“We should make it clear that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of strength.” – Michelle Obama
I have always struggled with mental health. My first bout of poor mental health was at age six. I did not comprehend why I felt tearful or had a heavy feeling in my chest for weeks. I just knew I wanted to end my life. This depression continued for years, and my family refused to help me. I suffered alone. I became very ill at university but managed to formally get a diagnosis of multiple mental health problems: depression, social anxiety, general anxiety and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Finally, I had a weight taken off. I was not going crazy – I had conditions that were and still are very valid. A formal diagnosis allowed me to seek help from doctors, start a course of medication and learn more about my cognitive behaviour. These diagnoses happened two and a half years ago.
In early October, my I decided to be a tourist and explore the suburbs of south London. Armed with Google Maps and very little money, I hopped on the bus and headed towards Bethlem Mental Health Hospital, London. I had no idea what to expect. The grounds are pleasant in the autumn sun. It was peaceful. Yet, I felt a little uneasy walking through the main entrance onto the grounds. I was not sure why. I dropped the thought and wandered toward the gallery. Inside, the reception looked like any other gallery with an exhibition.
Except, this the work was from a patient and demonstrated their observations from their time there. It was their form of therapy. From the interior of their room to cutlery, there was comfort in seeing how everyday items become art subjects. Bethlem Hospital has done incredible work with patients and has helped a few people gain art grants to support their work. However, going up the main staircase is where my uneasiness deepened. I came face to face with the statues Raving Madness and Melancholy Madness. Created by Caius Gabriel Cibber, they once adorned the entrance gates of the hospital’s second home in Moorfields, marking a dark time in mental health treatment.
Their faces were worn; their soulless eyes and gaping mouths shook me. One is wearing shackles too. Is this really what people thoguht of others with mental health conditions? Whilst eye-opening, I cannot unsee those faces and what they represent. To call them Raving Madness and Melancholy Madness in this day and age made my blood boil. We cannot erase history, but they could have updated names, especially since they are within the grounds of a mental health hospital.
Upstairs, there lay a timeline of the history of Bethlem Mental Hospital around the stairs. I was comforted to see how this hospital has vastly improved conversations around mental health and Bethlem’s support for people in the latter half of the timeline. They are doing incredible work within the mental health field today. Yet, I cannot forget their compliance with the poor treatment of those in the past. This feeling only grew as I walked around the museum. Starting with stories from the modern day, I felt fine knowing those who told their story had received respect and support during their time at Bethlem. Their projected videos made me feel understood by those reciting their stories. From learning how they came to the realisation they needed support from professionals to having difficult conversations with family, I knew their feelings well.
Nevertheless, it was seeing a real-life record of patients from the 1800s that brought fear to me. I read a list of all female names. They were my age; twenty-three to twenty-four. They never left the institution.
Electro-shock therapy instruments, scalpels and an apothecary of Victorian-looking glasses lined the cabinets. From straight jackets to the padded walls, the museum became a fear come to life. How could someone be treated like this? It made me think of the pain they suffered and my guilt of being fortunate to live in a society where mental health issues are becoming less taboo. However, I feel disgusted to know that in some rare cases, people with severe depression may still receive electric shock therapy. I had many negative emotions, but I did not understand why until I read their mental health guide.
After analysing myself, I realised that despite appearing well, it is a facade. In particular, their section on grief and depression stood out. I had not properly grieved the loss of my grandmother last year. I have regrets, and I could not accept her death. I felt guilty for not visiting her at the hospital during the pandemic. It was this manifestation of my depression projected onto what I was seeing. I felt obliged to be angry on behalf of those names I read because it was easier to have this emotion than deal with my mental health issues. I felt vindicated to be mad because there was a lot of information on depression and schizophrenia but very little on other mental health problems. I was scared. Scared because I also have BPD; people will not understand.
Having BPD on top of other mental health problems made me feel like an outsider. On reflection, whilst there is not a section right now, that does not mean there will never be. Work by psychiatrists and staff at the hospital to improve the lives of those with the same condition or other mental health problems is incredible.
Bethlem has succeeded in supporting patients with complex mental health needs and is pioneering its approach to art therapy. They are working to keep mental health at the forefront of society and educating people of all ages about how we can make places safe spaces for those who need support. And most important of all, it is okay to not be okay.
If you or a loved one have been suffering with poor mental health, please reach out to The Samaritans on 116 123 if calling from a UK number. If from the US, you can reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988. For other country lines, please consult http://www.suicidestop.com
Everybody knows the dating cliché ‘there’s plenty of fish in the sea’, but do you know what else there is? Trash. A shit tonne. I’m not sentimental, but I have trash taste. I can’t help it. I have so much free time in a post-pandemic world that I thought I’d burden myself with other people’s problems to add a little spice to my dreary life. So, call me Julie Andrews because ‘these are a few of my favourite things.’
In particular, I love collecting bad-tasting energy drinks and placing them on the top shelf of my fridge. You know the ones I mean. Those chemically filled ones you got hooked on as an edgy fourteen-year-old because the school didn’t give you enough jittering anxiety? Well, call me a connoisseur. I collect Monster energy drinks whose sub-par band write whiny songs about unrequited love, drugs and ‘rock and roll’ in the twenty-first century. Whatever that means.
Be it Original, Coffee or one of the many flavours – a full or an empty can, it makes no difference. So at best, they keep that adrenaline going as I gulp a shot of it. And at worst, the overly sweet medical smell lingers in my nose, reminding me of all the bad decisions I made the previous night.
They promise to keep you going, supporting you through the day. Yet, they are sleep thieves, anxiety-inducing and overall, a piece of shit. It’s temporary bliss, a moment where you are over the moon to feel that swirling warmth inside, only to discover that it’s just gas or worse – vomit. I know ‘my body is a temple, but I’m going to fill it with shit anyway and perform some exorcism through exercise because that’s how it works, right? Complete a downward dog and pray you can forget the previous night spent with them.
And let’s not forget the mind-altering deadly potion of Monster bombs because we as a species are not supposed to last. We take ‘here for a good time, not a long time’ very literally. Who would have thought mixing a stimulant (Monster) with a depressant (alcohol) was the answer to our prayers? Alcohol alleviates all common sense, and when paired with Monster, you aren’t returning to your place. You have one taste of the bomb, and then you continue to crave the euphoria. You crave the quiet mind as you voraciously down your poison and live in the moment. And yes, you wake up and roll over to face the Monster in the bed. Frantically recalling what happened and realising it all went wrong when the bombs came out, vowing to never repeat.
While you grow tolerant and dare I say it, a love for Monster, all you’ll ever be is just a word or phrase on their can. You won’t get that love song or be with them in public. No, you’re their dirty little secret. If anything, you’re a step for them to climb the social ladder, where they project their wrongdoings onto you, like the sophist they are.
