Mother's Day ideas on a student budget

This year’s Mother’s Day is on Sunday 6th March, so if you haven’t made plans as of yet it is time to get your skates on!

The importance of Mother’s Day can never be underestimated. It is the time of year to show the one person who carried you for nine months how much they mean to you – of course, you should be doing that daily but since there is a day devoted to it on the calendar you are, sort of, expected to go all out.

Yes, there will soon be plenty of adverts either on social media or on TV reminding you to buy flowers or chocolates - but what if you want something a little more sentimental? How can you do exactly that on a student budget? Here are some of my ideas that may suit both your mother and your bank account.

That personal touch: Bake a Mother’s Day cake

I don’t know about yours but mums usually LOVE a good cake. You also get extra points if you make the cake yourself. There are several bonuses for taking the cake route; you can make it to however your mum likes it: vanilla, caramel, chocolate or coffee. What’s good about this is that not only is it cheaper than other things, but the effort you have made into making it yourself speaks volumes. There are plenty of easy recipes that you can find online to help you out. If you’re extremely short for time why not buy a cake mix so you only have to add eggs, water and milk to it? This isn’t laziness… it’s efficiency. Besides, it’s the thought that counts, right?

No one can resist the power of the chocolate cake!

A DIY spa treatment

Who needs to shell out half of their weekly student budget on a day at the spa when you can recreate it at home? There are plenty of things you can do in the house; run your mum a hot bubble bath, light some candles, grab her favourite glass of wine whilst playing her favourite album. My mum loves Michael Bublé and the Mamma Mia soundtrack…

Clean the house

Give your mum some more time to herself by doing the cleaning for her. If you have siblings, why not divide the tasks between you based on the rooms of the house? It’s free and it’ll be more than appreciated.

Flowers

This is great if you can’t get home because you can always get them delivered. I would shop around because prices inflate around Mothering Sunday. If you call the florist early enough the prices may not be expensive in advance. A good alternative is to buy a potted plant that would last longer.

Orchids are not only beautiful but have a longer lifespan. Some have survived in cultivated gardens for as long as 20 years, almost as long as the amount of time your mum has spent taking care of you!

You’re on your way to being the favourite child 

Breakfast in Bed

 
There’s nothing better than starting off your day with a tray full of breakfast goodies delivered to bed. Trust me, a pain-au-chocolat and a coffee will make her just as happy as an elaborate meal. You can even serve tea in a pretty cup which can double as a Mother’s Day gift.

You!

You may have deadlines coming up but if you can, why not surprise your mother with a visit! Turn up at the doorstep in the morning with some flowers in hand.

Me and my Mum

Here are just some of my cheap and cheerful ideas that come to mind. If you have any, why not post them in the comments below? Mum’s the word!

Rylyn

Postgraduate degrees and conference perks

One of the great things about being a postgraduate student at the University of Southampton is the chance to attend conferences. Last week I attended a conference day held by the Global Health Research Institute called ‘Exploring commonalities between global health research and public health stakeholders: a workshop to define future action’.

 Admittedly they could have chosen a snappier title, but since it essentially sums up my masters degree I of course signed up to go along. The day involved 5-10 minute talks from a huge range of lecturers both from the University and from other institutions in the morning followed by stakeholder talks in the afternoon.

Professor Maria Evandrou giving a talk on global ageing and health

Conference days are brilliant and I advise everyone to keep an eye out in their department for any that might be coming up. They allow students, academics and professional stakeholders the opportunity to share their work with one another and network, which is key for maintaining interdisciplinary research and creating new contacts for the future.

While some of the talks were given by academics that I am familiar with from my course, many were from others outside of my department or from outside of the University, and it is rare that one has the opportunity to hear so many interesting people talk about their research. An added bonus of this was that it gave me ideas for my master’s thesis, and I was able to discuss some of these ideas briefly with the academic during the networking sessions.

Dr Janis Baird discussing a lifecourse approach to Non-communicable Diseases

Even better, the day was completely free to attend, and food was provided! I don’t mean just sandwiches; we were treated to a full cooked lunch and the chance to chat informally with some of the other people who had attended.

