Author Archives: Rebecca Howarth

Small Steps

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By Jojo (Student blogger: BSc Hons Economics)

2020 isn’t a year that everyone was hoping for.

BUT, what can we do, and how do we prepare ourselves for the future?

Firstly, its ok to feel lost, and feel a lack of motivation. Since most of our upcoming plans are ruined, it is hard to figure out what the next steps are. And due to the uncertainties, the motivations are somewhat faded away.

Secondly, its also ok if you feel disconnected with everything and everybody around you and the only thing that we can rely on, is the internet. And I am sure that feels a little bit strange.

So how to overcome it? A good way to increase our motivation around studying is to establish a goal or a target. A good technique to get you started is to use the SMART principles:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Achievable

R = Relevant

T = Time Bound

When you aim to accomplish something, it is crucial to have a plan, in fact, to have a detailed plan. The more detailed the plan is, the easier it is for you to execute it, because you know exactly what to do and when to do them. Furthermore, think about the motivation. That is, maybe try to reward yourself when you have completed something, so that you will be more willing to execute your plans. Having some incentives will help to drive you to accomplish tasks.

It is ok  if your plan is just to do something small, try to not get distracted by the people around you, and just believe in yourself, take small steps, and achieve your goals at your own pace.

And last but not least, adapting your lifestyle to deal with the situation. It is likely that the university won’t return to its normal state very soon, so it is important to adapt yourself for the future. Planning and time management skills are now more important than ever, so stay calm and be prepared foo whatever is coming.

Quentin Tarantino? Tentin Quarantino.

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by Safiya (Student blogger:BA English Literature)

One of the first puns to rise up as the world went into lockdown was of course immaculate wordplay on the name of the Oscar-winning director. While the façade of the internet and its many musings provide momentary laughter and escape for many people during difficult times, this time, it’s a little different. The whole world is breathing synchronously (albeit safely via masks, I hope) and for many of us, we really are in the same boat. This unprecedented time has brought about much confusion regarding our future, many anxieties regarding the present and great nostalgia regarding the past. But in which ways we can most productively use this time?

STAYING INFORMED

With events unfolding day by day, it is important to remain informed with trustworthy and reliable sources. Don’t overdo it, and steer clear of sensationalising tabloids and social media posts.

KEEPING A JOURNAL

As bewildering and unreal as it may seem, we are living through a monumental period in history. Journaling about our lives during self-isolation, quarantine, lockdown, and taking note of the current world events will not only provide incredible evidence of our inner worlds for future generations, but diaries and correspondences are one of the best evidences, especially during times like this. Writing as a form of self-expression is also widely acknowledged to be deeply therapeutic.

LEARNING A NEW SKILL

Time is of the essence, and it is at our disposal. It couldn’t be a better time to try something new or engage in a longstanding interest. If academically engaging material is your forte, Harvard University (among others) are offering dozens of free online courses for people to engage with at their own pace that can also be verified with certificates. Learning a new language couldn’t be easier with apps such as Babbel and Rosetta Stone, and instead of spiralling on a random YouTube binge, why not engage with videos that can brush up your culinary skills?

ENDING PROCRASTINATION

If it’s a book that you’ve always been meaning to read, a hobby that you’ve lost engagement with over the years, or a subject that you’ve always wanted to be an expert in, now’s your time to finally engage at full power.

STOP OVERTHINKING

The idle mind is the devil’s workshop, and as many of us will have submitted our final assignments and exams, our time will be free of any academic work for the rest of summer. However, this unoccupied time may result in feeling anxious about past engagements. As important as it is to forgive others, it’s essentially as important to forgive yourself. Let it go. Move on. Never think about it again. Acknowledging how you feel is important and writing down what happened and how you feel about it, then ripping it up and throwing it away can actually work. Ed Sheeran has been known to do it, and if this method works for one of the most successful artists of all time, it can surely work for anyone.

SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY

For those at home, this may be the first time in many years that every member of your family is under the same roof, and it’s a blessing to be able to reconnect with everyone. For those away from home, stay in touch with family and friends on a regular basis, and know that you are not alone!

