The Next Step

Sorry for the brief hiatus - the final year exams took a lot of my strength, but I’m pleased to say that I’m out of the woods and well-rested! It took some recovering, and a great deal of cake (final year will do that to you) but it’s time to put the thinking cap back on. What comes next, as I awkwardly wait out the purgatory between still-a-student and graduation, is the preparation; official adulthood is on the horizon, and I’ll be a student no longer. The job search is underway, and I thought I’d share some of the things that I’ve learned along the way.

First of all – it’s okay not to know what you want to do with your life. I’ve always been one of the awkward ones – when people ask me what career I'd like, I genuinely wish I had a better answer that “I’m not sure”. It can be a bit daunting looking for work when you are perpetually ambiguous, but if you have a rough idea of your strengths, weaknesses, and areas in which you could succeed, you can build upon that and at least end up somewhere that you will enjoy. The Prospects guide and career planner is quite good – it’s free and offers advice on the positions you are matched to. And trust me, I’ve used career planner software before and there are far worse ones out there! Meanwhile, seek out the campus Career Centre. I was very sceptical at first, but they really helped me to see potential avenues of work in a different light. When you graduate, you may no longer have this resource on your doorstep, so make the most of it!

Additionally, volunteering is a brilliant way to carve out new interests, and test the water in areas you might want to work in; I wasn’t sure that I wanted to work with old people until I found I really enjoyed it through volunteering. Do-it is a wonderful resource for local volunteering opportunities, and you can also find some student-specific opportunities advertised on the Leeds for Life network.

My only advice with volunteering is to have a realistic think about how long you are able to do it for; short term volunteering (e.g. conservation projects and public fundraising) or distance volunteering (online writing/e-mentoring) might be more suited to students who will be leaving the town in some months. Whereas when you are working in very personal one-on-one roles, such as with vulnerable adults or children, it can be painful on both sides if you form a good relationship but then have to say goodbye in a few weeks. Obviously this advice isn’t lawful – just something to consider.

With regards to the job searches, I’d strongly suggest making a separate professional email account for application purposes, if you don’t have one already. It’s a good idea to register on some job search resources (I’m using Indeed at the minute, and I love it) but sadly, it does tend to bring in the spam (SEND US £70 AND YOUR PASSPORT! GURANTEED WORK!) . A separate email account will allow you to filter through the many emails you will get, saving your personal emails from being buried.

Personalise, personalise, personalise. What exactly does the job description want? Make sure to go directly to the employer's website, and not just the search site; often there are more details there. For example, I'm trying to get into research; some positions want strong data skills, and others require little data manipulating but a lot of working with people. It's good to assess the balance and tailor your written experience to the demands of the job - if the job isn't asking for a particular skill, you're carefully crafted four lines about that your experience with that skill will make it obvious that you're application isn't very personal. A little tweaking can go a long way.

And this goes without saying, but if your social networking accounts are public and are connected to your real name, be careful what you are putting out there.

And if you still have a year or two left of university, make sure to think ahead! Get all the experience you can, talk to professionals in your desired field, and do your research. Make notes of important university open days, if you are going onto higher education. And if you are aspiring towards a graduate scheme, start searching and applying at the beginning of your final year, or even in the summer before - you might be surprised how early the opportunities close.

Hope this helps - good hunting, everyone!

Five Necessities of Thesis Easter

Hello everyone! I'll have to apologise for neglecting the blog these past weeks - it has always been in the back of my mind, but I've been swept up in a whirlwind of presentations, deadlines, testing, and commitments. That can only mean one thing, for many final year students - Thesis Easter is upon us. 

Some of the most valuable lessons that I'll take away from university this year are from the crucial practice of being forced into problem solving. University isn't just about learning; it's about discovering how you function best as a learner, identifying your strengths and your weaknesses, and building on them proactively to make the best of your degree. From personal experience, I have five pieces of general advice for surviving Thesis Easter.

1. Turn procrastination on it's head

I'm a nightmare for procrastinating. Right now I've managed to devour three seasons of Battlestar Galactica in two weeks, on top of my usual sitcom viewings. It's been a hard habit to break out of - one sniff of a deadline and I'd rather go running to the quilt and the DVD player. Who wouldn't? But I've been turning this habit on it's head to create a reward system. If you want to watch a series back to back, turn it into small goals instead, that you can achieve with your work. For me that means an hour of work buys me 20 minutes of Adama drama and Cylon agendas. Win win situation!

