How to 'winter-proof' your student house

I don’t know about you but there have been countless times that I have walked back from campus in the pouring rain, books clutched in my arms, and then feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction upon reaching home.

Knowing that I am now inside the nice, warm and most of all dry fortress I call my house is one of life’s simplest pleasures.

But what happens when this fortress is always so cold?! Unfortunately, there will be problems with student housing in every city. Fortunately, there are people you can go to at the University of Southampton for help when you reach a point when you can no longer take indoor arctic conditions.

Every year, around March and April, a Sustainability fair is held on campus to promote green living in the student population.

 

Maxime working the Sustainability Fair.

I spoke to Maxime Jullian who works with SUSU’s Ethics and Environmental Officer about what their Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) does to help students warm up their houses and save some much needed funds. With an apt acronym, the HEAT team is entirely student led. They have been sponsored by big names such as EON and are run by the charity called Southampton Hub.

HEAT audit student houses for energy consumption and give insulation all for FREE. The committee are also very keen to get volunteers so get in touch if you want some sustainability experience on your CV! 

The Ethics and Environment team encourage SUSU to operate in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way. They educate students and staff on relevant issues and campaigns and are responsible for representing the interests of Union members in the development of ethical and environmentally sound working practices and empowering members to take action to achieve this, both with regard to SUSU and the University.

The Home Energy Advice Team are looking to do as many student home visits as much as they can before Christmas break to save students up to £500+ a year (depending on the size of property, i.e. number of bedrooms). They provide the basic and removable material so there is no need for you to involve your letting agencies or landlords as everything can be removed when you move out at the end of the year.

So, what materials do HEAT provide?

Some landlords don’t care about how warm you are. Most of the time, their main priority is to get rent. It is up to you to heat up your new student home. Indeed, a lot of student house windows aren’t double glazed and thus become unbearably cold during the winter.

HEAT provides:

Reflective radiator panels. This is especially effective if your radiator is stuck to a wall facing the outside. It sticks to the wall using double sided sticky take so it is easily taken off and moved to your new student house the year after. All heat that stays at the back of radiator gets reflected back into the room as opposed to “seeping” outside.

Here’s to a nice and toasty home…(photo courtesy of the HEAT Facebook page)

Seasonal double glazing films. This is especially beneficial if you have single glazed windows. The film essentially provides another layer to you windows to prevent heat loss. As stated by the name, the films only last one season. After a year it un-sticks and is not as effective but the good thing about it is that because it isn’t permanent, it won’t damage the property one bit.

Energy saving light bulbs. These use less energy, are more efficient. An energy-saving recommended light bulb will cost you £3-£4 compared to about 50p for a normal bulb, but will put money back into your pocket by saving you around £9 on your annual electricity bill and up to £100 over its lifetime!

Draft proofing tape. This tape sticks onto doors. Like the letter box covers, these little sponges pretty much close the gaps that let draught in.

Who knew how much money you could save per year just by covering these gaps? (photos courtesy of the HEAT Facebook page)

Maxime is a third-year BSc Oceanography student who plans to work with businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and save energy. Coming from a Natural Sciences background, this is something he’s always been interested in, and the University has aided him with his sustainability work experience. If you’re ambitious, there are plenty of opportunities SUSU and its staff can provide for you – for example, Maxime is part of the Business, Ethics and Environment Programme (BEES).

I think all this talk about saving energy gives rise to the massive issue of climate change. The University is doing incredible research on sustainability science and fellow student blogger Emma has written about the recycling projects the University has undertaken.

Unfortunately most of us don’t see the effects of climate change first hand. Most of the changes are so variable and so incremental that a debate even exists on whether or not climate change is true!
But this is the truth: we don’t often make the link between turning off a tap and wars around the world. That’s because most of the negative effects of climate change are experienced by the global south – by poor and, mostly, developing countries.

Sustainability is a pertinent issue. I’m glad the University is investing a lot of mind power and funds into it!

Don’t forget to get in touch with the HEAT team if you are looking forward to going home to a nice, warm house. After all, 'Winter is coming'.

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist…!)

Rylyn

Success at Southampton

On Wednesday 25th November I was wandering around campus at the Postgraduate Open Day, since my initial plan for this post was to write about that. However, I spotted signs for something entirely different and thought I would wander in and see what was going on. It turns out that I had walked into the interviews for the University of Southampton’s SUCCESS scholarship scheme for Civil Engineers. Being from Social Sciences I had never heard of the scheme, so I was interested to learn more about what was going on. Fortunately a few of the students who were waiting for their interview to start agreed to talk to me. I wasn’t able to catch their names, but thank you to those who took the time to chat!

So what is the SUCCESS scholarship?

“It’s not just a scholarship. We are being interviewed by representatives from different companies within the industry who take on students from first to third year for 8-10 week paid internships over summer. Once you are successful in getting a place, you also receive a bursary to help you with your studies whilst at University.”

So what year are you in?

“Most of us are in our first year. Some of us had written our application for the scheme before we even started University in September, because they have to be sent off by the middle of October.”

Wow that’s pretty intense – what made you want to apply for the scheme?

“Loads of different things really; it’s a unique opportunity to gain industry experience and develop a professional network. There are really not many opportunities like this, because work experience is notoriously difficult to get as a Civil Engineer and this is so much more than just experience! We’ve heard from students who are already part of the scheme and they’re in such a strong position when they graduate, as they have on the job training and have created such good links with the company that they worked for. It’s a bit strange to be in first semester of our first year thinking about job security in the future, but this scheme means that the successful applicants won’t have to worry as much about that when they graduate.

