place for the last couple of years trying to figure things out, so it's that whole thinking of, "If I had known x, y and z, I would have..." or "I should have...". The thing is I wouldn't have known then, what I know now, and what I have learned or discovered since then is because of what I didn't know in the first place. That's a bit of a handful of a sentence to get your mind over, but I hope that makes sense!

Arek Socha | Pixabay

The plan was to do a placement year to (I guess, psychologically) give myself back that time I feel like I have missed, but to also allow myself to get some experience more directly related to the areas that I'm interested in since they have shifted and I have kind of figured that out a bit more. Although I do have past experience, it is (whilst still important) is not directly relevant or updated. For a lot of Master courses (which I've always known that I would need to complete) they have a desire for specialised experience. It's something that is concerning me especially because I'm not 100% where  want to go yet, but I'm doing what I can and that's all I can really do.

I have to admit that I have let some potential opportunities slip, purely on the basis that I lacked confidence in myself and because I like to overthink every awful scenario that could happen. Funny enough, I spoke about this in two posts last year: 'Am I Good Enough?' and 'Meeting Standards: Self-Doubt and Competition'. It's something I have gotten better at throughout this academic year, and especially in the past few months. It still needs work and I do wish that I got to this stage earlier, but it takes time to make progress. At least I'm getting somewhere.

Thinking about all these missing elements has me thinking about how I can make it up in my final year without burning myself out, or even thinking about what I can do now and over the Summer period to, I guess, 'catch up' with myself.

I'll work it out... Let's hope so anyway.

The Highs of University (vs. School) Life

Whilst I have spoken about the highs of my time at university, they often relate directly to my course. However, coming into my 2nd year I have begun to appreciate the several positives that some with being a university student in general. Having spoken a lot on my blog about the challenges that come with being a student, it's only about time that I do a whole post dedicated to the other side! This will also be sort of a university vs. school post as well.

The one thing that I love about university, is that it allows you to meet your own expectations without being compared against other people. Of course, you're still going to end up making comparisons and need to meet expectations set by your department,t but your work is down to your own effort and individual performance. Mark schemes are standardised and independently applied to your work. They don't change depending on the outcomes of your peers as they do at school. Your lecturers focus on what you can do as an individual and acknowledge that everyone is working against different strengths and weaknesses so there is no shame in being bad at something that someone else is doing amazingly well at.

rawpixel.com | Pxhere | CC0 1.0

Another thing which I have so much appreciation for is the mutual level of respect between the staff and students. Being at school there was a very clear line of authority and you weren't allowed to give your opinions or 'talk back' without being punished, even when it was a reasonable comment to make. Coming to university from school where they made lecturers sound like such scary people, I was so nervous about being able to speak to my lecturers if I ever needed to. Despite having achieved their PhD and/ or professorships all my lecturers are happy for you to simply call them by their names. Some even explicitly told us to not address them by 'professor' or 'dr'. They don't treat you like you're inferior to them and respect you as any other individual they come across. It's wonderful to just be able to have an honest conversation with them without being afraid of saying something that I'm not allowed to. They are also extremely open to constructive feedback about their classes or the department in general.

What makes it easier to be able to speak to my personal tutor, another academic, or someone from the admin team about personal circumstances if need be is that confidentiality actually exists. At school the concept doesn't even seem to mean anything. One thing that frustrated me so much about school was that one thing happens or you say something to a teacher and suddenly the whole school knows your business when there's absolutely no need. Unless there is a need to for your safety, anything you say in your tutor's office, to another member of staff in your department or the university stays as a private conversation between you and them. If they feel like they may have to tell someone else, they will probably let you know. Unless they are concerned about you for some reason, they aren't going to pry into your personal life either. You can tell them as much or a little as you need to. As a result, I've learned to be more open. It has allowed me to re-establish some trust and understanding of what it means to actually have a safe-space.

Dmitry Ratushny | Unsplash

Similarly, you have greater right to privacy. I can choose to keep aspects of my life private and no one can force me to tell them something that I don't want others to know. Not having to tell anyone every single thing I'm doing at every moment, my future career goals (really despise this particular question) or my grades is great. Personally, it places less external pressure on me considering that I give myself enough of that and it forces me to have more confidence in my own decisions without others giving their unsolicited advice. If people don't like that, they're just going to have to learn that you have a right to keep things to yourself and that it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

With this extra freedom, you don't need permission to do anything. This could end up being a bad thing, but as long as you be responsible, it will be fine! This so many mini points to this point. For the most part people advise here, not demand or push you into a certain direction. More on this in the next point. If I were to have a blog like this when I was in secondary school, every single one of my posts would have been read and tracked and that definitely wouldn't have allowed me to be open about my experiences as I try to be here. Obviously, there are still things to be mindful of, but I've never had to stop a think about whether a minor sentence in a post will have a negative impact on my experience. In my case, everything you did at secondary school was monitored whether it was their business or not. This is why I decided to start a blog at university rather than beforehand. Additionally, I know that clothing and hairstyles are a large part of some peoples' identities and it's never been an issue to dress the way you want to and to wear what you want. No one even takes any notice (unless you happen to be wearing those blinding neon colours or turn up to lectures in your pyjamas - something I am yet to witness!).