2. Keep hydrated

By this, I don't mean alcohol and energy drinks, as fun as they are! Water, water and more water, to keep a clear head. Energy/sugar drinks can disrupt concentration and can make you feel like crap in the long term.

3. Regular breaks

Sadly, I'm not referring to lastminute.com here. At this time of year, I wish I were. But nevertheless it's important to give your brain a rest during the day, even if it's just five minute stretches in the middle of every hour. The more you force yourself to stay there for hours on end, the more you risk frustration and burnout. It's okay to take a breather and get some daylight!

4. Rotate your tasks

I know that when you have a mountain of work in front of you, it's hard to know where to dig in first. Sometimes you hit a brick wall, or you find yourself unhappy with what you are doing and want to try other avenues. I guess the silver lining of Thesis Easter is the options it gives you to switch tasks. Getting bogged down with your intro? Take a break and move on to your methodology. Rotate tasks as much as you need to; as long as you are digging in somewhere, it all counts.

5. Positive thinking

Last minute workers, 2am stressors, we are all in the same boat. When you see classmates racing ahead, don't panic and use the work of others as a benchmark to your own success. Just focus on getting your work done in your own way. Chances are, even though your classmates look on top of things, they still might have struggled somewhere so please don't feel like you are alone. Talk to friends about common problems you are all having. Make jokes about it, so it seems less daunting. But above all, remember that you can do this! 

You may even disagree with the above, but ultimately, as long as you actively care about finding what works best for you instead of just putting it to the back of the mind, that's the right track. 

What are your survival tips?

The Final Chapter

Last year, I told myself that this year would be different. That this year I’d be one of those people, staying on top of it all and laughing at the past me, who traded in sensibility for last-minute studying frenzies, tears, and tea on tap. For me, the motivation that “the fear” gives you to hammer out an assignment increases as the time between you and D-Day shrinks. It’s practically mathematical.

We’ve known all along that the dreaded Final Year was creeping nearer and nearer. 2012 rolled in, the trumpets cried, and we had our warning to get our acts together. I’ve tried to be the Queen of Organisation this year, timetable in one hand and beefy textbook in the other, but I can’t say I’ve changed my old, scattered ways. Consider this my notice of failure. The leopard could not change her spots.

'just one more nap...'

Final year is special in the sense that we finally get to choose our own modules. It makes revision and studying so much more interesting when it’s the subjects that you care about the most! But that doesn’t mean it’s any easier - when you are juggling your modules and electives with work, commuting, home and health, it can be a lot to carry. As for the dissertation? It is most definitely going to be an Easter job. Though I do find it comforting that we are all in the same boat, and that I’m not alone in my last-minute tendencies (even if it means that getting a quiet table in the library will be nearly impossible!)

You'll be glad to know that I’m not just here to tell you about my own incompetence. Rather, I’m here because, fellow students, this is something we all have to go through. We’re all in this together, and in answer to your wishes, I’m here to be the angel and the devil on your shoulder. Here are some things, naughty and nice, which might help you to get through the dreaded dissertation season; not all of them will work for everyone, but it’s all about trial and error, seeing what helps and works for you. Good luck!

The Good

Here I’ll be shamelessly plugging some of the university services which I’ve found useful in the past. Most recently I’ve been reading through The Final Chapter; this is a comprehensive tutorial from the library containing advice for successfully tackling the undergraduate research process. In addition to this, the university runs free skills workshops, containing everything you need to equip you with some extra academic strength, ranging from writing and computer classes to practicing presentation skills. 

And finally, there is the student counselling centre. Don’t be put off if you feel it might not be your thing – aside from counselling and drop-ins, they cater for all students, running Wednesday Workshops which help people to cope with stress and anxiety, among other things. Both of their in-person workshops and online resources have helped me a great deal when trying to understand and better manage stress and anxiety, and I can’t recommend them enough. There’s no shame in feeling like you need help; it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by everything and wonder how you are going to cope with it all. They provide wonderful, impartial services for those who need it.

The Not-So Good

In true devilish fashion, I couldn’t tell you how to get through these next few weeks, without including some of the best ways to procrastinate and slack off! We all need a break sometimes, and the internet is here to give it to you. You’ll notice that this section is slightly longer. That’s because being naughty is much more fun.