Everyone will be missing many aspects of their usual day-to-day lives. Friends. Football. Trains. Cinemas. Cafes. The list goes on, but so does our lives. ‘The world has slowed so you can rediscover yourself.’ Take it easy, and make good use of this time!

 

The Final Hurdle: Useful Tips for Dissertations

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By Becky (Student blogger: BA Hons History)

Dissertations, a dominant part of final year at Lancaster or postgraduate degrees. They can be very daunting, and a lot of responsibility is placed on you to research and produce a substantial piece of work. Having recently completed mine, I have learnt many tips throughout my final year to make this process as easy as possible.

Tip 1: Start Early

Starting early is possibly the most beneficial of these tips, as it can save you so much time in the long run. Your workload can be balanced much more easily over a longer period of time, allowing flexibility. Alongside the dissertation will be other modules, which require coursework, as well as all the issues life can throw your way, so be starting early, staying on top of this is significantly easier.

Tip 2: Make use of your supervisor

Most students will have a dissertation supervisor, and they are there to help your dissertation be the best piece of work it can. Draft chapters and plans can be handed in and marked to guide you on the correct path, and even having dealt with strike this year, most supervisors are on their emails and more than happy to help.

Tip 3: Take a break!

It is also important to take breaks from your dissertation. Being such a substantial piece of work, it can be very difficult to focus on it for long lengths of time. Taking breaks can help you make time for your social life, other deadlines, jobs and also help you look after your mental health. A tip here is doing a little bit every day or dedicating one day a week to it will allow you to make progress while balancing it with other work as well as societies and a social life.

Tip 4: Proofreading

What I have personally found useful is getting other people to read it. Whether this be course mates, parents, housemates, your brain will be used to reading the same sentences over again, so having fresh eyes read it can be extremely beneficial. It is also worth getting people who don’t do the same subject as you to read it, they can spot where things need to be better explained for people marking he may not know about your topic, as well as bringing in knowledge and writing skills from their degrees.

Tip 5: Finish Early

The final tip your department will hammer into your heads is to try and finish it a few weeks before the deadline, to allow for editing, printing or binding issues that may crop up close to the end.

Finally handing in your dissertation is a massive achievement you need to celebrate, even if stuck in isolation. Best of luck, and happy writing!!

How to Channel the Library from Your Bedroom

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By Sean (Student blogger: MSci Hons Computer Science)

You’re shaking. The unthinkable has happened- there will be no compulsory exams for the summer term. Goodbye endless hours of absentminded half-studying, hello months of frenzied Netflix binges, crazed gaming sessions and potential existential crises. Tossing your gallon-sized jar of midnight oil into the bin, you start to list every single way you can maximize your enjoyment of the coming six months.

A month in, you’re starting to go a little bit insane. You’ve watched every show on the planet- in five languages. The game industry is booming from the hours you’ve crammed in and in-game purchases you’ve blown your pocket money on. And somehow, you’re starting to realize that- oh god- you miss university!! Collective gasps resonate from the chamber that is your bedroom.

You realise you’ve let yourself get a little too loose and you should probably start preparing for next year by re-learning (or learning- I’m looking at you, lecture-skippers) the course material from this year. Alas, the comfort of the library is out of your grasp- how will you ever focus without the soothing of lime green carpets?

  1. Craft a clean, distraction-free study environment

The library is professionally designed to facilitate studying as much as possible, which is why you, like many others, might feel you’re at your most productive there. While you can’t whisk yourself away, one thing you can do to achieve a similar state is to create the perfect studying environment at home: one that is distraction-free, clean and has the tools you need easily within reach. Try clearing your desk and placing it near a window- or find a quiet corner of the house that vibes with you. Put your devices away if you don’t need them. It’s amazing how much difference a decent study area can make.