Returning to the first point above, I think that access to opportunities within the university is a whole lot more open to some extent. I spoke about this in this post but in summary there's no one telling your that you're not good enough to do something that you would like to have a go at. In comparison, I found in in secondary schools if you were assumed to not be good enough to complete the task, you wouldn't be given the opportunity. It was always the same people being called out to take on certain roles in the school. Of course, that's not always the case but it is generally an issue. At university, no one knows you so they're going to give you a chance. Most of the time wanting to give up your time and effort is really appreciated, whether you are volunteering, working as a student ambassador, a student blogger, or carrying out one-off roles. Although there may still be somewhat of an application process at times, it's not going to carry so much bias as it did in school.

In terms of the academic side, I believe that there are more practical applications (than in school anyway). By  this, I mean practical as in hands-on but also completing work which is valid to the field that is being studied. I've written so many research reports, completed data analysis and collection and critical reviews of research articles. It's extremely research intensive which is an inherent part of psychology. I've done a lot of active learning (rather than passive learning) on this front. Having said that, essays still carry way too much weighting in my opinion, but I guess this depends on the specific course as some fields of work are pretty much essay based. Although, I have to say that they are great at helping you to make clear, concise and rational arguments and lines of support rather than just splurging everything you know for the sake of it. They are really challenging, in the right way.

Furthermore, there is no set specification which we all really struggled with to begin with because we have always been told what we have to know and that everything else is irrelevant. Most of the time everything else is very much relevant but if you asked a teacher about a wider aspect of content that you had been learning, the response was usually vague followed by something along the lines of "you won't need to know that for the exam so it's not important". Having such an open curriculum is amazing as it gives you the opportunity to widen your knowledge beyond class content. You can be flexible and adapt the content to suit your individual interests and do further reading that isn't going to bore the mind out of you.

You are (hopefully) on a course that you enjoy and have the motivation to go to class and do further research on. You're still going to have to do some stuff that you don't particularly want to (i.e.: core modules and assessment that you think are pointless) but on the whole, you have more choice and you won't feel like you're studying something for the sake of it. You'll want to do well for yourself rather than because you need to pass, although that fear of failure doesn't ever fade!

Finally, No one knows who you are. In my town, of you go out (unless you jump onto a train) there's only really one place you can go. When you're at university there's so many people around that it's unlikely that you're going to bump into someone who knows you. You can go out without feeling uneasy about bumping into someone who you would really rather not. You can walk around the university without people judging you because they have no clue who you are and probably aren't even taking any notice. If you want to start a new, you can!

There are so many restrictions that schools are under that universities aren't and can be seen in several of the points that I have mentioned. So, university isn't all that bad even amongst the endless challenges!

What's your favourite part of university life?

Simple Ways You Can Be More Sustainable and Green

Nikola Jovanovic | Unsplash

Environmentalism and sustainability are increasingly becoming areas of concern. Being a student or if you work, this often conflicts with your conscience. You support the need to reduce actions which have negative consequences on the environment, but your job requires you to work on a computer all day or deal with stacks of paperwork, for example. There are people out there who will criticise you for being a 'hypocrite' for doing so.

There's too much of 'If you are really that eco-conscious then you can't do x, y, or z'. Of course, we all do things that harm the environment in one way or another, regardless of how big or small that impact may be. Instead, we should focus more about doing what we can as individuals which can then collectively have a positive impact in reducing harm caused. We should be promoting each other to be eco-conscious awareness in our behaviours rather than slating others for not doing enough since that only seems to deter others from making positive changes.

So, I'm going to provide 10 very simple things that everyone can do, with a few student-specific examples and tips.

Recycle, Recycle, and Recycle
I know you get told this all the time, but I can't do a post like this without including recycling! The truth is, recycling can take more effort that some people would expect. You can't just go around throwing anything plastic in the recycling bin, or anything you think is recyclable. You have to always check, because if you contaminate your recycling bin with something that cannot be recycled (such as food or drink waste), you'll ruin the whole batch. Check the labels and if you're unsure ask someone or do a quick Google search (I do think labelling needs to be clearer), don't be too lazy to walk to the recycling bin, wash out your cans and jars before you recycle them to avoid contamination, and please don't line your recycling bin with a plastic bag... I guess the main take-away points here are: don't be lazy and always double check!