Monster isn’t for everyone. Yet, it’s inescapable growing up and cult-like. From MySpace days to TikTok, Monster is on a pedestal in Western culture. It’s the equivalent of liquid cocaine for the not-so-edgy. And when you think a generation’s interest in Monster flat lines, Monster churn out new choices. That’s if you could call it that because fundamentally, it’s all the same shit, different year. Maybe it is the can’s tortured artist façade. Or the iconography associated with societal disillusionment. Or even the fact that they are a little broken. It lures you and me in.
When you’re next in a shop and come across that familiar face, slowly reverse out of the aisle and remember, nothing is worth those adrenaline-filled heart attacks. Of course, nostalgia will run free, but you’re too old for that shit now. Remember, trash attracts trash. So on that note, therapy, anyone?
‘How wonderful life is now you’re in the world’ – Elton John
Elton John waving to the crowd
On an overcast Friday 24th June, the living legend Sir Elton John took centre stage on the opening night of British Summer Time Hyde Park (BST) as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. The tour kicked off on 8 Sept 2018 and continues until 8 Jul 2023 due to several postponements from the pandemic and a hip replacement.
John is one of the most successful musicians of all time with selling over 250 million records worldwide of which 25 albums are certified platinum. With a crowd of 65,000 people, there was no denying that opening with his 1974 classic hit Benny and Jets would not have fans dancing – he was up to the task of entertaining the crowd for over two hours. Although he may be 75 years old, John still knows how to entertain the crowd with his anecdotes and a piano that moves from one side of the stage to the other. And let’s not forget the incredible musicians who formed the band, including one member who has toured and worked with John since 1969. And supporting them on screen were an amazing British Sign Language team, who did an amazing of signing all songs – they were very energetic all the way through.
One may wonder how can a man behind a piano draw in such a crowd. Well, John’s fashion sense is the obvious answer. Although his diamante harlequin jacket with matching sparkly pink glasses or his white beetle tailcoat is a far cry from the outlandish costumes he once wore, he notes the difficulty of entertaining from behind a piano in Vogue’s Elton John Breaks Down 14 Looks From 1968 to Now.
As mentioned earlier, his anecdotes are also very entertaining – especially if you were not born yet and wondered what the 70s and 80s were like. However, the most poignant stories he shared with the audience related to the late Aretha Franklin and George Michael. In particular, John retold how Franklin gave it her all for the Elton John AIDs Foundation gala shortly before her passing. She did not look well, but she refused to cancel on her friend once again. John dedicated the Border Song to Franklin whilst casting a montage on the screens either side and above him. During this performance, fans could feel the sadness ooze from his voice as he made people remember the greatness of the Motown singer.
Elton John performs Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Dedicated to George Michael
Other songs such as Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man followed the touching tribute to Franklin and marked a shift in the tone of the night. To see these hits performed live is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but hearing the old and new fans singing alongside John marks why live music has the incredible ability to unite people from all aspects of life. From children to those of the same generation as John, his songs brought out the therapeutic elements that his fans needed after the last few years. Fans sung so loud that the mic attached to John’s piano picked up the crowd’s singing and played over the sound system.
There were many fans from across the globe who specifically flew into London to catch John at BST. He definitely has some of the most dedicated fans, that’s for certain. Within the crowd, many fans dressed up in John’s famous glitter baseball uniform and there was even a couple dressed up in inflatable suits as Crocodile Rock and Rocket Man!
Taking such a long career and condensing it into a short amount of time is hard. Finding the balance between the forgotten, the tunes that mean a lot to him and the hits means that it is inevitable there will be moments where audience members won’t sing along. However, that is not a bad thing. The crowd saw many families dancing together in these moments as well as introducing younger people to the works that are often overlooked. One such example was Sad Songs (Say So Much). This song is rarely mentioned when thinking about John’s repertoire, but is severely underrated as a song, let alone one to play at BST. In particular, it was great to see young siblings dancing with each other to this song and smiling as the energetic music proves that this is definitely not a sad song.
For an encore, John reminded us that he can in fact make number one hit songs as he plays his most recent Cold Heart with a vocal track of Dua Lipa for her part. This was then followed by his first number one in the UK, Your Song from 1970. This was quite magical as the many couples within the audience came together as Your Song solidified their love for one another. It will be a moment they will never forget.
And of course, leading up to the finale of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, he reminded us just how lucky he has been to share his life with us all. With many shows still to go (including a few nights at the O2 Arena, London), this may be his goodbye to us, but not to the rest of the world. He will finish in July 2023, so catch him if you can on his tour and say Farewell Yellow Brick Road.
Elton John performs Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
This year, I was fortunate to see 12 shows since theatres re-opened in July 2021. This is a massive step for someone who last went to the theatre in 2012! Of course, working in theatre does mean I have great opportunities to see shows, but I also love musicals. My job just fuels this addiction.
Although I already have 7 or so shows booked in for next year, I thought I would share my thoughts on what some of these shows did right.
Heathers
As an adaptation of the film of the same name, Heathers (2021) captures both the teenage angst of the 80s and today’s youth. Although fundamentally true to the source material, the West-End show is even better. With top talents such as Christina Bennington and Jordan Luke Gage, they bought emotion to otherwise terrible characters.
Many other musicals today follow the popular juke-box style, yet Heathers stands by the original score. With music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, the show’s songs are super catchy and aid the story. In particular, the incorporation of iconic phrases from the film such as “people are gonna see the ashes of Westerberg High School and they’re gonna think ‘there’s a school that self-destructed not because society doesn’t care, but because that school was society’” works well. It reminds audiences that although JD has a face of an angel, “cool guys” like him are lost and cannot be saved.
Rating: 4/5
Chicago
Chicago is stylistically different to many shows. Everything is incorporated into the visual storytelling. Audiences could appreciate the work of the orchestra in real-time instead of the end of the encore. By incorporating them into the story, the staging is less simple and feels a lot fuller than some productions of the show. Likewise, the all-male orchestra supports the sexy undertones of these murderous women. You should not look at them, but you cannot help but do so.
Interestingly, Chicago continues to wow a range of ages because of our fascination with history. That is what keeps audiences coming back as they long for a time before our own. Whether it be the vintage look of the flapper era, the slick choreography based on Bob Fosse’s 1996 production of Chicago, prominence of jazz music around or sensationalist newspaper headlines, audiences see history unfold before their eyes.
Rating: 2.75/5
SIX – The Musical
SIX is an interesting one. Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss whilst at university, this show has taken the world by storm. Marlow and Moss are not afraid to challenge musical norms by rejecting tradition in favour of a concert form to allow the six wives of Henry VIII to tell their stories. Whether or not you agree with the form, it is definitely amicable of them to play with style, setting and format to create a show that is adored by many.
With original lyrics and scores, this follows the same pattern as the above shows with rejecting the juke-box style of music and it pays off. In other shows, no composer or lyricist could have a 90s Euro-dance pop song next to a ballad and be successful. It does seem random at times, but it just works in SIX.