The fanciest lunch any of us have had in a while! 

However, a day at the Chilworth Manor hotel does not quite compare with the week at the LA conference centre that my partner will be enjoying very soon! I am trying very hard not to die from jealousy, particularly since he will be there when the Oscars is on. I have however told him that if he doesn’t come back with at least two boxes of lucky charms then he won’t be allowed back in the house.

PhD application deadlines are fast approaching and for any one still deciding whether or not to apply, consider the conference budget that you will receive as part of your PhD. The chance to travel internationally and meet key members of industry and academia has got to be worth the 80,000 word thesis at the end!

Emma

The joys of volunteering: Student Volunteering Week 2016

This week is Student Volunteering Week, so I figured it would be the perfect time to talk about the wonders of what volunteering has to offer. As a student you’ll no doubt find that, when it comes to applying for anything, whether it be a full-time job or even just a shot at some freelance work, experience is everything. This is where volunteering comes in mighty handy.

Sadly, it’s pretty uncommon nowadays to be handed opportunities on a whim. Most employers and companies like to see what you’re capable of doing, and the best way to show this off is through things you’ve done in the past. Not only does volunteering give you these ridiculously useful experiences, but it also, a lot of the time, actually does some good too.

The term ‘volunteering’ seems to have become synonymous more recently with the idea of unpaid work, and whilst this is largely true, there is always a value to it beyond the financial. Whether it be the aforementioned experience factor, the sense of achievement you can get from carrying out certain tasks, or even just that warm feeling inside from knowing that you’ve helped make something, volunteering has many upsides.

Here’s the important bit though: you should never volunteer because you feel like you have to. There is always a choice. Giving up your time for free to help with a project can be one of the best things you ever do, but if your heart’s really not in it, then it can also be something of a mental and physical drain.

One of the wonders of volunteering is that everyone is involved because they want to be, and they feel passionately about the project they’re involving themselves with. Working with like minded people in this way is encouraging and offers a whole load of different perks, but if you’re not into it, don’t force it, the results will never be the same. No one will blame you or look down on you for not taking on a volunteering role, it’s entirely your own choice. Surround yourself with things that you enjoy and want to immerse yourself in, and if there’s a way to volunteer within that window, that’s great!

Being surrounded by like minded individuals at meetings for The Edge always makes me feel fulfilled

For example, particularly between my second and third year, I’ve taken on a whole range of volunteering roles, but they have all been things that I’ve felt passionate about. I’ve always been interested in writing and entertainment, so taking on an editing role with The Edge magazine felt like just an extension of my hobbies. My volunteer role helps a publication and, at the same time, enriches my own life, through experience and being surrounded by similarly enthused and encouraging people.

The biggest source of volunteering in the University is obviously through the hundreds of societies operating out of SUSU. Whether your interests stem to sports, activism or even event planning, there’s always a way to get involved and lend a hand. It doesn’t stop here though; there are countless other ways to volunteer too, with charities, local events, or even the University itself. It’s always wise to keep an eye open for things that excite you, there might be a way to focus your interests into helping others.

On a related note, back in November Emma talked about recycling around campus, and this Wednesday 28th February there’s actually a way to get involved with helping sustainability at the University. The 10th annual Waste Wars will be coming to building 58A on Highfield Campus from 2pm, so if you’re passionate about recycling and fancy lending a helping hand, drop an email to sustainability@susu.org.

Either way, whether you to choose to embark on something new or even just think about it, a happy Student Volunteering Week to all!

Ben

A road trip to Lyndhurst and the New Forest

I have mentioned a couple of times Southampton’s prime location in terms of visiting surrounding areas on the South Coast. Last weekend I had the pleasure of ticking a few more places on my ‘to-see’ list. Although we did the trip by car, some of the places mentioned here are easily accessible by train, so there’s no excuse not to go!