Plus unlike a lot of internships, this is a paid position, so getting the experience isn’t a financial burden, which means that everyone is able to apply and doesn’t have to worry about not being able to afford it.”

Dressed to impress – Two of the students who I spoke to

I’m impressed, it took me until third year to feel ready for a formal interview! How has the University supported you in prepping for the interview?

"The Engineering department held workshops to help prepare for the interview, and you can ask for personal help if you need it. The department has definitely set us up to succeed - there isn’t anywhere else that provides you with an opportunity like this right off the bat!"

Thanks – and good luck with the interviews!



The SUCCESS Scholarship team very kindly invited me to stick around for lunch which gave me the opportunity to talk to some of the industry reps and a student who was currently on the scheme.



So from an industry perspective – why are you part of the programme, and why Southampton in particular?

“I think the main point is to improve links between industry and students, and to start making those links when students are in their first and second year. The thing about Engineering at Southampton that makes it so attractive for us is that the department produces good engineers year in, year out. As well this being very good for business, we provide on the job training across a range of developments so when the student graduates, they can start working for us from day one; they know the company and they know how we work, so they are ideal recruits! Of course, because they have such great experience, we have to encourage them to stay with us. Usually they have several companies offering them jobs"

Everyone approves of the free lunch

What do you think you gained from the six-week placement?

"So much I don’t know where to start. I think a big benefit was the friends that I made within the company. As an intern you are treated as a regular member of the team, and that makes a big difference – to feel so valued when you are just starting out. It’s going to have a huge impact on my dissertation as well, because I know people in the business that I can talk to and get advice from. I have such great links with the people in the industry, and that’s invaluable really."

Do you have any advice for people applying for the scheme next year?

"Research the company that you are applying for a position with - sometimes students get confused about which company they are interviewing with. The applicants that stand out are the ones who show good knowledge of the company and what they feel they can bring to the team, even if that’s just enthusiasm. Talk to students who are on the programme in the year above as well; they are the best source of information for those who are unsure what the work will be like and what will be expected of them."

Dedicated student ambassadors directing people to the right place at the Postgraduate Open Day

Tika Widyaningtyas representing social sciences at the Postgraduate Open Day

I know it’s strange for someone studying within the Social Sciences to be writing about opportunities for Civil Engineers but honestly, after talking to everyone, I was so jealous that I was thinking of switching disciplines…! Well maybe not, but still I wish I had been able to practice job applications and interviews when I was in first year!

I would hate to leave without mentioning the Postgraduate Open Day which was on the same day. I really recommend coming to an Open Day if you are interested in Postgraduate study. It’s a great chance to talk to lecturers and current students who can give you a unique perspective on the particular benefits of studying that course at Southampton. For those of you who couldn’t make it to the talks today the Welcome and Finance talks were recorded and are available online, and you can tour the campus using the University’s Virtual Open Day!

Emma

Spreading Christmas cheer on campus

The Christmas lights on the University’s Highfield Campus have officially been switched on, meaning that yes, the Scrooges of the world can stop complaining that it’s “too early”. The time to start getting properly excited about Christmas is finally here!

In fact, this past week has basically been overtaken with thoughts of my favourite holiday of the year for a whole range of reasons.

The Christmas lights switch-on event itself on campus was a perfect way to kick things off, with Surge Radio and some special live musical performances providing plenty of those classic festive tracks to dance and sing along to, whilst the cheery yuletide spirit even spread as far as the next issue of The Edge, which I’m proud to announce will feature plenty of Christmas-themed entertainment fun. Yep, the University is definitely embracing Christmas in all its forms.

Whether you’re a Southampton newbie or a seasoned veteran of Christmas on campus, there’s plenty of new and exciting ways to spread the festive cheer around, especially if pre-exam nerves are getting you down. Below you’ll find just some of the many, many ways you can light up the lives of your fellow students this holiday season. The weather may well be inching towards arctic-level chilliness, but it’s easily counteracted with a smile and a tacky jumper.

Dress To Impress 

Southampton is lucky enough to have a whole range of shops in its City Centre (and there’s the internet too), so you’re never far away from a huge, sparkly piece of Christmas clothing. With the temperature lowering dramatically by the day, now’s the perfect occasion to invest in one of those gaudy jumpers you’ve heard so much about.

Not only will it give you that extra layer of comfort in lectures or in the library (the fluffier the better), it’s also pretty likely to raise a smile around campus too, spreading the joy of Christmas even further. If you’re feeling extra cheery, you could even grab a novelty hat too. Any way to make even just walking to lectures that little bit more fun!

 Tacky Christmas wear is the new black

 

Gaze in wonder at SUSU’s Christmas decorations 

You may or may not have had the joy of wandering through the Students' Union building since last week, but if you have you’ll probably have noticed the gigantic fully-decorated Christmas tree now stands proudly in the main entrance. It’s pretty hard to miss and it really is a sight to behold. But of course, it’s not the only festive-themed decoration that’s just come out for the year.

The Bridge has recently been fully kitted-out with an insanely glitzy winter wonderland theme, so if you fancy kicking back with a Christmas-flavoured drink or snack and escaping the library for a quick break, it’s the perfect place to do so. No word of a lie, there’s enough tinsel in there to keep your eyes sparkling for days. It’s positively magical.