  1. Hatch a plan

It’s incredibly easy to sit down and get overwhelmed by the amount of content towering above you. A bad habit people do is try to watch lectures while eating or listening to music. Sure, you get more done, but remember that you’re here to learn. How much do you think you’ll absorb from having your lecturer talk over an episode of Tiger King? One thing you should keep in mind is you have loads of time. If you take a little time to draw up a simple chart of, lets say, which chapters you’ll cover over which weeks, I think you’ll be able to keep your focus a little better since you know what your goals are.

  1. Sleep Properly

It’s not a very good idea to go full holiday mode, sleeping at 4am and groggily pulling yourself out of bed at 3pm. You’ll notice many guides (e.g. fitness, mental health, academics) mention having a good sleep schedule, and that’s because sleep plays an essential role in your general well-being. With good sleep, you’ll feel refreshed and energetic, two qualities that make you more likely to soldier through your lecture notes rather than complain.

The situation’s a bit weird right now, but don’t let that come in between you and your academics! Remember, you’re paying a lot of money to study, and you definitely want to make the most out of probably the last time you’ll be in education. Best of luck!

Momentum

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By Sean (Student blogger: MSci Hons Computer Science)

The words “university” and “smooth-sailing” rarely occur in the same sentence, and it is not just a stereotype. It would be very unlikely, if not nearly impossible, to find a person who can tell you that their higher education flew by without difficulty, especially at a top 10 institute like Lancaster University. Obviously, I am no exception. Despite undergoing two years of a famously rigorous and prestigious pre-university education, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, I still find myself struggling to meet deadlines, failing to understand my notes or walking out of lectures confused. Welcome to your first taste of The University ExperienceTM (albeit one people are less likely to bring up at the dinner table). At the very least, however, I can say there is one thing I have accomplished: I have gained momentum.

Many say motivation is the core of the university student, but I would argue that it is in fact having momentum. While both are essential, I think the latter provides much more of a driving force than the former. Imagine a straight, hilly road with ups and downs, akin to a wavy surface. Now imagine having to cycle from one end to the other. You might see an initially difficult, sweaty trudge uphill but a fast and breezy descent after, carrying you up the next wave, only to be pulled forward by another downhill slope.

If the road is the academic university journey, the ups and downs are the challenges (coursework deadlines) and the bicycle represents progress. Similar to the analogy, it will be hard to get the ball rolling, especially with the first lectures being on the easier side and so many freshers’ events, nights out and society meetings to tempt you. You’ll end up forgetting to do lecture notes, neglecting difficult topics and leaving coursework deadlines till 6am in the morning the day it’s due. You’ll look at your interactive transcript and your eyes will hover over that 43% quiz score, regretting not studying for the one test you know you could’ve easily aced. Once you’ve traversed the initial mountain, however, the story takes a dramatic turn.

It took me a whole term and a half to get it. Catching up was a lot harder because of all the extra weight on my back, but I lumbered on. And while lumbering on, I hit a point where I realised I was becoming increasingly interested in the course material. Getting myself to start on a day of lecture notes became a little easier, and coursework began to be finished earlier. It was puzzling at first, but now I see why: it was my momentum. Harder to achieve than it could have been, but the end results show.

So, from my experience, here are my words of wisdom: Stay focused in class. Start your coursework a little earlier. Love Island can wait an hour. Do your lecture notes after your lectures, preferably on the same week you had them. The allure of staying comfortable at the bottom of the first hill will tempt you, but once you get that momentum going, the breeze will show you that there is no better feeling.

Time management – How to get out of the mess?

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By Jojo (Student blogger: BSc Hons Economics)

Have you ever had times when you have so many things going through your mind but you never really know how to accomplish them? Do you like the idea of trying to change yourself for the better and actually completing tasks way before the deadlines? If the answer is yes to these questions then you are looking at the correct blog post.

Managing your time is very important for a university student because we have so many things going on around us! So what can we do? I have found that creating a timetable for your week is an effective way of ensuring that you are making the most out of your week. A timetable will allow you to be precise of the things that you need to do and when to do them. A clear instruction will aid you to not to procrastinate and use the available time wisely.

How to create a good timetable:

Firstly, create a digital table using Excel or Numbers (or you can create one by hand, but this is less environmental friendly) and mark up all your lectures and seminars that you will need to attend on a weekly basis.