The New Forest has been on my to-see list for a long time now. I originally wanted to go before Christmas to see the Christmas market there, but with no time it had to wait. Christmas or not, the New Forest is definitely worth visiting. Peaceful and beautiful are my two key words to describe it. If you enjoy walks on The Common you will love the New Forest. However, wearing white trainers to the New Forest isn’t the best idea – so the only thing I would say is to bring wellies! It wasn’t raining on Sunday, but it was still quite muddy and wet and most people there got the memo and were wearing wellies. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t, but it makes you very dependent on following the main path. With that being said, the New Forest is huge so it will differ depending on where you go.

A  New Forest Pony!

A beautiful view

This brings me to Lyndhurst! Why have I not heard about this place before? The town centre is so lovely with small shops and family-run cafés - it’s perfect for a little day trip. Among other things, they also have a Maserati and Ferrari showroom there for car-lovers who would like to look at pretty cars. Even I found it very cool, and I’m not too fascinated by cars!

If you are a car enthusiast, Beaulieu is only about 10 minutes away from Lyndhurst. If you haven’t heard of it, it has a very cool car museum. We didn’t go in, as we thought we’d save it for the summer when it’s warmer outside, but this is apparently a very cool place and I’ve only heard good things about it. Beaulieu in itself was also a very nice place to drive around and we somehow ended up in Lyndhurst without noticing, so it’s all very close together. However, this is probably easiest to do if you have a car.

Driving through Lyndhurst 

A trip out to the New Forest is so easy and I would highly recommend it.

On a different note, I know that most students here probably received their exam results yesterday, so I would like to go a bit off-track and just remind you that if it didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t let it ruin your motivation for semester two! Remember that the University has plenty of help to offer if you need someone to talk to.

Alexandra

Dealing with rejection

As a third-year student it is high time for me be concentrating on securing a career after graduation. I have been writing a lot about internships and interview tips recently as I think much of my student life at the moment revolves around my employability. One vital experience during the quest for employment is being turned down by several other employers themselves.

I thought I had a pretty solid plan for after graduation. I keep telling my friends that my biggest fear is to move back in with my mother, jobless and depending on her to feed me! After receiving feedback from one of my recent interviews stating they have opted for another candidate, I decided to write this blog solely on this idea of ‘rejection’. Everyone has to go through it at one point. I have been rejected several times before; from part-time jobs, to sixth-form college applications and internships. The thought of my time at University ending in a few months and the possibility that I would have nothing for me when I graduate made this fearful image flash in my mind.

Come to think of it, all this doomsday talk of joblessness is a hyperbole. If I don’t get a graduate job straightaway there is always retail work until I find a long-lasting career in politics. If I change my mind, I can always go on to do a Masters. Funding for a Masters degree has been improved for it recently. I am trying to see the bigger picture – I still think I have a solid career plan, but there’s a difference between a plan that is constricting and one that is open to opportunities.

Lessons learnt

At least now I can take lessons on what I can improve on in the next interview. In my case it is to do more research on who I will be working for, display more excitement for the role, and to relate the role to my career’s big picture. I think what I could have also displayed was what I could do for the employer and not be so focused on what the job can do for my professional growth. Of course, employers want to see that the role is a contributing force to your development personally and professionally but, in hindsight, I think that I made the mistake of focusing too much on this and not on the prize: what I can give to the organisation and why this is crucial for them hiring me.

 

It’s nothing personal 

Conversely, if you do find that you had performed to the best of your ability, that you were confident, went above and beyond researching the company and displayed technical skills flawlessly and then still find that you have been turned down, then at least you can take comfort knowing that the company was the wrong employer for you.

Coping mechanisms 

As I am writing this, the ‘rejection’ email is still fresh in my mind. It has been a good coping mechanism to write down where I think I went wrong and what I could do from here. Writing how I’m feeling about the situation helps to make sure I really do believe that one job rejection does not make me a failure. It certainly does not make me less special or not good enough. I know for a fact that I am doing a lot to make myself employable. One job rejection does not make myself incompetent. Success is not a short and straight road.