However, the most powerful thing about SIX is that Marlow and Moss remind audiences that these women that are being portrayed on stage were more than just wives. Parts of their stories are imagined for entertainment purposes, but Marlow and Moss have clearly conducted a lot of research about these women to challenge the patriarchal lens through which we view them. For example, Catherine Parr was quite radical because she would champion female education in a time where only the very rich and powerful may educate their daughters. How bad arse is that?!
Rating: 3/5
Jersey Boys
Based on the real-life story of The Four Seasons (later Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons), Jersey Boys takes the jukebox form and can be reinvented to keep it fresh.
From their humble beginning to the reforming of the original group in 1990, the trials and tribulations of each member are given a chance in the spotlight. From Frankie’s divorce and the death of his daughter to Tommy’s illegal activities, no stone is left unturned. Covering decades in the 2 hours 20 minutes, audiences feel like they are living through the 3 decades that the group were together. Whether or not you were there, you can understand why this group became one of the highest-selling rock bands in US history. And that’s quite tough in the eras that saw Beatlemania take over the world.
If you are into early rock ‘n’ roll, this show is one for you. From hits such as ‘Walk Like a Man’, ‘Begging’ and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’, there are so many recognisable hits so you know it will be a feel-good show that all generations can enjoy.
‘Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy’ – Olivia Rodrigo
What a year 2021 has been. From political madness to the continuation of the pandemic – it’s been a tough year for everyone, but that’s not why I’m here. I had group therapy in 2020; the biggest lesson I learned was to stop worrying about what I can’t control. I’m no superhero who could stop the pandemic. With that in mind, I attempted to do my very best in 2021to live life to the fullest. So if you are looking for a sob story, please leave this article now!
Without a doubt, Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 U has been the soundtrack to this year. However, I did have a good 2021. I am ‘happy and healthy’ despite the curve balls that came my way. I could list what I got up to this year, but it’ll take all of 2022 to get there! So, here are some of the highlights.
University
Whether you loved your time or not or are still currently there, I had a blast in my last semester. I managed to graduate (finally) and made friends with people that I didn’t even expect would want to associate with me. Of course, graduating does put a strain on friendships. Yet, you learn to check in with them and have deeper chats when you do catch up. Although they may be in another part of the country or the world, that does not change the person. And hey, we survived a world where online calls are vital for everything – we can do it again!
I admit I struggled a bit in the final months. I had dread; you know, the existential crisis of ‘what next?’ but I also found joy in creating my short stories for my dissertation. I got to binge watch loads of shows and called that ‘studying’. I could procrastinate without the guilt! I’m not advocating to put off important tasks, but do take time to do something you enjoy because life is too short to be in a stressed state all the time.
Anyway, I enjoyed creating the worlds for my story and learning about the short story form despite never doing a module on this until then! I achieved a decent grade considering this was my first time. My dissertation taught me that I am passionate about spirituality, our education system and philosophy. So I followed that path into reading following the end of my degree. I know an MA is probably not for me too. I continued to write and joined a local artist network to continue to develop those skills I picked up. Who knows, maybe I’ll publish them one day or keep them for storytime with my nieces and nephews. The point is, I love to create things.
Starting Work
I have applied for over 100 jobs since the start of 2021. That is no exaggeration. You can do all the prep in the world, yet there is no denying graduates are finding it harder to secure a job within a year of graduating. Thankfully, I was able to secure an interview at one of the local theatres in my university town as a Marketing assistant. It’s been interesting. I don’t come from a marketing background. As an English graduate, I tend to keep to the traditional pen, paper and book rather than zipping around cyberspace and getting creative with various technologies. I had used some software before at college and could remember some of it, but it’s been intense to relearn and get into the swing of it.
Although I lack confidence, I am nailing the admin stuff. Furthermore, I am working to ensure that our marketing is inclusive by captioning all in-house videos. Likewise, we are working on getting the word out about accessible performances. People may miss the opportunity to see a great show as they believe we do not offer accessible shows.
Surprisingly, there is a range lot of equipment that can ensure we are inclusive. However, there are complex implementation issues still to overcome, but I’m working on resolving them.
I’m grateful that I don’t wake up and groan that I have to go to work – I like it. There are stressful times, but that is a part of life. Yet, I enjoy seeing shows come in and seeing audiences who are coming back after the year and a half the industry has had.
Work has co-produced and premiered two musicals this year; they have shone a light on herstory! It’s incredible to see empowered creatives and actresses breathe life into untold stories whilst entertaining crowds.
TheArts& Culture Scene
Of course, working in a theatre means I am interested in the local and national arts scene. This year, I would have seen 14 (maybe even 15) shows from comedy to the likes of big musicals such as Heathers in the West End. I haven’t been to a show since I was about 15. I’m now 23 – let me indulge myself a little. I promise I’m paying the full amount for tickets!
I’ve easily spent a couple of hundred pounds on these experiences. I’m proud to support this industry. Plus, I got to see shows with the people I care about most.
Also, the city is currently bidding to be the City of Culture for 2025. As part of raising the profile of the bid, I had the pleasure to work with the Big Issue to interview young people across the city about what is going on culturally. From theatre to sports – there is an abundance of opportunity for all to get involved or spectate! Speaking to these people gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I saw the spark in their eyes. They talked about being involved in hockey or how the city welcomed them and sparked an interest in filmmaking. So much so that it led them to win awards at film festivals across the globe. Who knew what was going on in this city?! I underestimated how broad it was.
Incredibly, the city hosted an arts festival. All I can say is WOW. It was an honour to see work being created right before my eyes as spray painting artists got to work. The results were phenomenal.
I went with a friend who had no idea how much the city is full of creative and sporty minds; he was impressed by it all. We were out seeing acts on the BBC Introducing stage to local bands who were very rock orientated. There were even reggae raves going on. Although it was not my scene, it was for those who were into afro-beats or wanted to relive their youth of the 90s. We saw children dancing with their parents and talking to strangers around them as they united under the power of music.
Elsewhere in the city, we indulged our inner child and played Guitar Hero. We will not be forming a band of our own any time soon. We’ll leave it to the professionals of the city!
We got to design t-shirts too. In my typical style, I went with a political message and my friend? Let’s say he enjoyed his ironic picture of death having fun. It was fun to be a designer with little skill involved.
There were many photo opportunities around. I went down the art and music route, but there were light shows, skateboarding and BMXing. It’s hard to show what the city offers because the organisers had to pack everything into one day.
However, I hope that with the attention on the city due to the 2025 bid, the community will continue to support the evolving arts and culture scene as I do. I could go on about the bid, but that’s for another day.
2021 may have been a bit of a storm in a teacup, but I am glad that this was still my year. Let’s see what 2022 has in store for us.
After months in comfortable clothes, going back out into the world might be daunting for many. As lockdown in the UK is easing up, many are wondering if a new wardrobe is worth it? Well, maybe not a whole new line, but a few new things might be nice to wear when you get to meet up in the park and have a picnic during the next few months. Treating yourself doesn’t need to be expensive either – you can look a million dollars for a fraction of the price if you follow some of the tips below.