Try Using Cruelty Free Products
This one is slightly more difficult as there does seem to be several blurred lines when it comes to judging whether a product is cruelty free or not.

• Cruelty-Free does not mean the product is vegan.
• Some brands are technically cruelty free, but they sell to China which requires that foreign goods much be animal tested by law (this does not apply to Hong Kong) so will not be cruelty-free certified.
• Some brands don't test on animals or sell to China but are owned by a 'parent company' which does take part in animal-testing.
• There are also brands which partake in animal testing, but also have a cruelty-free range.

The difficult thing here is that everyone will have different opinions of whether a product is cruelty-free or not, which is why you may receive different answers by different cruelty-free certification programs and blogs. There's loads out there, but here are a few:

Mitzi Mandel | Pixabay

• PETA has a list of brands which test on animals and a list of those which don't as well. You can download these and keep them on your phone for easy access as you're shopping.
  
  
• Leaping Bunny is the only internationally recognised program. Verified products will have the Leaping Bunny logo (some will say that they are more reliable and selective than PETA) and they have an app to!
  
  
• Cruelty-Free Kitty is a blog with lists of cruelty-free and non-cruelty-free products. There are also posts on there focusing on common mistakes and misunderstandings we may make when it comes to looking for cruelty free products.
  
  
• Hazelnut Musings blogs about cruelty free products. Kayleigh (the owner of Hazelnut Musings) has really helpfully compiled a list of cruelty free brands noting whether they sell vegan products and if the parent company of the brand in cruelty free as well. You can find it in the 'menu' of her blog!
  

If you're really unsure, send an email and ask. Sometimes the replies can be wishy-washy, which probably means that it's best to avoid for the time being.

Invest in a Canvas or Sustainable Bag
They will last forever (okay, maybe not literally forever in some cases) but they will last for years so it's completely worth it. Also, the plastic straps won't dig into your hand so that's a bonus when you're carrying your shopping back to your house or accommodation for a long distance.


Turn Off Electricity Sockets
I think that many of us forget that regardless if your lamp is turn on or off, if the socket it turned on, electricity is being used. Don't leave sockets on if the appliance is not in use. This is something that's easily done. If you're a student living with other students, just do some regular round checks to make sure that there aren't any sockets on that don't need to be, but be careful to not accidentally turn a pre-heating oven off!


Reduce Water Usage
This point is pretty self-explanatory. Turn off the taps when you're brushing your teeth or shampoo-ing. It is a very simple way of saving water and it will save you on the bills to! You'll be surprised how much water goes down the drain when it's running for a few minutes!

CC0 1.0 | Pxhere

Cut Down on Meat and/or Diary Consumption
I'm not telling you to completely go vegetarian or vegan (that's your choice alone and some people can't because of dietary requirements) but you can definitely think of cutting down your meat and/ or diary consumption if you are able to and especially if you are aware that you eat a lot of meat. A lot of people find that it's actually a lot easier to do than they had originally anticipated. People are quick to judge, so be open-minded about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. You can't really criticise until you have properly given it a go and have made the effort to explore the option. Some pointers:

• A few vegetarian/ vegan days a week
• Reduce the portion of meat in your meals (swap out some chicken with tofu for example)
• Try alternatives (don't just try one and assume you won't like any of them!)
• Experiment with vegetables (they're the easiest thing to prepare!)
  

Reduce Food Waste
They work for some people, but meal plans have never worked out for me. This may be difficult to do as a student if you don't have a set schedule. One day you may finish lectures at 7, 10pm if you have society commitments, other days you'll be done with contact hours before 12pm. However, what you can do is make a rough weekly outline so that you don't end up buying more than you need. For example you may decide to plan ahead and properly cook a meal when you have limited work and contact hours that day, or have food on hand that you can quickly prepare (like vegetables and pasta) if you know that you have lots to do, and on the days you finish late you may want to take out a pre-prepared cooked meal that you have frozen (my Mum has made me enough so that I have one per a week set aside until the end of term!) or something from the freezer to shove in the oven. Lunch, on the other hand, is easier to prepare. Make sure to check expiry dates and eat food that is due to go off sooner.

bady qb | Unsplash

Get Yourself a Reusable Water Bottle
They can hold more water than a plastic water bottle, reduce plastic waste, save you money and you won't make a load of noise trying to open it in the middle of a lecture! I know that in some places it's advised to not drink water straight from the tap. One thing I do is to boil water in a kettle and transfer it into a heat resistant jug which you can keep on your desk to pour into your cup or bottle. It's a great way to track your water intake to!