Make all the mistakes and put what you’ve learnt to good use 

Whether you’re an undergraduate student waiting for that internship, a sixth-former waiting for that university offer or an academic looking for a grant, you may get turned down at one point. I’m glad I speak to my friends when things don’t turn out the way I set my standard to. Friends really do give the greatest advice. Now, as a university student, is the best time to make mistakes. This is the time for you to learn at a high level and to not be afraid to learn by doing.

If you are or have been in the same position as me, go on ahead with your resilience!

Rylyn

Procrastination is an art form

I’ve written before about adult colouring books – a way to procrastinate that calms your mind and can help you deal with stress. This year I’ve taken on a whole new kind of procrastination – teaching myself to play guitar.

My partner has three guitars taking up a lot of room in our small flat, so over Christmas I said that he either had to start playing them again (he hadn’t touched them in over a year) or get rid of them.

Because he is as stubborn as I am, he started playing again. Listening to him play made me think about how I actually really like guitar, and I was jealous that he was able to do it and I wasn’t. Then I thought ‘Well, why can’t I learn to play guitar? There’s nothing stopping me – other than my own laziness and fear of not being very good at it’.

One day I waited until he was at work so that I had the place to myself and I YouTubed ‘how to play guitar’. I found a good tutorial, picked up his guitar and very, very, very slowly started to get the hang of basic chords. I’ve looked up guitar lessons and they are crazily expensive (£35 for an hour is not something I can afford) but fortunately once I was brave enough to tell my partner, he has been helping me with some of the difficult bits.

It took me weeks to convince my hand that this was a normal position! 

I am slowly getting better, and I’ve found it’s the perfect procrastination activity because I’m actually doing something I really enjoy and learning new things. Even better, my partner made me a deal; if I kept playing for a month, he would buy me my own guitar for our anniversary! Because I love things and presents I kept going with it and because he is far too generous I now have my very own.

I felt particularly loved when this was delivered. 

Problematically, he hasn’t gotten rid of any of his, so for now we have four guitars and very little room for anything else. When he suggested getting a keyboard I told him that was fine so long as he got rid of his desk!

I’m really glad I decided to give it a go; it’s given us something to do together, and it’s given me something to do in the evening other than play computer games or work. My competitive side means that I won’t give up until I am at least as good as my partner, but my ego is struggling with still not being very good, so at the moment it’s a battle between the two – I hope the competitive side wins because I do really enjoy it.

Emma

Film on campus

February is rarely the most exciting of months, and with dissertations and other end-of-year projects swallowing up a great deal of my creativity, this week I decided to reach into something that has always sat at the centre of my University experience, but one that I’m oddly yet to talk about at length on this blog. I am of course, talking about the University’s incredible film culture, that seems happy to sit bubbling away just under the surface.

As a Film student, a lot of this came to me pretty quickly upon joining up in Freshers’ Week. For those not instantly in the know-how, I thought I’d provide a little overview of what great film-related antics are going on in and around the University right now. It’s actually a pretty exciting time for film on campus!

Firstly, it’s difficult not to breach such a subject without giving The Edge, the University’s student entertainment magazine, another little plug. As Film Editor for both the magazine’s website and print issues, I see a lot of really great film journalism popping up all over the place, relating to everything from contemporary releases, to older efforts and even comment pieces about the filmmakers and stars themselves. If reading about film has ever interested you, or you fancy a student perspective on what’s hitting cinemas soon, grab a copy of The Edge - they’re dotted around our campuses in colourful stands and sometimes we’re even kind enough to give them out in person!

The Edge is extra colourful this month!

Obviously this crosses over nicely into an event I may well have mentioned in a post just before Christmas, but one that is now very much up and running - the very first annual University of Southampton Student Film Festival. Set up by a winning partnership of The Edge and the University’s legendary filmmaking society Wessex Films, the festival is essentially a platform for students to showcase their work to a live audience, and in the process, be nominated for a whole bunch of awards, decided by an expert judging panel.

The first annual University of Southampton Student Film Festival is finally up and running.