Without further ado, here are some of the best ways to spruce up your wardrobe for summer, for less!
Clothing
Whatever your style, there are some cracking deals out there for you to explore… even if you are not comfortable with a trip to your local shopping centre.
Blue and white china plate pattern dress
Have a guess at how much the dress on the left cost. £120? £100? Maybe more? It definitely looks on the more expensive side as the material is quality and durable. If you are a fan of this style of dress, you may be familiar with those seen in Phase Eight or Ted Baker stores. The dress in the photo is that quality. Although this photo was taken in 2017, the dress is just as beautiful as it is there. For those with up-and-coming invitations to weddings/graduations/you just want to look good as you strut down the street, this is probably the type of dress you are likely to look for.
Well, I will not keep the suspense any longer… it was only £50! Oh, and it was from Dorothy Perkins. This might still be on the expensive side for some, but about 1/3 of the price of the brands already mentioned. Dorothy Perkins own line, Luxe, is a go to for this style of dress or skirt, if you want to change the top half. These are sometimes on sale, but if you want to possibly buy now, go check out their website as there are some good deals to be had right now!
Red jumpsuit with fabric belt
Sometimes, supermarkets have some cracking deals. I managed to get this red jumpsuit for £18, but you wouldn’t know that! I have worn this for various occasions and it’s still going strong. If something is still a little bit on the expensive side, either wait for a sale (and risk it not being your size) or some places will have a reward points scheme you can use to exchange for money off.
Denim jacket with patches
Another favourite trick of mine is going shopping in charity shops! This is a much more sustainable way to go about new clothes and hey, you might just find some cracking things in there. Personally, I found a M&S denim jacket for £4! I saw a similar one in M&S for £45, so I definitely saved here. It is a bit big, but that’s the look I was going for and I’ve sown on many patches to decorate it as I like. Sometimes, you’ll find designer clothes in there for a fraction of the price. So if you are visiting an affluent area, pop into some of their charity shops and see what you can pick up!
Accessories
I’m not big on accessories myself, but I do know a bargain when I see one. Whether it be earrings, rings or masks you’re after, I know a few tips that can give you more bang for your buck.
Purple satin face mask
Ah yes, masks have become a part of our every day life in 2021 and is likely to stay for the foreseeable future. I am lucky to have a great mum who has made many masks for me out of many different cottons, but I suffer from acne and the masks have not been kind to me. So to combat this, I had a quick Google and apparently satin masks are great for that. They are fashionable and been spotted in the likes of Vogue… for around £45! If you have the money, then go ahead but there is nothing different than the one I have on. My favourite place for accessories is Etsy and let me tell you, I got the mask for a bargain. £5.10 to be exact. Best of all, my money was supporting a small, independent business and the owner even gives you a 10% off your next purchase. Anyway, Etsy is a great place to look for unique accessories too and if you are looking for a little pizzazz in your life, check it out.
If Etsy isn’t coming up with inspiring results, you can always check out other places such as jewellerybox.co.uk and see if anything there takes your fancy. I found a sterling silver band on there for £3.81!
Red glass cherry earrings
Another trick I’ve learned in the ripe old age of 22 is to follow some accounts on Instagram; that’s how I found these cherry earrings. They were from a independent jeweler and whilst they are more than what would pay for a pair of earrings, I couldn’t say no to them. They were 50% off because it was coming up to Christmas when I bought them. If you like a certain style of accessories, search them on Instagram and keep checking to see if any discounts do come up. They likely will at some point and that is when you should swoop in and get what you’ve been eyeing up!
Shoes
I admit, I rarely buy shoes since I tend to wear the same 3/4 pairs over and over. However, I do have some tricks up my sleeve that I will share with you.
If you are a student, majority of places online and in-person will offer you a discount. USE IT! Yes, it might be only 10% off, but sometimes places like Schuh will often bump it up to 20-25%. On the same note, sometimes it is also worth comparing the prices and student discount offered by different retailers such as JD Sports, Office etc. They will often stock the same shoes or similar but at different prices OR the student discount is higher in one place OR you can combine student discount with the sale price.
White stars Koi shoes
Another tip is downloading the app the shop has. I did this with Koi as they offered me 25% off for joining the app and I could combine it with my student discount… I saved 45% in the end. They did end up messing my order up, but they did fix that and I got to keep the wrong pair. I wasn’t going to say no to that, so nor should you if that happens.
And lastly, if you are blessed to have feet on the smaller side, shop in the kids section. You may think I’m crazy, but I have seen an identical pair of white Nike Air Max trainers in the kids section for £45 in comparison to the £95 in the adults. It is a bit of a weird one, but you don’t pay V.A.T on children’s clothes nor on their shoes so take advantage of this. Usually, the largest female shoes will go to is around size 6, but they can be larger. You just need to sieve that out.
I implore you to shop consciously though. Where possible, it is always best to shop local as it helps keep your CO2 emissions down. Likewise, please try to support small independent businesses too!
Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft. – Will Smith
A lot has happened in the last few weeks. From taking on the academic president role of one of the schools alongside my volunteer role as the faculty rep, created and launched the 1st faculty news letter and bereavement, to running in (and losing) the students’ union president election. Admittedly, I have been under an incredible amount of stress during this time and had almost dropped out the race as it all began to take a toll on my mental health and degree. However, I persevered and I am proud to have done so. I made friends with candidates and proved that despite adversity, I can create some funny and creative posts.
I ran this election with only two people on my team, but I’m incredibly thankful for them. We were able to become closer and share creative ideas in a safe space – nobody thought any idea was ridiculous! From silly memes to cute animal pictures, we were going to make this campaign a nice one.
I previously won Vice President of Education and Democracy 2019/20 (you can read about it here) and Faculty Officer for Arts and Humanities 2020/21, but these campaigns were definitely not the best. Students love memes and I played up to that for the last two elections, but I wanted to step it up from there. I needed to market myself in a better way, but how?
I had researched a lot of other people’s campaigns in the past and had a look at some from other universities and went with it.
Main Manifesto Poster
I am most proud of how far along I have come regarding my graphic design work as I shudder at the thought of my VP Education and Democracy campaign. With that being said, I do stand by associating a colour with myself because it does make you stand out. I had turquoise tips for VP and made a lot of my campaign the same colour for that purpose; a technique I transferred over to the President campaign (this time it was lilac). I went with a calming colour this time around because I wanted to present myself that way to voters and hey, it is pretty!
All Social Media Profile Photo
I decided I needed to switch things up to get information out there and sometimes simple works. That’s why I have the bright red speaker phone and yellow poster. I personally think the colours are ugly, but I know it works and having the speaker phone as a motif for my profile was an easy graphic to use that allowed people to connect the dots. I also love red so it goes well with my candidate photo which was the photo above, but without the speaker phone on. I tried to show people that I do have a fun side and that is why I don’t look that serious in the photo. Plus, I rarely smile with my teeth… so they should appreciate it.