Volunteering
This ranges from helping out garden centres, to going out to plant trees and bulbs, and helping to maintain woodland areas and flower patches. Warwick Volunteers has opportunities like these running all throughout the year for Warwick students.

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Buy Second-Hand Books (and other stuff)
You don't need new textbooks. They are so so expensive and they will end up getting creased no matter how hard you try to maintain them. I have never had a problem with second-hand books - they always come as if they have barely been used or brand new! They are cheaper, more sustainable and you can re-sell or donate them afterwards if they are left in good enough condition. Universities often hold second-hand sales for student essentials such as pots and pans to, so it's worth keeping an eye out for these as well.

Donate!
Remember that food banks need to be filled and that many people go into charity shops to seek out clothes and toys. Don't just throw it all away if someone else can benefit from your unwanted items.


Invest in a Whiteboard
Students - you will understand my guilt when it comes to printing. However, you can try and make up for some of this during exam season. I have been loving using my whiteboard to recall information instead of writing it down on pieces of paper that are going to be thrown away anyway. Of course, this won't always be an efficient method as you will probably want to have a physical copy of handwritten, timed essays to go over, for example. Nevertheless, make use of the whiteboard whenever you can!

🌱 Think about what small changes you can start making today! 🌱

 If you have any more ideas, please share them!

Fearing "I Don't Know..."

The plan was to post my plans for 2nd Year, but that's not sorted yet. Sooo... I don't know what to write. Ironically, this post is titled 'I Don't Know' because what better chance is there for a post like this?

Before I came to university this phrase was always seen as a negative phrase to say and that you should avoid saying it. Here are some common examples:

• Not knowing your next steps or career path especially during sixth form/ college meant that teachers pressured you to need to have something in place right now.
  
  
• When you're not feeling good and when you're asked why you reply that you don't really know what's causing it, to which the person you're talking to replied "I can't help you then."
  
  
• Not having an answer to a question and then being called "useless" even though the person asking has no clue either.
  
  
• Not knowing the answer to a question is class to which your teacher exclaims that it's "simple" or telling you that you can't look at your notes because you "should know".
  
  
• Not yet having mastered a skill but wanting to, only to be shamed and told that it's "basic" to know.

I will assume that you have experienced many of these yourself. A lot of us, whether we like it or not, are afraid of not knowing. However, who are we all to judge others for not having yet gained certain skills or knowledge? After all, everything we know right now is known to us because we initially didn't know and were open to discover the answer to the unknown or made an effort to master a skill.

To put it forward (and I've said this before): we need to be ignorant to learn. That requires us to firstly admit our ignorance. Therefore, to say "I don't know" should be a good thing, right? If we all pretend to know everything then we wouldn't learn anything new.

As shown from the examples listed above, this isn't the case. Instead of it being used as an opportunity to pass on your knowledge or to teach a skill which could be of great benefit to society and the individual, the response from saying this phrase elicits a feeling of shame. I guess the fear of such negative responses stop us from gaining as much understanding as possible.

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In school, I was given the impression that to not know is not good enough. We had no choice but to know. There were several times where I would be in a class when a peer had been asked a question and instead of admitting they didn't know they would ramble on and on until the teacher picked up a point that loosely answered the question. Really, this pupil had no idea what they were talking about and would confess to their friend after class that they "still don't understand the answer".

On the other hand, we've all been in an uncomfortable situation where we haven't been able to answer a question (even after being promoted) but the teacher insists that you know it and won't let you go until you give the correct answer. Doing the first saves the embarrassment of holding up your peers. Yet how much do we learn from doing that? I presume not very much.

I also did a mock interview once and there was a segment where I spoke about my work experience in a reception class. I mentioned about a multi-cultural day I helped children learn words of animals in Spanish. The interviewer asked how I knew how to help them with a language I wasn't familiar with, to which I told them that I had Spanish lessons in primary so basics such as animals and colours came back to me quite easily. To my surprise they responded back by saying "Oh, that's good. Otherwise you would have had to pretend to know what you were doing".

It's no wonder why so many of us find it difficult to admit that we're lacking in skill or knowledge. It makes us seem incompetent. Probably more so than we are. It can damage our self-confidence and the way that others perceive us.