Obviously, we can’t forget the University’s trademark Christmas lights. Switched on this year by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Adam Wheeler and our very own world champion Enactus team, the lights are spread across all of Highfield Campus - but the best place to see them in action is on the green by the Interchange. It’s a simple beauty, but a beauty nonetheless, and it’ll no doubt cheer you on through these cold, early nights.

The Christmas Lights on Highfield Campus are well worth seeing 

Secret Santa 

Finally, why not spread a little more than just the gift of cheer, like, well, a real gift? Whether it’s between your flatmates or course friends, getting together and each anonymously buying each other gifts is a great way to make the gradual build-up to Christmas even jollier.

I’ve actually found from doing this the past two years that it can even lead to the creation of a whole new holiday entirely: ‘Uni Christmas’, where all of the excitement of regular Christmas is brought forward several weeks and celebrated right here in Southampton! What’s better than two Christmases? Nothing - nothing is better than two Christmases.

 The SUSU Christmas tree stands tall and proud

There are of course many other ways of celebrating the festive period and keeping things lively on this last stretch of the first semester, but hopefully these are enough to get you started! 

A very merry Uni Christmas to all!

Ben

Je suis le monde

Although I do a course which involves a lot of politics, discussions and strong opinions, I’m not the type of person to express my personal political opinions too often. You will never find me sharing political stuff on Facebook or in the comment section of an online newspaper fighting with other people via the internet. Apart from an article I wrote for a Norwegian newspaper a couple of years back, I rarely get involved.

Do not misunderstand me – I do chat about politics quite often with my friends, but it rarely leads to any heated discussions. The most heated discussions I have in regards to politics are often with my mum even though we mostly agree on different topics. My point is that I like to take the more diplomatic approach to things; I like to listen to other people’s views and why their views are the way they are. I don’t have a problem with saying what I mean and what I think is correct, but by no means am I an expert (yet) in any field. Thus, why I often leave the political fights up to those who really knows what they are talking about.

I made an exception today, however, when I decided to write this blog post.

It’s probably not shocking that the trigger for this post has been the recent terror attacks the world has seen. They are a reminder that the world is a scary place, but events like these also remind me to be grateful for everything around me. As someone who has friends living in Paris doing exactly the same as me - studying abroad - it is petrifying knowing they easily could have been a victim.

I don’t like using the phrase ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ because you should be able to go wherever you want to at whatever time without fearing for your life. You should be able to go out and enjoy yourself on a Friday night without ever doubting that you will get home safe.

More than anyone else, the younger generation has a responsibility to turn these horrifying events into valuable lessons. Lessons I wish we didn’t have to learn, at least not in this way. We have a duty not to spread xenophobic and racist ideas further, because I know very well that if every culture or religion on this planet wanted to kill everyone who was outside of their community there wouldn’t be any world today. I know very well that the guy who killed 77 people in Norway on the 22nd of July 2011 and bombed my beautiful city was a right-wing extremist Norwegian. I know that there were communities in Norway who experienced extreme hate the first hours after the bomb went off in Oslo.

This post is here to remind you that answering hate with hate only leads to more hate. It is here to remind you that the world can be so unimaginably cruel, just as it can be so extremely wonderful at the same time. It is here to remind you that you have an important voice in every community or society that you are a part of. Reading different comment sections on Facebook from various newspapers has made me (for lack of a better word) sincerely sad. I’m very happy my mum went to university with someone from Syria, who has taught us both that they are not as different from us as mass-media often like to portray it. I’m also happy I’m doing a course where we learn so extensively from experts on the different issues the world faces today.

The University has exchange opportunities in Paris and luckily all the exchange students from University of Southampton have been accounted for and are safe. At the same time we have students here from France both as students taking their whole degree here and through exchange with the Erasmus programme. Safe, however, does not mean that everything is alright and I’m extremely proud to be a student at a University who takes wellbeing and mental health issues very seriously. Remember that SUSU and the University’s Student Services offer help to everyone who is struggling with issues or concerns - I have only heard good things about the help offered by them.

Last week during the annual Christmas Light Switch On event, the University community observed a minute of silence for Paris and other countries affected by recent events before the lights were officially switched on.

Other societies have also had separate tributes to the victims; the Erasmus society along with the French Society made a book in which to leave a message - eventually this book will be sent off to a French university.

Alexandra

A healthy mind - Wellbeing Week 2015

Wellbeing. It sounds like an HR buzzword doesn’t it?

Actually, no – when you really try to understand it, the word is so much more than unsubstantiated jargon. The definition of wellbeing is essentially a healthy state of mind and physical form. With all the talk about stress management with work piling up, I decided to write about what the University of Southampton itself is actively doing to promote happiness amongst its students and staff.

From the 12th until the 26th of November is the University’s Wellbeing Event for 2015. This fortnight-long event offers workshops, performances and talks for all staff and students for free.

The University is known for its state-of-the-art facilities for ground-breaking research. I went to find out about a project scientists here have been working on…

Have you had a busy day? Your smartphone can help!

One of the talks introduced us to something Southampton health experts have been working on: an app called “HealthyMind.” It is a FREE android app that has been designed using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques and mindfulness theory.

You can get it from the Healthy Mind website or buy it from the android app store.

But don’t I spend too much time on my phone already?