Simple Facebook Cover Image
As for social media, I plastered my cover photo and campaign photo everywhere I could. It was ‘in you face’ enough but not too annoying as I know that a lot of older students hate the election period. If they wanted to know more, they could look at the image or head to my page to find out more. Maybe I was a bit too relaxed, but when a lot is going on behind the scene, I’m glad to have placed 3rd.
Of course, I had some difficult questions asked to me but I expected nothing less. I went into this election with a realistic manifesto and I would answer all the questions that were thrown at me. I did not want to lie and give false promises or information because that is not me and hey, I would rather lose knowing I kept my honesty intact than lying about things that can never be achieved. I may not see eye to eye with my father, but he did instill in me that ‘there are people would rather vote for a politician that is honest than one that lies. They will unlikely win, but they gain a lot of respect.’ So, that’s what I did. I could not compromise on this and I am relieved to say that strangers have approached me to say they are proud of me for this effort.
Despite never imagining running for president two years ago, I am glad I took part instead of never doing it and wondering ‘what if’. I have refined my research and communication skills in the process as I connected with an array of university staff and students when building my manifesto. I feel closer to the student body now after researching their interests and concerns with sustainability, strategy, halls and sites. I may not have won, but I have gained enough knowledge that I look forward to bringing up in faculty meetings to help the staff direct attention in the right direction regarding my findings. The staff are keen to see what they can do outside that of academia to make students enjoy their time at university and I am happy to assist them where I can.
‘Why am I qualified?’ Search Poster
I am particularly proud of the ‘Why am I Qualified?’ poster as it satirizes the modern world that we live in, especially in a working from home setting. We constantly are looking for answers so I provided my in the context of presenting them as a search bar. Although a Google search appears differently, I wanted to show voters various photos as they can ‘paint a thousand words’. A lot of the time, students forget that there is a person behind it and will say horrid stuff about you, but I wanted to remind voters that I am human after all. You can Google my name and a full page will come up with stuff about me (all innocent, I promise!) but this poster aimed to save that search.
I am no graphic designer, nor did I ever claim to be… but this election has made me up my game in creating posters and graphics that I can transfer as I go into the place of work. I’ve gained confidence with various platforms to make these posters in and I no doubt will continue to play with them and develop even better skills. Maybe I’ll even get in on the animation!
Video Campaign Video Teaser Poster
I have never used TikTok but it is becoming a powerhouse as a way to market yourself. My team and I embraced the platform and created my campaign video! It was very cute – we had video of my friend’s puppy doing funny things and setting it up like the dog was explaining why you should vote for me. I could have done a normal video but let’s be honest, I will not be embarrassed if this appears years later when an employer searches my name! I shared the video on all of my social media (except LinkedIn) to make sure many saw the video and spread some joy because who hates a cute puppy?!
I may have lost this election, but I have won overall in experience.
“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” – Elton John
Via: The Cavern Official Facebook
From The Beatles, to David Bowie and beyond, the last 60 years of British music would not have been so rich if it were not for independent grassroot venues in the UK. These venues play an essential role in many British bands’ rise to fame and success – bands which make our country so well respected in the music industry. The plight of the music industry in the wake of COVID-19 has meant many of those venues now face permanent closure. Could the government’s handling of the pandemic be the death kneel for one of our most important exports?
As of 2018, the live music industry alone was worth approximately £1.1 billion and music creators accounted for approximately £2.5 billion in gross value added in the same year. The industry provides over 190,000 jobs in various roles and help recognise the UK as a place to perform for all types of artists and musicians. Furthermore, between 2016-18, the industry saw a £1.1 billion increase in direct and indirect spending generated by music tourism, from £3.4 billion to £4.5 billion: thus, making this sector one of the UK’s biggest assets.
Via: The Joiners Official Facebook
The UK is a big investor and seller of services in contrast to our exportation of products. Due to the various COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, the UK economy is at its all-time worse since records began and massively affects the live performance industry.
Following the first lockdown in March 2020, the UK government launched its Cultural Recovery Fund that allowed any cultural organisation or heritage site to apply for a grant to help staff and places get through the pandemic. The government allocated a £1.57 billion fund for all to apply to.
Although the Music Venue Trust (MVT) announced securing just over £41.3 million in funding to distribute across 259 grassroot music venues, making it an 89% success rate for the charity in helping local venues receive government funding. However, this is not enough. Currently, there are still 30 venues that are facing imminent permanent closure. The MVT have launched the campaign #SaveThe30 to raise the funds to protect those that face closure. As of 8th Jan 2021, the MVT has raised over £660,000 for those 30 venues who missed out on crucial funding from both rounds of funding from the government. They estimate they will need to raise £1,750,000 to ensure the 30 can remain as operational music venues.
It is clear nobody’s safe, with even the funded venues still facing uncertainty. With lockdown three upon us, those venues who had succeeded in securing funding in the government grant rounds are still facing challenges related to the pandemic. In response, the MVT has launched the Grassroots Music Venue Crisis Fund and as of 8th January 2021, have raised just over £37,000 to help fund the support services – ranging from tenancy issues to licensing. The MVT are ambitious and are looking to raise over £1 million to ensure that those all-important venues remain for generations to come. As Mark Davyd, CEO of the MVT, said “It’s up to us – the government may very well fail to save our venues but we as individuals can still fight for their survival.” If British citizens do not act now to help protect them, we may never find another act like Oasis, The Smiths, The Rolling Stones – the list is endless. The music we are so proud of will fall silent forever.
‘Within certain limits, it is actually true that the less money you have, the less you worry.’ – George Orwell
As a student, I have little opportunity to see the world whilst studying and working. However, in April 2019 I was able to visit Oslo, Norway for 3 days for £120 and in January 2020, I was able to visit Riga, Latvia for £160 for 5 days. Admittedly, these countries may seem random and they sort of are… but they are easily one of the best places I have been in the short 21 years that I have been alive.
Word of warning, you may get some travel envy from the photos of Oslo and Riga – I apologise in advance!
Norwegian Fjords
Oslo, Norway – 2019
A little fun fact about my trip to Oslo that I always use for the awkward ice breakers that are inevitable at university or in a work situation – the return flight journey cost me only £2. Yes, £2! How? sign up for newsletters like Save The Student . The emails can be annoying, but they have people doing a lot of research so it saves you from wasting your time looking for deals. I saw ‘flights to Norway and Denmark for £2’ in their subject line and thought ‘eh, why not?’. I mean, I was curious to see if it was a scam but it was legitimate. The email took me to something similar to sky scanner and to get it for £2, it had to be during April and for a certain amount of time, but luckily it coincided with university holidays (thank god). To get it that cheap, I had to fly from Stansted in Essex, but that was chill – my parents were living about an hour from there.