However, being at university now I have been very fortunate that my lecturers have made the experience of saying "I don't know" much more positive. They use it as an opportunity to promote learning and understanding. They don't make exclamations such as "you should know this" or "this is easy. There should be no reason why you shouldn't understand it" that make us feel embarrassed. If we go up to one of our academics and tell them that we don't understand or know how to do or work something out they always tell us that "it's okay" and will ask us specifically what we need help with. If we can't pinpoint it ourselves, they are happy to sit with us and work through the material to help us get to the bottom of it.

I mentioned this in this post but I have asked some questions which I was so so embarrassed that I have even asked my lecturers in the first place. Despite that, they have never been received negatively. Thinking back, I shouldn't have been embarrassed for asking. My lecturers had no problem making clarifications and explaining things to me. If I had never asked, I wouldn't have known the answer and that would have implicated the way I went about the remainder of my studies.

I've even had moments where I have needed to talk to someone but haven't been able to give a reason as to why I'm feeling a certain way, and as hard as it makes it for them to be able to give us direction with such limited information, they have always managed to open up a conversation to help me work it out.

They have also encouraged us to come as speak to them about work experience and career options if we are feeling lost with that to. This came as a surprise to me as I had always been told that "it's up to you. No one else can help you with that". Rather than being pressured by the need to know what direction we're heading in, there's more of a "We have time. We'll work it out together" kind of response. There's no fear or shame placed onto us this way.




It's given me a completely new perspective. The staff in the department have made me feel so much more comfortable in being able to send them and email or knock on their doors and ask for help. This is something that I previously found so nerve-wracking to do. They have taught me that there is no problem with saying "I don't know" as long as we are willing to turn the 'I don't know' into 'I know'. Maybe not a complete "I know" to begin with, but it shows that we are attempting to at the minimum. The same goes for direction whether that's career wise or personal development. I have no idea where I'm heading in a few years' time or even next week. It is so stressful but there are people there who can help me to explore all these different options and open my mind to ones which I may have never thought of beforehand.

It's okay not to know a piece of information, how to do something, how you're feeling, what you want to do in a few years' time, whether you're studying the right course, and so on. However, we do need to give ourselves the opportunity to say "This isn't right. I might not be sure why, but it's completely fine that I don't". These are generally the steps I take:

1. Fully acknowledge that you don't know what you're doing.
   
   
2. Try and pinpoint exactly why you're unsure (maybe it's a new experience that you have never encountered? Is there a specific bit for information that you can't work out to be able to gain a full understanding? Could it possibly be a process of elimination and experiencing several routes).
   
   
3. Break it down into smaller sections and work through it slowly to help with the above.
   
   
4. Try and figure it out independently. Use the resources around you (create a mind map, a list, do some research on Google, YouTube; leaflets if possible).
   
   
5. Still struggling to figure it out? Need help with gaining resources to help you out (as usually the case with work experience!)? Ask. You can go onto a related form and post questions, ask your friends or family member and see if they know; ask your teachers or other people you know who may have greater knowledge if you're looking for a specific answer. Someone you know will have an answer or know someone who can help.
   
   
6. Acknowledge that whatever it is you're seeking the answer to is reasonable. There's no need to feel embarrassed. You are willing to work things out and that that's all that matters.
   
   

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People might judge you, but like I have already said, whatever you're asking them is something that they also didn't know (how to do) once. Someone else taught them and you're asking them to teach you or to use their knowledge to support you in figuring whatever it is out. Remind them of that.

Therefore, we need to be aware of giving others the opportunity to take from us when they are feeling a bit lost to. This is without them feeling embarrassed that they need to ask, because there's no problem with not knowing.

We are constantly learning throughout life. Out of general curiosity, the need to know essential skills, to reach is certain goal; to get to know ourselves better. We have to remember that we know what we know because we have learned with the help of other people, whether that is someone writing a textbook, information booklet, creating a video, physically showing you how to do a task, or even just by having a conversation.
 
Keep being curious. Keep asking questions. Keep up with giving yourself the chance to explore new experiences. Finally, keep sharing your skills and knowledge and using it to help others because there is nothing better than finally feeling like you have taken a step forward in the right direction or the relief of being able to master a skill that you need to or would like to without someone making negative judgements. 

That is what we should know.

A Guide to University Contact Hours

When I asked for blog post suggestions a few of you wanted a post explaining the difference between the types of contact hours that you will have at university.

This was something that I was also confused with before coming to uni to, so I hope this post is able to make it more understandable for you.

Firstly, let's address what a contact hour is.
Contact hours refers to the amount of time you spend being taught by an academic or another faculty member. These are the lectures/ seminars/ tutorials/ practicals which you are expected to attend. They are all compulsory.

In the latter part of this post I will briefly talk about optional and other 'out-of-contact-hours' activities that you be expected to participate in outside of your contact hours.