A favourite procrastination method of mine is web comics. Some of the best are SMBC, The Oatmeal, Explosm, Hyperbole and a Half, and slice-of-life comic Questionable Content, which you should read from the very beginning. Or, there are always funny articles on 27bslash6, or The Daily Mash. If videos are more your thing, Youtube channels such as Illwillpress (if you like funny rants), College Humor, SMBC theatre, How It Should Have Ended, and Comediva are winners for me. I've also recently discovered a fun online tool called Pulp-o-mizer, and lost an entire afternoon as a result. The nerd in me is loving this!



That's to name a few, anyway. What are your favourite coping/procrastination tools? Let me know in the comments!

Politicising Digital Media

Some days ago, my attention was drawn to the below video; a fascinating example of how an online social media campaign, with an unusual and original twist, changed the tides of a local vote.

I find it fascinating how the effects of digital media can force powerful shifts into the political world; from the local, such as the above, to the global, as with the Arab spring. There's no denying that social networking, after surviving several attempts at censorship, played a fundamental role in coordinating the protests and the eventual overthrowing of a dictator. In the words of one Egyptian activist, reported here at the time of the revolution;

"We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world"

Not even half a century ago, such innovations were inconceivable and unimaginable to many. The technological era has brought fresh insights into the realities of dictatorships, wars and oppression, and has been appropriated worldwide as a useful tool to push the boundaries of regional societies outwards into a larger, global network. I think it's very exciting to be a part of an era where this has been made possible, and to be able to witness the world change as a result of it.

A Proposition: Open Letter to UoL IT Services

First of all; happy new year! The drinks were consumed, and the food demolished. Sadly, exam season has rolled around; I'm going to be spending the next nine days fiercely revising, so blogging will be taking a back seat until mid-January or so. Until then, I just wanted to check in with a few comments and suggestions on something I was thinking about yesterday.

As someone who enjoys social networking (and actually depends on it for several things) I'm an avid tweeter; I get a lot out of following sources of personal interest, and enjoy the insights gained into the lives of people from all over the world. Recently, I began following Sweden. Yes, the country - their official account! Volunteering Swedes have put themselves forward for a chance to be selected to tweet on the country's official Twitter account for a week. So far we've seen an impressive range of people running the account, giving insights into their hobbies, interests, and Swedish culture/politics. So far, the account has racked up over 67,000 followers!

In short, I think it's a great idea, and I've been wondering if this idea is something we could actually implement in our own university. Thus, this is an open letter to the IT services at Leeds, just to share some thoughts I had on why it might be beneficial for us to follow suit and perhaps create a representative, student-led, randomized-user account for the UoL. 

• Firstly, the university is home to over 33,000 students, from at least 142 countries. it's a campus which supports and celebrates diversity, including 100+ student societies, encompassing a wide range of cultures, interests and sports. Thus, I think it would be wonderful to be able to follow an active, dynamic reflection of our student population, as it would capture the variety and the spirit that make Leeds special. International students would also be encouraged to take part, as it would be interesting to see unique and fresh outlooks on the Leeds culture.

• Secondly, to my knowledge, no other UK university has tried anything similar (correct me if I am wrong). Hence, Leeds could display originality and lead by example with yet another demonstration of how modern universities are embracing social networking methods to put our university on the map, and also by encouraging community interest (in both volunteering and following the account) and endorsing the creation of online dialogues between students, including in those who may not yet be interested in online networking (yep, there are still a few out there!). (Also, I know I'm biased, but I think it's wonderful that something similar has already been done with the student blogs; I'm having so much fun reading everyone's entries, and it has made me look towards the above idea with a lot of optimism!)

• Lastly, such a project might be appealing to prospective students, who are interested in getting a taste of what the Leeds community is like. It's not always possible to reach all of the open days and know entirely what you are getting into, before you sign up to study at a given place; a representative social networking account could benefit prospective students by allowing them to a) witness first hand the interesting mix of people which makes Leeds such a stimulating environment, and b) use the network to quiz the users on their Leeds experience, thus gaining honest, peer-to-peer information and advice from current students.

I think it would be a really rewarding project for the university to take on, and if necessary, I'd be happy to assist in the operation/moderation for the remainder of my time here. To those at the IT services, if you feel I've put forward a convincing argument, I'd be more than happy to chat about this with you in person!

And I know I could have just emailed; the reason I went for an open letter is because I'd love to hear from the readers, too! Readers; what do you think about the idea? Is it something that you'd be interested in a) participating and b) following? How might such a system be improved? Comments welcome!