I could have gone to Denmark since I have an obsession with Hans Christian Andersen, but chose Norway as I didn’t know a lot about the country and thought it was now or never. I also wanted to do something different with my then boyfriend (we broke up before the holiday, but that is a different story).
As the flights were out of the tourist period, we were able to book a hostel style place for £60 for 3 days, saving around £120 on accommodation and we would cook in our accommodation since eating out is EXPENSIVE! We found a grocery store that was around the corner from where we were staying, and it was pricey in comparison to what we are used to in the UK but still the cheaper option. We made pasta dishes and packed lunches to keep the cost low. However, we treated ourselves to a coffee when out every day and a pizza restaurant on our last night, so we did try stuff while out… including trying to drive electric scooters!
Oslo opera house
Each day, we walked over 7 miles since we wanted to explore the city. From our accommodation to the city, it was about 25 mins so it was doable. It was pretty cold during April so walking also kept us warm while we wondered across the city. We visited the opera house as it was free to enter and there was an exhibit going on. I know no Norwegian other than hei (hello) so reading about the costumes and set designs was an interesting exercise on how well I can use Google. What I managed to find was how important the opera is to Norwegian culture and how extravagant the work is that the team put together to ensure the shows are not to be missed.
Also, the opera house is the only one in the world in which people can climb all the way up to the top. Many young people use it as a ramp for bikes or to go up and down on with an electric scooter… we chose to walk it. When at the top, you can see miles around and watching the sunset from up there is truly beautiful. I recommend seeing this if you find yourself in Oslo at any point.
Admittedly, I know very little about Norway history outside the Vikings, but that did not stop us from looking around their forts and their army base to learn how important the army was in fighting Nazis in World War II. It was a history lesson that I wish we could learn about in schools since we tend to only focus on Britain, thus leaving out other nations’ contributions. Like many other Scandinavian countries, military service is mandatory for physically abled men and women from age 19-44, with a required service of at least 19 months.
The royal palace
Strangely, people can walk right up to the royal palace doors – that’s not something you see every day. Although not as grand as Buckingham Palace, the fact that you can go up close to the palace illustrates how different this nation is to our own. The royal family are not as divisive as they are in the UK and seem relatively normal for who they are.
Norway’s parliament building
Likewise, you can waltz right up to the doors of parliament in Oslo without any security gate or guards suspiciously eyeing you up. Norway is considered a socialist country despite having a conservative government… which seems contradictory by British standards. However, we did witness a protest one lunchtime – there was mounted police, barricades and police on foot. With angry Norwegian chants, signs, speaker phones and middle fingers, we had no idea what it was about. It was all in Norwegian of course and I was too afraid to ask a police officer what it was about, so I turned to my trusty friend, Google. Turns out it was a youth group who was protesting for true socialism in Norway – from women’s rights to the homeless, they were demanding more of their government. While it was interesting, I did not feel like being arrested and so we moved on.
One comparison though – the UK goes BIG when we choose top protest. Maybe 150 people took part in this peaceful protest in Oslo, but we have thousands, if not millions who turn up in solidarity when the people of Britain want change.
Other activities included visiting the Viking museum that is out of town. Transport is expensive in Norway, but I guess that makes sense when it is free for all under 18s and all over 65s – but we had to take it to go and have an interactive history experience. For the equivalent of £8 (flash your student ID otherwise it is £10), you can enter the Viking museum and City museum for the whole day. Not bad when you want more bang for your buck! You have to store your bags in a locker outside in huts to ensure you don’t steal anything, so ensure you take your phone or camera with you if you visit. And don’t forget which locker is yours and your code… like I did, oops.
Noe Falk Nielsen/NurPhoto, via Getty Images
Anyway, we had seen one of the eldest surviving Viking boat that is still in pretty good tact. They are huge – I didn’t realise just how big they were until I saw them with my own eyes! Most signs are in Norwegian, French, German and English so you can learn a lot about these warriors and their culture. One of the best things we saw was a light show that was projected above us that told the story of how they honoured the dead. Many warriors were buried in boats with treasures around them as they believed they would need them in their afterlife. Some were sailed out to sea and others were buried in mounts of earth. The story that was shown was quite emotional for me and was a beautiful telling of the Viking culture.
Once we were done looking at the boats, we went into the other part of the museum – where there were a lot of objects. Looking at objects may seem boring, but ‘reading’ the objects allows for onlookers to understand the Vikings’ way of life. From their mugs to housing tools to celebratory chairs, there was a lot to understand. There was a lot of gold encrusted items which I expected, but I also found it interesting on how advanced a lot of their tools were and their treatment of women. Women could be warriors and pretty independent!
The coolest thing though, was seeing what the Vikings believed to be Thor’s hammer. I love Norse mythology and all you Marvel Universe fans best believe it exists in real life. Sadly Thor isn’t real and I doubt if he was, he’d look like Chris Hemsworth either, but it is still cool to see the hammer!
The most peculiar thing though, is that although the Vikings came from Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Denmark but the Norwegians consider the Danish as the ‘savaged’ kinds. I don’t know how true this is, but it is interesting on how one’s country perceive their parts in atrocities and imperialism… even if it was thousands of years ago.
We also visited Neseblod Records, the birthplace of Norway’s black metal scene on the request of my ex. Although established in the early 90s, this scene is still big in Oslo and the city sees a lot of classic metal bands and artists such as Alice Cooper, Metallica and Black Sabbath. Although I compromised with him and spent 2 hours in the store, I got my own back. We went to lay flowers on Edvard Munch’s grave. For those who do not know, Much was a part of the expressionism and symbolism art movement and painted ‘The Scream’, ‘The Ill Child’ and ‘Madonna’ – to name just a few. As a lover of art, I thought it was only right to pay my respect to him whilst visiting Oslo.
This may have been over a year ago, but I would love to go back and advise you all to visit at least once in your life. I was lucky to have a great experience for cheap but you can also do so!
‘All you need is Faith, Trust and a little Pixie Dust’ – Peter Pan
I started my Year in Employment in late June 2019 as VP Education and Democracy (VP Ed & Dem) at Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU) and have been able to take opportunities that my course could not offer.
Diving in Deep to The Students’ Union World
Fundamentally, students’ unions exist to look after academic represent of the student body at university meetings and are a requirement by law as specified in the 1994 Education Act. Although my role does not have to exist by law, a VP Education and President must exist according to the university regulations. In 2018-19 there was a restructure at SUSU that reduced the number of sabbatical officers from 7 to 5 as voted for by the student body therefore leading to the creation on VP Ed & Dem.
Although I did not work in the University of Southampton, SUSU is a part of the experience and expectations of the Higher Education Sector. SUSU is an independent registered charity and business separate from the university. However, SUSU works closely with the university to ensure there is student representation on every level within the institution.