How will my attendance be recorded?
Most universities have an electronic system where you scan your ID card as you go into one of your contact hours, which then automatically records your attendance. At Warwick, we don't have this. We are expected to show up and take responsibility over our own attendance. However, there are monitoring points throughout each term where you will mark your attendance with your lecturer or personal tutor.

How many contact hours will I have?
There's no one answer to this. This will vary between departments and between universities.
You and your friend can be studying the exact same degree title at different universities and will have very different amounts of contact hours.

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This is confusing to get your head around to begin with, but another thing to keep in mind is that you need to check your timetable every week as it won't be stable. Whilst lectures generally remain fixed, everything else is constantly changing every few weeks especially if you have multiple professors teaching a single module.

For example, in Term 1, Education Studies students had 14 contact hours a week. However, when it came to Term 2 this changed to some weeks having 11 hours and other weeks as little as 9 hours. One of my flatmates only had 12 hours a week despite doing a joint course.

In 1st Year I had on average 15 contact hours a week varying between 14-16 hours. This academic year, I will only have 9-10 in Term 1, but up to 14 in Term 2 as a result of how my module choices have worked out.

Now that you know what a contact hour is, I'm going to move onto breaking it down into different types of contact hours and what to expect from them.

Lectures
These are classes you will have with your whole course group or everyone who is taking that module if it's an optional choice. They are usually split into 1 and 2 hour sessions but can last up to 3 hours. Your lecturer will stand up front and deliver a presentation of the topic being covered in that session using aids such as photos, videos, and maybe even quick mini activities throughout the session.  They often take place in the large lecture theatres that you see in university prospectus' as courses can have 200+ students. The largest lecture hall at Warwick can hold up to 500 students!
In Psychology our lecturers often stop at certain points to ensure that we are all keeping up with the information that they are providing and ask any questions for clarification as lectures can be demanding. Don't worry if you need to ask a question and don't want to raise your hand in front of a hall full of other students! Most of your lecturers should also be happy for you to go and speak to them during intervals or at the end of the lecture to.


Seminars

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These are similar to how your current classes run in sixth form or college. They are a lot more interactive and enable you to converse with your peers and professors in small groups of around 30. If your course only has small intake, then it's more than likely that you will just stay as a whole group. In seminars you will be expected to engage in discussions and debates digging deeper into the content that was presented to you in lectures. They help you to develop on those key critical thinking skills and gain an insight into perspectives which you may not have seen yourself. I promise you that they are not as terrifying as they initially sound. However, it does depend on how your professors like to run them, but in all the seminars I have had so far the lecturers make us feel at ease. Be reassured that they aren't for the purpose of testing you, but to help broaden your knowledge and interest.


Tutorials 
Once registered at university and on your course, you will be assigned a personal tutor, who is often an academic within your home department. Tutorials will take place with your Personal Tutor and their other tutees. In Psychology at Warwick, there are up to 8 students per a year to a Personal Tutor. It's tricky to define what to expect from a tutorial as departments and universities will arrange them differently, but to get an idea of what could possibly be discussed. I spoke a bit about tutorials in the 'Tutorial' section of my Psychology Review. If you click the hyperlink and scroll down there's a description of the kind of conversations you may come across in a tutorial meeting.


Practicals/ Labs
This is more applicable to sciences (including Psychology) and creative arts. Practical sessions will be where you learn or are supervised to do experiments and/or use software. Taking Psychology as an example again (because it's the only one I can give!), this includes using SPSS and conducting statistical tests, and learning how to write research reports. In Media Studies/ TV Production this will be more focused on editing, using lighting desks, and camera techniques. Practical sessions are important as they give you the basic skills and knowledge which you will then need to practise outside of your contact hours (see below).


Supervisions
Not all universities have these. I know that Oxbridge colleges have these in place, but I don't think we have these here at Warwick. However, sometimes a similar session may take place in tutorials, although not as intense as the supervisions which take place at Oxbridge. They are more personal than seminars and only consists of a supervisor with around 3 students. As a result, they really challenge you to independently investigate a specific section of your course/module which you then share with your peers and supervisor and further analyse and evaluate your ideas and research.


Out-of-Contact-Hours
Some of these can be just as important as attending your compulsory contact hours. Broaden.

• Practical Work - mainly in Sciences (including Psychology) and Creative Arts. There's no point in attending practical classes if you aren't going to apply what you have learned outside. In psychology this includes both taking part in experiments and conducting studies, collecting data for reports, and analysing data. Requires a lot more attention and precision than it seems. For example, for Psychology covering ethical and health and safety grounds to allow an experiment to be conducted is not as simple as it is made out to be at A-Level.
  