Aside from now having a name, the festival also has a date - 15th March - so if you’re interested in immersing yourself in the University’s great film-making culture, pop along for the screening (doors open on Avenue Campus at 6:45pm). If you’re feeling brave, maybe even submit a film yourself! There are plenty of details available on Facebook and on posters and flyers being circulated around campus as we speak, or just drop a line to film@theedgesusu.co.uk if you have any major questions. The University’s entire film culture, from FilmSoc to the academic Film Department themselves are all chipping in, so it should hopefully be a great celebration of film on campus.

Lastly then, no appreciation of the silver screen is complete without a huge shout-out to the amazing folks at Union Films - the University’s very own student-run cinema. This week I was lucky enough to nab a ticket to their midnight screening of ace superhero comedy Deadpool, on the very night of its worldwide release, and couldn’t think of a better way to see the film for the first time. Tickets are cheap, the film selection is on-point, the atmosphere is always lively, and the volunteers always know how to put on a great show. Who needs the Odeon, eh?

Union Films’ midnight screening of Deadpool was certainly a hit!

So as you can see, the University’s film culture is thriving now more than ever. Whether it’s our academic department still holding strong as #1 in the country, our student filmmakers and critics showing off a whole range of varied talents with Wessex Films’ and The Edge’s backing, or even our student cinema being one of the finest places to catch a new release in all of Southampton, film on campus is the biggest it’s ever been.

At the risk of sounding like a cheesy advert, whether you love to write about, create or simply sit back and watch films, the University has you covered, and I couldn’t be more proud of what’s going on to celebrate this.

Ben

What makes me special? Writing an internship application.

At one point, every student will have to sit down and start writing applications. I find myself in that situation right now and as I try to puzzle together the right way to explain why I’m the best fit for this internship or this exchange-program, I’ve decided to run to my ‘productive procrastination’ method – blogging.

In all seriousness, how do you explain that you want a position and you are a great fit for it without sounding almost desperate and extremely cliché? How do I write an application without much work experience to fall back on? How do I find a suitable internship for me? I’m not an expert, but I have collected a couple of points that have helped me.

1. Collect your thoughts 

I’m laughing a bit about myself for writing this, because this is exactly what I try to do, but somehow always get distracted. Nevertheless, collecting your thoughts is important. The internship I’m applying for now, for example, had a couple of questions you were supposed to answer. Instead of just writing as I go, I have made a little mind map about positive attributes I have, which will be relevant to this particular internship. This method also includes collecting thoughts about why this particular attribute is relevant.

2. Inform yourself 

There are loads of possibilities out there in terms of internships, but if you just apply for the first ones you find, you might not find the most suitable internship for you. Pop by the Careers and Employability services and ask what they have available, check what is available through your course and think outside the box. Valuable work experience is everywhere.

3. Lacking work experience 

Make up for it by explaining what skills your course/volunteering/societies have given you. These are things we often forget, but even having done sports in the past can be valuable. For example, playing handball taught me how to play on a team and possess good team spirit, whilst playing tennis has taught me to work independently. Through my course we learn extensively about critical thinking, how to see cases from new perspectives and how to discipline ourselves/plan ahead and take responsibility for getting work done.

A picture of campus is always appropriate – especially when the light (and weather) is this nice as it was last week.

These are just a couple of things that might help when you write your applications. You might have read fellow blogger Emma’s blog post on how to tackle an interview. As she also mentioned, the University’s Career and Employability Services located in Building 37 on Highfield Campus are one of the many perks of being a student here at Southampton. You can go there to get advice on your CV, writing your application, what you can do with your degree, how to turn your idea into a business and so many other things. They also run regular workshops which are definitely worth having a look at.

Alexandra

Planning a society event

New semester, new society commitments.

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon and so is the Filipino Society’s annual Valentine’s Party. Being new to event planning, there are lots of things I need to consider to make sure the night goes smoothly. More importantly, we need to make sure that our guests have fun. As such, as president of the society, I have a big responsibility on my shoulders.

Thankfully, each in the committee take pride in their own role for our success. Since becoming president, it has become clearer to me that a good leader is not one that does everything, but one that delegates to the best people. Effective delegation saves time and increases the morale and confidence of the team.