The main competitors for SUSU in this sector are closely related to University of Southampton competitors are the other student unions in the Russel Group ranking such as Exeter, Durham, Sheffield and Cardiff. Furthermore, the universities who are above Southampton in The Times and The Guardian university rankings are also their competitors. Whilst these rankings directly correlate to the university and ultimately are competitors, SUSU also have their own competitors that just relates to student unions and not the institutions associated with a union. For example, Portsmouth and Bournemouth students’ unions are their local competitors geographically, but also in the services they provide.
SUSU is a full-service union which means the union runs everything from sports clubs (competitive and non-competitive), societies, outlets (shop and bars), support and academic representation. In comparison, Portsmouth have moved away from full service to prioritise academic representation and have moved sports, societies, support and outlets over to the university to manage. Similarly, Bournemouth predominantly focus their efforts on academic representation. SUSU has not done so as their sports and societies outrank their local competitors as they are top 9 in the country for it. Likewise, SUSU believes that students come to university to get more than a degree and therefore they still operate as a full service.
The biggest challenges facing the Higher Education sector include: Brexit, increasing/decreasing tuition fees, instability of UK Universities minister changes in government, introduction of Teaching Excellence Framework at subject level, NSS Scores and policies from the Office For Students that affect the relationship and working of SUSU with the university. Of course, there are more issues that affect this sector, but these are currently what affects all the sector. TEF affects institutional reputation and has affected the amount of prospectus students applying to universities and the uncertainty of Brexit means EU students are put off studying in the UK.
Challenges that are specific to SUSU include the current question 26 on the NSS as it asks if students think the union effectively represents them academically. They have approximately 46% of students agree SUSU does. Although it is an issue, I believe it stems from the lack of knowledge of what SUSU does. Essex students’ union has put in a lot of work to raise their awareness to around 75% in the last 4 years, but they have not seen a massive increase in their NSS score on question 26. Although SUSU has its own challenges, the major issues that affect all students’ unions across the UK to a certain degree. This should not be ignored.
The greatest developing opportunities for the Higher Education are fundamentally down to the mapping of the sector landscape. This affects all institutions in the UK, those who change institutions are never that out of touch. However, each institution will tackle issues differently therefore those in the sector can bring different perspectives into the conversation and learn from the new institution. Furthermore, the developing opportunities for the sector and organisation is the opportunity to network with others across the country who can come together to work on big issues that affect students in different cities. There are also opportunities to travel to other campuses abroad and around the UK as well as attend conferences and have the pleasure to represent the union and university at these international conferences.
Working in this sector requires a wide range of skills and there is not a set combination of skills, attributes and behaviours that will fit all. The sector is very wide and varies from internal, external, student facing, not student facing, governance etc. However, the key skills that are required to work specifically within the sub-division of Higher Education students’ unions are as followed:
Confidence. There will be situations that require to have confidence in yourself to achieve goals as well as the confidence in public speaking.
Ability to put others 1st. To be a sabbatical officer, you must put the students first as you were elected to do this and are accountable to the student body. Furthermore, students may wish for you to support something that you personally do not want to, but this is a democracy and you must act in the interest of others.
Liaise with important people (relationship management). To ensure there is cooperation within a union, the government and the university, it is important to make a difference whilst maintaining a good relationship as these stakeholders will be more inclined to help achieve your goals based on this. Additionally, there will be a successor to you, and it is important that you do not ruin that relationship for them.
Time management. To have good time management is fundamental as this means that deadlines are met, you can manage stress and has positive outcomes for maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
Value people. By appreciating your team and how they sit in a wider context ensures functionality of the organisation and boosts morale.
Confront people when needed and how you deal with it. Although this is not pleasant, this is a skill that you will have to develop because people will try to intimidate you into doing what they want and side-track you from the cause. However, it does not always have to be negative; confrontation should be constructive.
So, What is VP Ed Dem?
Within SUSU, VP Education and Democracy is also the deputy president, therefore this role sits under Union President and is second in command. The roles do have coordinators who help support each sabbatical officer. The students’ union also has a CEO who is there to support the sabbaticals to and is there for long term strategic planning of the union, but we also outrank them too. The structure of the union is hierarchical which does come with problems, but this year is working well as there is no resentment from core staff and there is no grab for power. This year is very positive in comparison to the previous years.
As I have previously mentioned, SUSU is an independent organisation to the university therefore they do not abide by their hierarchy. However, the sabbaticals’ roles include liaising with the relevant people in the university to achieve our goals, whilst ensuring the relationship between the organisations are in good condition.
The key internal stakeholders are the sabbaticals, CEO, directors, 77 core staff and 400 student part-time staff. When they restructure, this affects all these stakeholders directly as they reshuffle funding and may have to cut jobs/ increase jobs depending on the supply and demand which depends year upon year and grant allocation.
In contrast, the external stakeholders are SUSU’s external trustees, student trustees, the university, the student body (23000 students from undergraduate to post graduate research), suppliers for their outlets, residents, the local MPs and the local councils. They are their external stakeholders as they all do hold some interest in SUSU and can influence events in some way. The biggest stakeholder though is the student body as they are run by the students, for the students therefore SUSU represent them on all basis and are the biggest group who have a say in what they want their students’ union to do. Adding to this, the student body is SUSU’s main customers as they are here for a range of years and regularly make use of their services – the shop, the shop on top, stags, the bridge, the plant pot, bar 2 and all their rooms, as well as spaces for sports and societies.
First Few Months
Initially, it had been difficult as the job had put a strain on me, especially when I saw my friends leave over summer or to come home to a house where nobody has been productive. However, I always look forward to coming to work every day because of the amazing team I work with as the team consists of recent/semi-recent graduates, so they understand the strange feeling of being young and in a very public job.
I must admit, I suffered from impostor syndrome for half of my time in office because I had little engagement with the academic side prior to my role. Likewise, the other sabbatical officers seemed to have it all under control, whereas I was learning on the job.
I have a fear of public speaking, but this job is very much orientated around this task. Over the course of graduation, I took part in graduation ceremonies and even gave 20 speeches to the graduates across summer and winter ceremonies. At first, this terrified me because I have dyslexia and reading out loud is one of the biggest challenges due to this. However, with the help of their Learning and Development coordinator’s coaching and online resources, public speaking became easier.
I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) therefore made work difficult at first because students would say negative things about me and the team. To help manage the emotions around this negativity, I kept in contact with HR and the NHS Mental Health to come up with strategies to help cope at work. With support, I drew up a crisis sheet in case I have a crisis during my term as VP Ed & Dem.
Getting approval from the university regarding certain projects was originally difficult. I am a very resilient person, but I needed to develop the skills to know when the perfect opportunities are to get staff onboard a project as well as analysing stake holders to ensure projects can be delivered on. Nevertheless, working with my volunteer officers helped to better justify my plans to the university by collecting feedback I could use to lobby for change.
How Skills Ready Am I?