Actually, the app has been designed to integrate to a hectic lifestyle. I do find that I often deal with stress by not even acknowledging that I feel that way. Instead of talking about it to friends or family, I ignore the issue and vent my frustrations in unhealthy forms. This can be through over-eating, drinking, or even losing sleep by staying up till 4 in the morning trawling through social media.

The screenshots below show how the app helps with these problems by encouraging calmness and lifting your mood. It promotes being mindful of your mental state and being able to talk about it as opposed to masking it.

Screenshots of the app. It’s okay to take a moment to take in what’s going on. 

The student lifestyle is fast paced, chasing deadline after deadline. If, like myself, you find yourself easily overwhelmed – as if no matter what task you accomplish for the day it still is never enough – having an app like HealthyMind is your buddy.

Using modern technology to beat the pressures of modern life 

A few years ago, the norm was to give ourselves an hour or so on the computer every day. Today we are connected to mobile internet 24/7. Instead of allocating non-disrupted time surfing the web, we now use it regularly in incredibly short bursts. The app has been designed to work with this cultural change. In fact, instead of making your hectic lifestyle worse, it takes you away from it.

However, one challenge the University’s experts have tried to overcome is preventing its users from finding the app obsolete and deleting it after a few days. Apps are often free nowadays and are thus incredibly disposable. So, the clever developers at Southampton and the US have been working closely with focus groups to make sure the service keeps itself non-intrusive. Instead of sending countless annoying notifications, the app senses when it’s the most appropriate time for you to use its service. This app is just an example of one of the cutting edge researches being conducted by experts here.

What else is going on?

Don’t forget that there are more wellbeing events coming up in the next few days. There’s the theatre performance of ‘Groomed’ which is a contemporary drama that explores the ever pertinent issue of sexual experiences. It is written and performed by Patrick Sandford who was Artistic Director of the Nuffield Theatre on Highfield Campus for 24 years. There will also be a ‘Letting Go of Stress’ course at Southampton General Hospital.

Happy stress-busting!

Rylyn

Reduce, reuse, and recycle

It’s impossible not to notice that, when in halls or walking around the University's campuses, there are very few general waste bins, particularly inside University buildings. Instead, we have food waste caddies and separate bins for recyclables.

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the University’s Waste and Recycling manager and we had a chat about the University’s system for dealing with all of the waste produced by its thousands of students and staff.

It turns out there are 12 people who are part of the waste and recycling team, and they get up to far more interesting things than the job title suggests.

 First of all – what happens to all the rubbish?

The University (including halls) has over 1,000 bins and produces an estimated 2,200 tonnes of waste yearly. All of this isn’t dealt with by the Hampshire Local Authority. We have our own contractors which means that much more is recycled.

The most interesting recyclable that the team deals with is food waste, which is why you find food waste caddies in halls and kitchens around campus. Rather than just being composted, which was what I thought happened to it, it’s actually sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where the waste is broken down by bacteria.

 One of the food caddies used across the University

This process releases carbon dioxide and methane, which is used to produce electricity. The remaining product then becomes a high quality fertiliser to be used in UK agriculture.

This is why the University encourages us to separate food waste from regular recycling. If food is put into the mixed recycling, it becomes contaminated and cannot be recycled. This is why you have to separate your sandwich from its container before you throw it away in the staff kitchen or in the Piazza!

All the other recyclables are sent to a recycling plant where it is separated and reprocessed. A newspaper becomes a new newspaper within a week, glass is melted and made into new glass and metal becomes, you guessed it, new metal parts.

 So many recycling bins in Hartley Library!

If you live in private accommodation, glass can be recycled by using bottle banks (see the Recycle for Hampshire website for more). Within the University, buildings don’t have access to glass recycling since the University uses an external system, so glass can be recycled via the compounds.

For those of you in University Accommodation it is particularly important that you make use of the external mixed recycling bins for glass, and don’t just throw it away in mixed recycling bin in your kitchen. It is requested that glass is taken straight to external mixed recycling bins because of health and safety hazards for the wonderful people that come round and empty your bins. There are some special collections for waste electrical electronic equipment (WEEE), because anything that has a plug or a battery is required to be collected separately.

This whole system is hugely environmentally friendly and saves money, as recycling is cheaper than sending waste to energy from waste or landfill. It also means that materials can be used again and again. If money is saved by recycling as much as possible, then there is more money for student services - a win-win for everyone!

One of the posters used across the University to explain the recycling system

There is also a focus on re-using rather than throwing away. This year the team have worked with the charity Farm4life to divert a tonne of waste in the form of old furniture. The charity selected the furniture that was still usable and in decent condition, and shipped it to their project in Ghana. So far this has been a huge success and the team are planning to do more in the future.

Farm4life isn’t the only charity that works with the University. The British Heart Foundation collect unwanted items from students, particularly at the end of term. The estimated income from these donations in 2015 was £47,516. There is also ‘Shift Your Stuff’ with SUSU and at the end of the year unopened tinned food is collected from halls and given to a homeless charity in Southampton.

The waste and recycling team are key to making sure that life at Southampton isn’t just pleasant but sustainable as well, by emptying the bins and performing all of the litter picking,

Happy recycling!

Emma

Recharging your mental batteries

As Emma pointed out in her last post, we’re now roughly at the half-way point of the semester, or perhaps just past it. Half way between the excitement of Freshers’ Week and the joy of Christmas, and it’s usually at this stage in the term where things start to lag a little bit mentally.