  
• Independent Research - whilst universities and courses vary in research intensity, the majority of degrees are research heavy in one way or another. Therefore, independent research likely to take up the bulk of your time outside of your contact hours, whether that be reading journal articles, researching a particular topic in more depth, watching documentaries; reading through textbooks. It has to be done.
  
  
• Individual Meetings  - these may be with your Personal Tutor or an academic who teaches you. Whilst you should have set meetings with your Personal Tutor, they will be your first point of contact if you need a chat about anything - personal or academic. Your lecturers will also have 'office hours' where you can drop by and ask questions about the content they have taught you. Other times you may have to arrange meetings with a supervisor to discuss research options.
  
  

  

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• Department Talks - if your degree relies heavily on research then it's more than likely that your department will have internal and external speakers coming in to deliver talks. Other times specialists may come in to discuss a specific job within a field. This will allow you to explore what areas of your degree you have greater interest in.
  
  
• Careers Advice - again, these also come in the form of internal and external speakers. Universities often run a careers day sort of thing sometime during the year where employees and employers come in and offer guidance for graduate jobs. Departments may also run career conferences for students.
  
  
• Trips - museums, conferences, to the theatre... It all depends on what course you are taking. Departments and societies may run balls at the end of the year to.

I believe that's everything covered. If you would like some more clarification or have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a message in the comments below.

By the time you read this most of you will be heading to uni and getting ready for Welcome/ Freshers Week, so I hope you all have fun! But please... Don't become a part of one of those Fresher nightmare stories!

20 Items Every Student Should Take to Uni

Firstly, congrats on getting your results and surviving those last 2 years of compulsory education! Even if you didn't do as well as you had expected, completing them is an achievement in itself. Remember that your grades do not define your ability to do well at university level, so (I'm saying this from experience) please don't be put off. You will be fine, and your lecturers will be there to help you out whenever you need it.

With that over with, you are probably mid-way through compiling a list of things that you need to take you uni with you. We normally think of the essential bits and pieces (pots and pans, cutlery, bedding, clothes - all that stuff). However, it's always the case that you get halfway through the year or term before wondering why you hadn't thought of bringing this and that. To help you avoid that a little bit, I have compiled a list of 20 useful items which will come in hand. Most of them aren't essential, but I have found a lot of these to be very convenient to have around.

1. USB Stick
   I would say that this one is an essential item. Please, please, please back up your work. Do it every week. You never know what's going to happen to your laptop. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you have completed an assignment or written out all of your revision/ lecture notes, for it to suddenly all disappear. Can't think of anything worse.
   
   
2. Academic Planner
   If you are a student who lives without an academic planner, how do you do it? Even if you're very good at remembering dates and appointments, it's always handy to have it physically laid out in front of you so that you can fit everything else (including some you time!) around current commitments. It's also a great way of tracking assignment deadlines and uni work that you need to complete along with society/ volunteering commitments. Student life can be hectic when your schedule is constantly changing every few weeks.
   
   
3. Mini Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
   Not sure what the proper term for this is, but it looks like this and it's more useful than an iron and ironing board (which you will probably end up never using if your accommodation has detectors installed in the rooms). This is a more expensive purchase but it's worth it. It essentially works like a vacuum cleaner, but it's small, portable, lightweight, and rechargeable. Perfect for picking up those pesky crumbs from the carpet!
   
   
4. Emergency Money
   I think that this is a really important point. Always have some set aside. The best thing to do is make sure that you take out some money and put it in a safe place in you room just in case you lose your bank card or you're not able to withdraw money from it for any reason. You can also set aside some of your student finance for emergency purposes as well, whether that be last minute train tickets or unexpected vet appointments. I know that Student Finance is supposed to be for student/ uni purposes, but sometimes you don't have another choice and you have to do what you need to.
   
   
5. Umbrella
   I try to remember to always have an umbrella in my bag. The weather in England is unpredictable - sunny one moment and pouring with rain the next.
   
   
6. Reusable Water Bottle

   

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   Stay hydrated! This way there's also no need to unnecessarily use plastic. This will save you money as well. Bonus.
   
   
7. A blanket
   The heating in student accommodation is not reliable. There were some days when I had to sit in my coat because it was so cold. It's usually centrally controlled which means that you can't turn it on when you feel the need to, so if you're sensitive to the cold, a blanket could do some good.
   