Our event poster 

For those who know little about the Philippines, it is a tropical nation defined by emerald rice fields, teeming mega-cities, graffiti-splashed jeepneys, smouldering volcanoes, bug-eyed tarsiers, fuzzy water buffalo and smiling, happy-go-lucky people. It has more than 7000 small islands – if island hopping is your thing, then it is the place for you!

Our British Representative, Emily talking about her experience when she visited the Philippines last year. She and our Vice President, Justine (in the picture) met when they did some work experience in the country. Emily loved the Philippines so much that she became part of the committee! 

So what does the Filipino Society in Southampton do exactly?

The good thing about FilSoc is that you don't have to be Filipino to join our socials. University is the perfect time to get to know cultures you never thought you could ever experience and FilSoc offers a chance for people to get to know a little country in the far South East of Asia.

We throw:

• Karaoke Parties: Filipinos like to sing - a LOT.
• Filipino (Tagalog) Language Lessons: Why not come to our chilled out language lessons and learn a few interesting new words while you're at it?!
• Filipino cook-offs: We love our food and we LOVE sharing it. We hold socials where each person makes a dish, Filipino or not, and shares it with the group. The best dish wins the prize of pride.
• Pub trips: who doesn't like a pint?
• Filipino movie nights: We often hold screenings of Filipino movies (with English subtitles).

Things to keep in mind for your event 

If you’re planning to hold a society event soon, there are other things you must keep in mind such as entertainment and sponsors. In last year’s Valentine’s Party, we played a live version of 'Take Me Out'. Things got pretty brutal. Thankfully, our local sponsor made the ruthlessness worth it as the “winning” couple received a £10 voucher for their date.

Looks like we have a yes from the ladies for this gentleman…

Venue

Can you bring food to the venue? How close is it? I have found that having the venue somewhere where it is easily accessible increases turn out. Moreover, depending on your expected turn out you need to consider the size of the venue too. If the event is likely to be a cosy one, find a place that is not too big so it won’t look too empty.

Date

This is another crucial part. Our Halloween party last year was held exactly on October 31st which was a Saturday. I think that had we held the event at a different day, maybe just before Halloween itself for example, we would’ve had a much bigger turnout. It is important to consider what other plans people might have on the day you have your event.

Food

Will your catering be halal and vegetarian friendly? It is important to consider the varied needs of guests that may come on the night. You don’t want them to turn up having paid money for their tickets and find that they actually can’t have any of the food you’ve made.

Entertainment

Do you know anyone who can sing or perform for your guests? Last year we had a few singers. For our last Halloween Party, we got in contact with the Circus Society who gave us a fantastic performance!

Rofini singing for us

Publicity

How will you let everyone know about your event? This year we’ve made sure to get in contact through social media with societies in the SUSU Communities’ Zone to let them know about the party and asked if they could help spread the word about it. The good thing about planning events is that you have a reason to get in touch with people you may never approach thereby increasing your network. We’ve also stuck a few posters around the Library. This is the most frequented place on campus so hopefully more people see them!

Tickets

How much should your tickets be in order for you to not incur a loss? To encourage people to buy early we’ve slashed our ticket prices by 1/3 if bought a few days before the event. This helps us plan out how much food we have to make so there’ll be more than enough for everyone.

These are just some of the things that I have learnt from my time as President of the Filipino Society and planning our big and small events. If you’re keen to learn more about a new culture and discover amazing Filipino food, why not come to this year’s FilSoc Valentine’s Party on February 11th?

Hope to see you then!

Rylyn

The big interview

At the start of November I heard about a job opening with the Office for National Statistics as a graduate statistician. For me, this was a pretty big deal since the ONS is one of the best places to work in my field and it’s essentially my dream job.

It turns out that applying for a real job is a lot harder than just handing round your CV and having a 20 minute interview. The application process for the ONS required days just to fill in the initial application. They were assessing us on six competencies, which we had to prove we were capable of in 250 word paragraphs.