It’s perfectly natural to start to feel a little tired by this point; in fact, it’s highly likely that you will be, I know I am.

This doesn’t mean you’re bored, or you’re fed up; it just means that you’ve had a lot of fun, you’ve worked really hard, and now you’re more than welcome to take a few days or so to recharge that mental battery.

This won’t be true of everyone, obviously: we’re all different; beautiful and unique snowflakes as a strange, fictional philosopher once said. So if you’re not feeling the urge to slow down just yet, that’s perfectly fine too. The important thing though is that if you do find yourself losing the capacity to work or if you start to feel jaded at all with anything in any way, do allow yourself some time off. We’re all human, after all.

I say this now because just this past week, I took some time off myself to refresh and re-energise, re-evaluate my working mindset, and you know what? I’ve never felt better.

Part of this came from the fact that I happened to be graced with a reading week (basically, a week without lectures), and so, with so much extra time suddenly to myself I figured I would do something I’d never really done very much whilst here at the University: visit home.

My reasons for not doing so more often are pretty varied; from the fact that it’s quite a slog on the trains, and that I usually find myself too busy to make the trip, but this semester all the pieces just seemed to fall into place and so, I found myself Essex-bound for the first time in nearly two months.

I never thought I would miss this empty little train station back home 

Aside from the trip being a pleasant change of scenery, it also really helped me to kick into play what I just talked about: recharging those mental batteries. Again, it differs from person to person, but for me, home is very much one of the only places I can properly switch off my brain and just enjoy doing nothing of importance, so it was insanely lovely to spend a weekend doing so. With my deadlines pretty much out of the way for the time being, and a decent-sized gap before the next set, it was the perfect occasion to relax and regather some enthusiasm.

It’s safe to say that it definitely worked. After even just a few days in the comfort of home, away from producing radio shows and editing articles, I felt very much on top of things again; 100% ready to conquer whatever work awaited me back in Southampton. Even the journey back was more painless than ever as that good old positive mindset took over. There is really no match for being well-rested.

Catching the fireworks in my local park at home was a perfect way to end a relaxing few days away

So, the moral of today’s post is simply this: allow yourself the time to rest and recharge. Whether it’s a weekend away, an afternoon with Netflix or an hour spent power-napping, take care of yourself and all the wonders and challenges of university life seem to take significantly less effort to master.

Even if you can’t manage a trip home, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself smiling.

Ben

My top five 'struggles' of being an international student in England

I have never regretted studying abroad at the University of Southampton - quite the opposite. I think it is one of the best decisions I have ever made (so far) in my life. However, moving to a new country is not just challenging on an emotional/personal level – it also means becoming accustomed to a new country.

It’s not as ‘extreme’ as it might sounds; for many people it’s just learning to drive on the opposite of the road or learning to use the self-checkout at Asda. But there’s definitely some small ‘struggles’ I bet every international student goes through.

This is a list of my ‘Top Five Struggles’ as an international student in England. Take this with a pinch of salt though - calling these issues a ‘struggle’ is exaggerated!

Cars driving on the left side

The annoying thing about cars driving on the opposite side of the road to what I’m used to is that, as soon as I get used to it, it’s time to go home! Then, when I come home to Oslo, I have to get used to the right-side driving again. Suddenly it doesn’t matter if I’m in England or Norway, because the struggle to not get run over is haunting me regardless of what country I’m in! With that being said, my impression is that British people have a more aggressive way of driving. Also, where are all the pedestrian crossings in this country? I’m talking about those proper zebra crossings with a proper green light in front of you, so you never find yourself in doubt on whether you can cross the road or not.

You don’t take card? Card-charge? What? 

If I remember correctly, only 4% of purchases in Norway are made with cash and Norwegians use bank cards absolutely everywhere. I have experienced on trips abroad that you have to buy something for a certain amount before you can pay by card, but I have never been charged everything from 5p to 50p to use my card.

This is probably why I found it very funny listening to people complaining about the 5p charge of plastic bags, but never one word about the charges for using your card. The plastic bag charge is something we have had in Norway for a good 10 years, so at least that’s a charge I’m used to. You can imagine I was thrilled to see that some taxi companies are finally starting to have card machines with them, because driving around looking for a cashpoint after a night out is not cool.

Queueing everywhere

This is absolutely not a negative thing, but definitely a thing I have had to get used to! In Norway you get on and off the bus / tram at whatever door you like, but here in England it is a different story. To be honest, I actually like this, so when I’m home and people don’t wait until I have been able to get off the tram I get extra aggressive and mumble something about how much I miss England! People actually follow the 'stand to the right, walk to the left' policy on escalators here and I love that too.

British politeness

This is not to say that Norwegians are impolite, but it’s hard to compete with British people when it comes to politeness, hence why I constantly focus on not forgetting to say please, thank you and remember to use the right title when writing emails or talking to my tutors. Titles, for example, are extremely new to me; my old teacher just went under the name; John-Arve or J-A and my old headmaster was often referred to as; Tjossi-B. Going from that to writing ‘Dear Dr….’ when writing emails was quite daunting in the beginning.