   
8. A Soft Toy (or more!)
   Whether we admit it or not, we all have our favourite childhood soft toys. At the beginning of the year all of us in the Psychology group chat were sending photos of our beds with our soft toys lying there. Needless to say, I was the only one with a Minion and a dog in a dress (they were a gift my grandma and great-aunt, okay?). Our teddy bears and soft toys seem to have some sort of beneficial psychology impact on us, even as adults! It's just nice to have them there.
   
   
9. Boxes and Baskets
   They will make organising and storing your stuff much easier. Handy when you need to move in and out of accommodation throughout the next few years to, and it will make your room cleaner than having items scattered or piled all over the place.
   
   
10. Colour Catcher
    These get thrown into the washing machine with your clothes and they stop colours from mixing together so that you don't have to do two separate washes for coloured and white clothes. You can often get two goes from a single sheet depending on your load. They work really well. Great when your uni runs their machines on Circuit Laundry. You can get these from Wilko.
    
    
11. Your Favourite Cooldown Activity
    Your wellbeing is essential so I would say that this definitely is as well. This could be anything from your musical instrument, art supplies, a journal, a word search book, a bike, sports equipment - whatever it is that will help you take your mind off work. Obviously, you can't bring your pet to uni with you (boo!), but there's always Pets As Therapy if your uni invites them in. If not, how about becoming a volunteer dog walker or pet sitter?
    
    
12. Squishy
    You're probably thinking: 'Aimee... They're for kids', but I disagree! They are actually quite therapeutic! My favourite ones are the round-ish shaped animal ones or anything with a smiley face (the Panda one came from Typo for £2). You can squash them in all different directions and end up creating some really funny-shaped creations which slowly bounce right back! It may not completely get rid of your worries or thoughts but may district you for a split second - try it. They make good decorations to!
    
    
13. Medical Kit
    Being ill when your close to exam season, have what seems like 15 assignments due in, or when you're working is a pain. We all know the pain of those times when your heel is sore from your shoes and you wish you had a plaster on you also, or when you're sitting in a lecture with a splitting headache. Creating an easily accessible medical kit with assorted plasters, Lemsip, paracetamol, hay fever tablets, herbal remedies, and whatever else you require will come in handy. I like to keep a mini wallet of basic items in my bag at all times for wherever I go to.
    
    
14. Waterproof Basket (with holes)
    This point is mainly for those who are living in accommodation with a shared bathroom, or if your bathroom happens to have no storage space. Instead of scrambling for all of your toiletries only to forget something when you get into the bathroom and having them slip out of your hand whilst getting your clothes wet on the way back to your room, you can keep them in a basket. Just grab and go. Simples.
    
    
15. Boxes for Food
    Here we go with the boxes again. Each time before the start of a new Term you should prepare a box of freezable dinner so that you have enough for one per a week (my Mum does this for me because I can't make the kind of stuff I would usually eat at home 😊). There's usually one day during the week when you will finish lectures quite late or something unexpected comes up that doesn't give you enough time to make a decent dinner. This will prevent you from eating rubbish. Also, you don't always (probably won't) have time to go home for lunch if you live on off-campus accommodation. This is where Tupperware comes in. It's better than using plastic bags and your food won't get squashed this way.
    
    
16. Slippers/ Easy-to-Put-On Shoes
    All I'm going to say here is 3am fire alarms. They will wake (much rather scare the life out of) you up and you will be out of your mind for a good five seconds before realising that you need to hurry up and get out of the building because the fire alarm is going off.
    
    
17. Some Cute Decor
    Attempt to make your room feel at least a bit homely. Fairy lights, cacti (a personal favourite!), some of your favourite ornaments, photos, mood board, posters; maybe even a rug. This is something that I want to try to make more of an effort to do in the upcoming academic year. Have fun decorating your room! Hopefully this will make you feel a little bit better and less homesick. Be careful not to overdo it though - remember that you will have to pack up everything at the end of the year!
    
    
18. Colander
    These are one of those items that a lot of students forget yet will end up using almost every day. Draining pasta, washing vegetables and fruit, holding food before cooking it, and probably a whole lot more!
    
    
19. Air Freshener
    Student accommodation doesn't have good circulation. You are quite literally stuck in a box. At Warwick (and I presume many other universities) the windows barely open to for health and safety reasons. Then if you're uncomfortable being in the kitchen like me, you will end up eating in your room as well but smells from the kitchen will sneak in either way. When you're unable to leave your windows open for long enough an air freshener is the next best thing.
    
    
20. Unidays!
    This is a student discount app. When you first get it, it will direct you to your uni portal and ask you to login to confirm that you are registered. They have all sorts of discounts on a variety of categories.
    
    

If I've missed out anything that you think should be one here, you can leave it in the comments below.
Again, well done and have a restful last few weeks of Summer before all the hard work begins!