I’ve spent my time at University taking part in so much, and working really hard in order to build experience relevant for jobs like this one. However, none of that really matters if you can’t get it across on the page.

I met with my personal tutor who helped me come up with ideas for what examples to give in the application, and then I spent three days writing and re-writing various parts of the application.

However, that work paid off and I was lucky enough to get through to the interview stage. At first I was thrilled that I got the interview, but then the reality that I would actually have to go to an interview dawned and I came back down to earth. Earlier this week I went to the interview, and it was absolutely terrifying, and I will be kicking myself for the questions that I messed up on for weeks. A competency-based interview is not something I have ever experienced before; they don’t ask the general questions you might expect such as ‘what are your core values?’ and ‘what can you bring to the team?’, but rather focus on the same six competencies that they assessed in the initial application.

I wish I hadn’t told anyone that I was going to an interview, because of course when I got back everyone was asking me how it went and I really didn’t want to talk that much about it. How do you tell people that it just didn’t go that well?

The best thing to come of the whole process really is simply the experience. As much as I wish that someone would just come along and offer me a job without me having to put any effort into applying, that’s just not going to happen. Without going along to interviews I will never be able to improve how I respond to them. There were definitely some key lessons that I picked up just from this first one:


1. Prep like crazy. I fell down on one part of the interview because I just couldn’t remember the answer to a technical question; not because it was difficult, but because it was easy. It was a topic that I hadn’t covered since first year and I just assumed I would be able to answer their questions, resulting in me feeling pretty foolish when I couldn’t remember the answer.

2. Prep some more. Thinking up decent answers on the fly to questions you could have prepared answers for is just silly and for sure highlighted my naivety in the interview.

3. Know the company you are applying for, and think about what kind of person they want to hire. That way you can tailor your answers to make sure you are including the really key things that they are looking for in an employee, and showing knowledge about what they do will get the point across that you really are interested in working for them, and not just applying for the sake of it.


Remember that if you are struggling with your application, the University offers a career drop-in service where they can help you with the application process and give advice for how to proceed.

If anyone else has any key tips or pieces of advice that they have learned from interviews please do share in the comments, because I’m still figuring out the best way to go about it and other people’s experience and insight would be very helpful!

Emma

Summer plans and avoiding scams

This past week has been a bit of a strange one, I’m not going to lie. With lectures and general learning kicking back into play, it was full steam ahead on the organisation front, which obviously meant a whole lot of knuckling down and getting on with work. It also, however, meant I was finally in the right mindset to start thinking about the immediate future; most notably this coming summer.

With applications for graduate schemes flying around all over the place, I started to realise that, with a great deal of them not beginning until this coming September, I would have a whole three months to kill: one final summer before becoming a proper, fully-functioning adult. So of course, my attention turned to how to fill such an enormous chunk of time, and that age-old student solution swam right up to bite me: travelling.

Did you know that there are certain schemes that allow you to travel and work at the same time? So basically you can see the world whilst earning a decent wage and return home both culturally and financially richer. There are, no word of a lie, hundreds of companies devoted to bringing you this experience. The important point here though, is that some are far more legitimate than others. Something which I actually learned first-hand this week.

Travelling as a student is a great idea, and a great way to create lifelong memories. Like playing pat-a-cake on top of a mountain.

In the past I have looked up the possibilities of working in summer camps in the USA and had some great feedback from a family friend who had done so with a particular company recently. This year however, I decided that Europe seemed like a better option, and on a random job search, I came across a company that offered the opportunity to spend some time living in Berlin, whilst working on a travel guide of the city. The salary was listed as competitive, and the perks seemed to all be in place: it was a pretty exciting prospect.

When I dug a little deeper though, things seemed to get a little fishy. Firstly, and this was the biggest sign of something being wrong, I couldn’t find anyone who had completed the scheme in the past three years. There were testimonials on the company’s website, but being in a slightly cynical mindset, I figured these could easily be faked, and with no one that could be contacted to give their story firsthand anywhere on the internet (popular forum TheStudentRoom turned up precisely no leads), I took a bit of a step back.