Furthermore, in Norway if you accidently bump into someone in the grocery store, it doesn’t happen too often that people bother to turn around and say ‘sorry’. It’s something I didn’t use to think about before, but if I’m home and bump into someone and say sorry while they just walk off, I again mumble something about how much I miss England…

Tap water and gas stoves

Regardless of where in Norway you are, you can always drink water from the tap and it tastes better than Evian. Have you for example ever heard about Voss water? That is literally tap water in Norway and I never had any trouble drinking my recommended two litres of water a day before I moved. I love England, but this is one thing I hate. The tap water (in most places) tastes like a swimming pool compared to Norwegian water.

Then there are the gas stoves. I’m sure I just need some more practice on how to use them, but I always have to try at least two or three times to get the flame on everytime I want to use the stove. I’m always slightly scared the kitchen is going to blow up because I’ve heard so many scary stories about this! Luckily, I have a flatmate who is very proficient at using the stove in our kitchen and she’s always close by if I need help.

With this being said, it’s not all that bad. For example, as an international student here I have had the privilege of experiencing some proper British culture. Like last Sunday, Remembrance Sunday, one of my favourite days over here.

Not to mention the fact that I can be a tourist here forever and discover new places around the city of Southampton!

This is the Holyrood Church by High Street, I’ve probably taken walked past it 20 times, but never taken the time to go inside.

Are you an international student too? Feel free to share your own ‘struggles’ of living in Britain!

Alexandra

Third Year Dissertation: tips and finding that work-life balance

It is easy for students to feel lost with what to do when writing their dissertations. I’m happy to admit that I myself feel a little overwhelmed with the workload I have right now; juggling a part-time job, societies, my three other modules, social life and, of course, writing my dissertation!

Where to get the extra help

Aside from meetings with your dissertation supervisor, there are loads of places where you can go find out about some of the skills you need to be successful in your studies and beyond. One such place is the Academic Skills Hub based in the Hartley Library. It is staffed by librarians who can cover a range of topics with you from:

• Academic Writing
• Critical Thinking 
• Information Management 
• Academic Integrity and Referencing 
• Presentation Skills 
• Exam Techniques 
• Research Skills 

The best thing about this is that you don’t have to book a one-to-one session. The Hub is open Monday to Friday from 10am – 12pm and then from 2pm - 4pm. You can just drop in for a 20 minute session with one of the team.

 

My Dissertation Bible. I got this from the Academic Skills Bookshelf on Level 3 of Hartley Library.

Some Tips…

I particularly like the fact that the Hub helps with research skills. It is extremely useful for finding the right academic sources for any piece of writing. I use a ton of academic journals for writing essays so I use DelphiS regularly. For those who may not know, DelphiS is a University website which has all of the library’s electronic and print items and lets you access most journal articles online that may not be in WebCat.

From dropping into the Hub, I have learnt that the way you enter search terms on DelphiS greatly affect the final quality of your essay. For example, you can use the technique of “truncation” to allow you to search for multiple forms of a term or when you are uncertain how a word is spelt. So instead of doing three or four separate searches, you are able to save a considerate amount of time by finding the maximum possible journal articles you need with just one click.

The database cannot sense what type of journal articles you prefer to come up. Its results will be based on what you input in that search box so using a truncation symbol helps weed out potentially irrelevant sources.

An example of different results that will come up with truncation. The truncation symbol for DelphiS is an ‘*’ or a ‘$’

My dissertation is about economic underdevelopment in South East Asia with a focus on the economy of the Philippines. I have found that over the years I have developed a huge interest in current affairs – I find myself constantly asking: “why is this particular event as issue?” Or “why is it that these groups of people choose to behave in this way?” After moving to England at the age of 10 and developing an interest in British and International Politics, have always been - and always will be - curious about the politics of my home country. Writing what is perhaps the biggest piece of academic work I have written in my life so far on the country that I was born in is one of the best things that I could do. Not only does it satisfy my love for learning about how power works but it also keeps me in touch with my roots.

I have heard time and time again that writing your dissertation on what you’re severely passionate about is the main thing that will motivate you throughout any all-nighters you may encounter!

My academic poster for my dissertation. My course has a module called Research Skills in Politics and International Relations that encouraged us to come up with a topic idea as early as we can and gave tremendous feedback. The poster shows the development of how I’ve come up with my topic. 

One other thing…be prepared!

The other thing I must mention is to be prepared when you’re meeting with your supervisor. It is up to you to initiate a meeting with them as they are your first point of contact. However, you must remember that, like yours, their time is precious. Set a meeting with them but make sure you have an idea of what you want to talk to them about. It is equally important to actually do readings before your meeting so that you have an academic basis for your conversation. Perhaps what I should have done in my first meeting was to bring a copy of my academic poster for my supervisor to have a look at!

Finding that balance

Past Life at Southampton Blogger James wrote about working hard and playing hard…and he is absolutely right. All this dissertation fever can get you down what with the winter rain and minimal sunlight (it is autumn after all…)

So aside from making the library my second home, I have also found time to focus on other activities!
 
Getting as much sunlight as you can during the day is crucial to beating Seasonal Affective Disorder at this time of the year- and what better way to do that by enjoying the beauty autumn brings to Highfield campus.

Highfield Campus in Autumn (credit to the University of Southampton's Instagram account). 

The Filipino Society threw a Halloween party…

…complete with a buffet, games, and costume prizes!

The Big Bang! Fireworks display at Mayflower Park

It just goes to show that feeling overwhelmed about an important piece of work such as your Dissertation is okay so long as you make use of what is there to help you. Of course, it helps to be prepared by doing key research, planning your time wisely and rewarding yourself.