Whilst undertaking my placement, I regularly use a wide range of different skills because my job is very varied depending on who I interact with and the context in which I must apply my skills. When I started the job, I knew I would be using a wide range of skills, but I did not know what I would be using specifically.
I constantly apply problem solving, research and evaluation skills to my job as I have year projects that I create, plan and implement. Whilst a few of these projects have been complete and evaluated, the major projects require getting stakeholders on board. Thus far, I have overcome the obstacle of getting the harder stakeholders on board and to help with my project delivery, but still have those high up in the institution putting situations in the way. However, I refuse to give up and have researched, networked and found different alternatives to the problems raised to work with the challenging stakeholders to move the project forward.
The biggest development would be my public speaking as I have undertaken the public speaking and confidence courses. Further to this, I have had several opportunities to practice public speaking – from multiple graduations, open day presentations, welcome talks, conferences and presenting to the university which has become easier each time I have undertaken this task. Of course, there is always room for improvements and public speaking is no exception. I will continue to develop this skill throughout my life and ensuring that my dyslexia is not a barrier when reading out loud or presenting. I must continue to take my time when speaking instead of rushing my words because I get my words muddled up, thus making my communication less effective and adds to my anxiety. Misreading words will happen from time to time but slowing down my pace will greatly improve my confidence and help my brain process whilst speaking.
I have also developed project management skills through running my own projects, being a part of university committees with my own part to play in them and undertaking a project management course that SUSU provide. From this scheme, I was able to refine my problem-solving skills, money and financial skills, time management, research and implementation. This has been a valuable learning experience to highlight that I already used some of the skills outside project management and to exercise these skills within the context of a project case. When focused on a project, this has allowed skills to work simultaneously and strengthen the relationship between my skills too.
For further development, I wish to further the skills I already highlighted and strengthening my managerial development with the hope of being an effective and timely communicator that shall serve me well in my professional life.
My behaviour have changed dramatically since starting my placement as I am much more equipped with giving and receiving criticism. I thought I would find this placement hard because I am a public figure and suffer with a lot of mental health issues. However, I have found that through constant learning and development programmes that SUSU provide, I have learnt to separate my personal life from my professional life. By learning this skill, I know not to take things personally and to really listen on how to improve myself from what is said. Furthermore, I have learnt how to give constructive criticism to others by rationalising that if I do not give feedback, I am denying my peer a chance to develop and or denying them help. I do still have to overcome my thinking behaviour such as ‘I am going to hurt them’ by giving them criticism, but it is becoming easier by using the rationalisation I have previously mentioned.
Look Into My Crystal Ball to See My Future (I Hope)
Before starting my placement, I knew what sector I was interested in but did not undertake my placement in this field. I would like to go into journalism after graduation and I plan on applying for an MA in Journalism at Cardiff or Bournemouth University. Although my current job is not related to my future career path, my Year in Employment has been very valuable because being the VP Education and Democracy has cemented my love for education, learning about the sector and looking for innovative products/research from Higher Education. Although I have a passion for writing about music, fashion and sustainability, my Year in Employment has made me aware that I should not be so ridged on what I write about. Due to my placement year, I have now started my own blog to write about my experience as a sabbatical and the Higher Education sector because I have so much knowledge of this, I should formulate and refine my writing skills.
The skills, attributes and behaviours that are required for journalism include:
Enthusiasm
Resilience
Determination
Confidence
Time management
Oral and written communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Research
Tactical
Organisational skills
Integrity
These skills have been harnessed throughout my Year in Employment but developed in a different context to the sector I wish to go into. Furthermore, I will need to gain a National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) qualification to be a journalist, but this will be covered in my MA.
Throughout the Year in Employment at SUSU, we were offered 360 Reviews, three times throughout our term to help with developing our skills which are rated out of 5. They are at set times of the year and we receive feedback from academic staff, SUSU staff and the relevant student officers. They give feedback on areas such as my job knowledge, stakeholders understanding, volunteer leadership and development, interpersonal skills, communication and self-development.
Though there are overlaps with skills already listed for the future career I wish to work in, my current job is very strategic based and focuses on the student experience at university. I am the head of the educational concerns and responsible for lobbying the university for change in this part of university life which I will not be in the future. However, my current role emphasises collecting data and the importance of being factually accurate, therefore preparing me for the future. I am not 100% sure of what I wish to specialise my writing in, but I would be interested in the Higher Education sector.
Final EvaluationsandAdvice
There have been five of the high points of my employment of course and include, but not limited to:
Securing £10,000 for Humanities students to use to get extra books for their courses as there are often not enough copies of core texts for students.
Getting the university to publish their expenditure in an accessible, clear and transparent way so students can understand where money goes.
Finally breaking through with lecture recordings (Panopto) to be rolled out university wide after 10 years of backlash.
Implementing constant celebrations of the SUSU reps throughout the month
Tackle issues surrounding SUSU Spring Elections which were big issues last year. I have dramatically reduced the amount of complaints this year
Raise our NSS scores to 52% with the help of all of the student volunteers and SUSU staff!
If I were to redo this year in employment, I would take good practice from my colleague and make a year plan from the start so I know when and where campaigns/events/when to implement my sabbatical plan to ensure I have the greatest impact in the short time I am in office for. Although I have developed my Outlook skills, this software does not account for the visualization of vast information I need to know in a glance. Furthermore, if I had done this at the start of the year, this visual planning would help with my dyslexia and lessen the stress of feeling out of control.
I would also spend longer reading the handover documents from my predecessor and getting to know the by-laws they have in SUSU. By getting to know the by-laws, I would then have the confidence in myself to answer people and effectively point people in the right direction when they have questions or ask for guidance. Further to this, the handover document would allow me to understand all the context to projects my predecessor has contributed to therefore I would be able to contribute effectively instead of being timid to take part in university meetings. However, part of the reason why I did not fully understand the documents is the sheer volume of text I had been given, so I will be keeping my handover document short for my successor because a lot of the job is trial and error.
Before my placement, I would have considered myself a very shy person. I suffer with anxiety and depression, which was severe before starting my role and made my shyness worse. Although I still have these mental health conditions still, the support SUSU has provided me with useful information and tips on how to deal with them when they flare up. Having a team of diverse people has also helped in advising me on ways to cope when flare ups happen as well as ways to work on being confident. The biggest and most helpful trick the team has taught me is ‘fake it until you make it’ which means only I know I am the terrified one in a room. If I fake confidence, nobody will know unless I tell others so.
Although I was told that some people thought I would be an incompetent Vice President, I harnessed the emotions I felt about that to motivate myself to ensure I made a lasting impact. If you are ever doubted, remember why you applied in the first place and channel those emotions for good. You will make a difference if you have your heart in the right place and you will develop your skills as you go on – that is natural. Do not compare yourself to others because it is your own journey and not a race.
It has been a pleasure to work with so many different people and I would not have changed it for the world. Ensure you seize every opportunity because you never know what good can come from it.
A Journey to the Centre of Me 