Then came the invoices. I realised that living abroad would cost money; accommodation rarely comes cheap, but the fee the company were asking for was incredibly steep, and more importantly, there were no guarantees or contracts. I received an email literally just asking me to deposit a large amount of money into a particular bank account, hoping that I would accept such a move on blind trust. Also worthy of noting: by this stage, all mention of a salary had been dropped.

It’s probably pretty clear to see why I ended up dropping out of communication with this company in the end, and whilst it was disappointing to let such an awesome sounding opportunity go, it did teach me an awful lot about looking out for scams. The company seemed legitimate, their adverts and website reflected this, but in dealing with them, it just didn’t feel right. It may well have been perfectly fine, but if I wasn’t comfortable, I wasn’t ready to fork out a large amount of money.

Travelling when you’re a student is a great idea; there are few times in your life when you will have the freedom and the opportunity to do so. Travelling and working is even better; you can gain some incredible experience whilst abroad that can really beef up your CV no-end. Just be sensible with the companies you follow, and make sure to go in with your eyes open.

If you’re ever in any doubt about a scheme’s legitimacy, the Students' Union Advice Centre can help with any issues and most likely point you in the right direction. Don’t let this scare you; there are plenty of incredible opportunities out there, and with a bit of help you can seize them whole-heartedly.

Ben

World Cancer Day - 4 February 2016

As short as February is, it still holds quite a few remarkable days. The obvious one is Valentine’s Day, the 29th of February (since it’s a leap year)…and one other day which might not be as well-known: World Cancer Day on February 4th.

I believe this is something almost everyone can relate to. When I did my last year of college, we had a fundraising event for the Norwegian Cancer association (Kreftforeningen). A representative from this association held a motivational talk for us before the actual fundraising day. He asked everyone who knew someone affected by cancer to stand up and I don’t think anyone in the room remained seated. He held this talk three times that day and the result was the same every time. He made his point clear; everyone knows someone affected by cancer. Hence, why research is so crucial.

You might have walked past the Life Sciences building on Highfield Campus with the posters stating “The cure for cancer? You’re it”. Maybe you didn’t think about it twice, but it refers to the research the University is currently doing on cancer and immunology.

The University of Southampton does research on two particular cases which are very close to my heart. The first is their research on Alzheimer’s and the second is their research on cancer. Since World Cancer Day is coming up and because this is something really important to me, I thought I’d dedicate this blog post to tell you a bit about the research University of Southampton does and how you can get involved.

Currently, the University is fundraising for a new Centre for Cancer Immunology and, as I’m writing this blogpost they have raised £13,859,877. That’s just over 50% of what the university needs to build this centre, as the goal is £25 million. Among many others, The Wolfson Foundation has donated £450,000.

Let’s be honest; they wouldn’t have raised so much money if this wasn’t a revolutionary research area. I’m not a medicine researcher nor a medical student, but I have done my reading and I encourage you as well to take a look at the University’s campaign website dedicated to this research.

Being able to build this centre, which would be the first dedicated cancer immunology centre in the UK, means that the University could double the number of people working on cancer immunology and undoubtedly accelerate the development of immunotherapy treatments. Treating cancer with immunotherapy is already being done today and the results are more than promising.

I won’t repeat here everything that’s already so nicely presented on their website, but I will urge everyone who has the possibility to donate or spread the word to do so. I don’t believe everything is possible, but I believe that a cure for cancer out there.

Here are photos of the two people I thought of when I stood up that day back in college. This is why cancer research is a matter close to my heart.

The campaign is something everyone can get involved with, including staff, students, alumni and members of the public. For example, many bake sales have been held to raise money!

For now, I will just leave you with this quote from Paul Raine, who sums up my thoughts. He is one of the donors to this cause and hope you will spare ten minutes to read some more of their success stories.

“There are good reasons why it takes a long time to conduct medical research and investing in this area will help to make breakthroughs more quickly. I believe that this new Centre will hugely raise the profile of immunology and immunotherapies as a way to treat and stop cancer.” 

Alexandra