Now I’m off to do some more reading If you’re doing your dissertation as well, may no procrastination be ever in your favour!

Rylyn

Six weeks gone, six more to go

It's hard to believe that six weeks has already gone by since the start of the new academic year. Part of me has reverted back to the pre-summer routine and it feels like I’ve been here forever, but at the same time I feel as though it’s still week one and I have no idea what’s going on.

Thanks to the joy of coursework deadlines and reading assignments beginning to pile up, I thought I would just write a short blog this week, highlighting the best bits of the Semester so far, and what I’m still looking forward to.

My favourite things so far:

Getting back into baking. So many of my posts are about the things I do to avoid doing my University work, it’s a wonder I get anything done at all! Thanks to the cold and uninspiring weather of late, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying new recipes for bread and cakes which is lots of fun but doesn’t do my waistline any good!

My growing collection of flour is taking over my tiny kitchen!

Meeting the new people on my course. There are only three of us taking MSc Global Health this year which is lovely because we became good friends really quickly. What’s even greater is that our modules are really diverse, so we have met lots of lovely people studying various different postgraduate degrees. We meet regularly for study groups (usually hosted at my place since I’m so close to campus) and the occasional dinner out in Southampton.

Having a great time at La Baronia, plus as it was Mexico Week organised through the University, we enjoyed 10% off and a free cocktail!

Halloween! This year instead of going “out-out”, I went to a party that my old boss from work was hosting. It was so much fun catching up with the people that I used to work with because I don’t have much opportunity to see them anymore. Instead of dressing up I put my creative efforts into a Monsters Inc themed cake, complete with eyes that ‘bled’ jam…

I named him Fred

The eyes, though a bit disconcerting, were delicious! 

Things I’m looking forward to:

Starting to hunt and apply for graduate jobs. It feels like such a strange thing to be doing only six weeks into the MSc, but big companies start their recruitment drives early! Positions for graduates are already being advertised, with interviews in January and start dates in July. Although I’m nervous about filling in lengthy job applications (the ever present fear of rejection looming over me) I’m excited to see what’s out there and what opportunities I can go for.

Going to Oxford to see my sister and my parents. I haven’t seen my family in a long while since travel is so expensive and home is quite a way away for me. Fortunately my sister lives in Oxford, which is much easier to get to, so we are all meeting for lunch there to celebrate my birthday (testimony to how busy we all are, my birthday was mid-October!)

I can’t wait to see my dog in real life and not just over snapchat… 

Christmas dinner with the lovely ladies on my course. I’ve never had a proper University-style Christmas party before due to heavy coursework loads and people leaving at different times. This year we are going to book a table at a restaurant in the city and have a proper Christmas celebration.
Tables book up quickly so if you are planning on having a Christmas meal, best book a good time in advance to ensure you can get a table big enough for everyone.

Emma

Alternative Tips to Staying Sane During Assignment Fever

There are many upsides to pursuing a university course like mine that’s assessed entirely through coursework, namely the fact that you never find yourself getting sucked into the January/Summer exam panic. It does mean instead, though, that when assignment deadlines do finally come around, they’re not exactly the nicest things in the world.

Of course, the first bunch of this year’s deadlines are now fast approaching, so work-mode has very much been initiated. This obviously means different things for different people; we all have our own working methods. Whereas some like to hibernate away in the reclusive work pods of Hartley Library, I find my brain better suited to locking myself in my room and chaining myself to my desk for the foreseeable future. Okay, it’s really not that dramatic; there are no actual restraints to speak of, it’s more about remaining focused mentally.

So without much further ado, here’s a little breakdown of the things I personally do to keep sane during these slightly heavier working days.

Dance Breaks

From even as far back as GCSE level, the concept of taking frequent breaks whilst working is drilled into our brains. You obviously don’t want to burn yourself out, and we all know when we’ve reached that stage where nothing productive is actually really happening. The trick is in noticing this as soon as possible and then… dancing.

Stop laughing. It’s actually incredible helpful. I mean, this is probably a little bit harder if you’re in a crowded library (in which case, I’d recommend sneaking off to a quiet corridor or toilet cubicle), but the theory behind it is solid.

When we take breaks, we so often find ourselves getting incredibly distracted, what with the internet existing and all. So a 5 minute Facebook stalk suddenly becomes a half-hour cat-video-fuelled odyssey through the weirdest reaches of YouTube, and then your whole working persona is shattered.
Dance breaks, however, are far more structured, provide you with plenty of great exercise and, most importantly, they wake your brain up considerably. Pick one or two particularly funky tracks (extra funky if you’re the sort that listens to music whilst working), maybe something you can sing-along to if you’re in a particularly empty spot, stand up from your work space, and just go to town.

Just let yourself go and enjoy the music, letting all your fears and worries about revision and essay writing completely slip away. All you care about in that moment is the rhythm of whatever you’re listening to.

Five minutes later, lo and behold, you’re cured. Suddenly you can return to your desk with your brain reset, fully prepped to get back to work.

There is no shame in boogieing away your essay stress.

Talk To Yourself

This one’s definitely a whole lot weirder if you’re in a crowded public space, but I’ve found over the years that having brief conversations with yourself about certain topics can actually help cement in your mind exactly what you want to say. This works particularly well with more abstract concepts and theories; having to explain out loud exactly what it is you’re trying to say is a great way to help you articulate it more clearly.

Obviously you could go and find another human being to talk to, but this could well lead to further distraction. A conversation might erupt. Suddenly you’re not talking about gender politics in Die Hard anymore - you’re discussing dinner plans, or your unexplainable hatred of that guy in The Apprentice. Or worse…you’re on Facebook, and the cat videos are back and once again your entire work focus crumbles.

Better to be safe than sorry. Those cat videos are mental poison.

Cloning not 100% necessary. 

Bring Your Deadline Forward A Few Days

Okay, this one is very easily the trickiest to do properly, and requires a lot of mental self-manipulation but if it works, you’ll never miss a deadline again.

I’ve found since first year that almost every single one of my assignments is due on a Tuesday afternoon and I’ve always been one for fail-safes in almost everything I do. If I need to get a bus or a train somewhere, I always get the one scheduled to arrive before the one I absolutely have to get. If I need to set aside some money to pay a certain bill, I’ll always set aside a little bit extra, just to be safe. And the same works for deadlines: if I have a deadline on a Tuesday, mentally my deadline is actually Sunday. Thus, no matter what happens, I have an extra two days packed in just in case something goes horrifically wrong. Like those cat videos taking over again.

This is a particularly hard one to pull off, because a lot of people (students in particular) need the stress of impending doom to actually get up and do something. To force yourself to do something early requires quite a bit of self-control, and so, if you don’t feel like you can manage such things, here’s a simple, although not exactly 100% foolproof solution: lie to yourself early on.

When you first get those deadline dates and you’re putting them in your calendar, bring them forward a few days. If your lecturer says it’s due on Thursday, put it in your calendar for Tuesday. This way, every time you check to see when your essay is due, you’ll always be thinking a few days ahead. As much as you might trust your own brain, fail-safes are always a good idea, just in case.

These are just a few of my own methods for keeping on top of things during these harsh working months. Feel free to give some of them a go but do remember, we all work differently and so we all have our own ways of remaining sane. Some of your methods might even be better than mine!

I do recommend that you try a dance break though, even just once.

Ben

My favourite places to eat in Southampton

We have reached November, which means that we are already halfway through this semester and I keep thinking we just started the term last week! Last year I was counting the days until I could finally be home and not have to cook my own food anymore. This year has been quite different. To make a long story short, I have been sofa surfing for a while now and with this I have also been eating out so much I actually miss cooking food.

Some of you may have read Emma’s blog post on preparing food at University and enjoyed it as much as I did. But understandably, there is a time when you can’t be bothered to cook or you want to go out and just enjoy good food. So, to make something good out of my weeks without a kitchen, I’m going to share my favourite places to eat in Southampton. Of course, there are plenty of places to eat on Campus, but it's always nice to explore cafes further into the city. Everyone can find something here that suits them, and I have mentioned a few places which are ideal for lunch and breakfast as well with some good restaurants for dinner.

There are plenty of good Italian restaurants around the city, but my favourite is Piccolo Mondo.
Piccolo Mondo is located just across the road from the Civic Centre. It’s not easy to spot at first, but given that every time I have been there it has been very busy, it must mean that they have a lot of regulars coming back. The portions are a decent size, so be hungry. I love the spaghetti carbonara here.

Mexigo. This is very easy to find as it is located right on London Road. My friend Miranda and I have almost tried everything they have to offer; from burritos, fajitas, tacos to nachos and enchiladas. We both agree the enchiladas are the best, but don’t come too late as they are often sold out for enchiladas after 6. It’s also a reasonable price for the food and you can take it away or eat in. 

Nara Sushi. I won’t claim that I have visited every sushi place in Southampton, but the few I have visited has been quite disappointing and hence I have been a bit sceptical to sushi here. For someone who eats sushi probably twice a week when I’m home, it’s safe to say I have missed having a proper sushi restaurant, so finding Nara Sushi in Bedford Place was one of the most pleasant surprises I have had while eating out in Southampton. The coolest thing about Nara is that you can bring your own drinks there, so you can buy whatever you want and enjoy it with your meal. Obviously it’s not very budget friendly if you want to go here every week, but if you are eating sushi for the first time, go to Nara.

Halladays Tea Rooms in Bedford Place is not exactly a place to come for dinner, but for breakfast, brunch or lunch this is heaven. Remember the delicious pancakes from my last blog post? This is the place. They serve everything from pancakes, ciabattas, baguettes and salads to full English breakfast. Check out the tea menu, I dare to say no other place in Southampton can offer a bigger variety of tea. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and very busy on Sundays, but worth every pound.

Again, it hits me mid-eating that I should take a picture of the food, but then half of it is already gone! Here's my breakfast at Halladay's Tea Rooms

When in Bedford Place, Retro Café is also a good choice. Located in the upper part of Bedford Place, this is a very enjoyable place to have lunch or simply just go for a coffee with a nice atmosphere.

Café Valentines in Oxford Street. Three words; Try the smoothies! I know there are some very decent smoothie bars around West Quay and High Street, but the smoothies here are actually just as good.

They also make delicious coffee, so if you fancy a Sunday stroll, you should end it here as it’s just a 5-7 minute walk from the docks.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to places to go out for coffee, tea, lunch or dinner in Southampton. As mentioned, I always seem to take pictures of the food when it’s too late, so I apologise for not having better pictures! However, if you are extra curious you can check out more restaurants and cafes on Tripadvisor.

I’m always up for trying new places too, so feel free to let me know in the comments if there’s somewhere I have to try next!

Alexandra