Secondly, ask yourself when do you want to start your day and when to finish, i.e. note down the time that you would like to wake up every day and when to go to bed. Trust me, once you decided to stick with this, your daily routine will be formed and you will definitely feel more organized in daily life.

Thirdly (this is the fun part), allocate yourself different activities or exercises for each day. Things could be reading for an hour, playing sports for an hour, or even learning a new language. This way, you will be surprised that the things you have always wanted to do but never ‘had the time’ to do so, could easily be achieved!

So what are you waiting for? University is a perfect time for you to develop your skills. Time management is a crucial skill in all aspects of your life! Moreover, by allocating the time efficiently, you will not only be squeezing out more time than you’d ever imagined (this way you will be able to do more in one day, which accounts for a lot if you think about the long term), but also, you will develop a healthy routine that all the successful individuals are talking about!

 

What are the differences between you and other students that you always admire? If you want to succeed, act now! And don’t procrastinate!

The challenges of being an international student

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by Carlos (Student Blogger: PhD in Management Science) 

I remember the day I came to the UK and started my studies at Lancaster University and how long it was since I last had some English lessons. I was worried about how difficult it was going to be for me to speak and listen with and to native speakers. However, everything changed as soon as I met my flatmates. We were able to speak about different and mostly non-academic topics and after several weeks of coexistence with them and listening to different styles, pronunciation and ideas, it helped me to feel relaxed about communicating in English.

Coming from Peru which has a very different education system to the UK I’ve found that it is essential to learn how every course is assessed at the end. Self-discipline to organise your learning progress and proper time management will be necessary to avoid stress and last minute rush and stress by the end of each term. You’ll find that some coursework is individual but you can share and reinforce your knowledge by working together with your classmates and sometimes you may find out that what you believe about the task is not the same as others understand it, including your tutor so this can be very beneficial to avoid any misinterpretation of your assignment task.
After submitting my first written assignments, I realised that my writing wasn’t as strong as I thought it was. This has been a real challenge for me and as the years have passed, I am still trying to be more clear with my writing and I can often identify that there’s something missing or unclear or that certain words can be misunderstood if I don’t explain what I am talking about clearly. I am sure that as my studies progress I will be able to improve on this even more.

I also have to mention reading at university which I have also found challenging. It was supposed that my best score in IELTS was obtained thanks to my advanced reading comprehension. Unfortunately, for me, academic reading can be exhausting sometimes and summarising or finding the gap in the literature and then criticising what the author has said, is an almost impossible task for a newcomer. Therefore, in this respect, something I would advise investing time into is developing a good relationship and maintaining good communication with tutors teaching the course or for me with my supervisor. I’ve realised that if I have a question about the reading or a particular part of my research and I cannot solve it on my own then the tutor or my supervisor is the best person to speak to about it.

As you can see, I’ve had a few challenges when it comes to studying in the UK but with hard work and determination I am positive that I will be able to overcome these challenges and succeed to the best of my ability.

Dreaded deadlines…or are they?

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by Sophia (Student Blogger: BA Hons Religious Studies) 

Ah, deadlines. One minute you’re on top of everything, the next minute you’ve got 15 essays, a presentation and 600 pages of reading to do. This may be a slight exaggeration, but assignments certainly can feel like they are impossible to complete when they start mounting up. So how can you spread your time wisely, and make sure your workload doesn’t become a nightmare?

1. Attitude:

We’re going to skip the clichés and start with something a little bit different. If you start by looking at your assignments with an attitude of ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’m not going to get it done in time’, this mentality overwhelms you every time you sit down to work. Doing essay work becomes arduous, distressing and seemingly undoable.

So, before you even begin. Rather than panicking about how difficult it’s all going to be, visualise how good you’re going to feel once it’s all finished. Then, bring that closer, visualise how good you’re going to feel when you finish assignment x out of assignments x, y and z.

2) Planning:
As much as we may all wish to have our essays done 8 weeks before they’re due, we’re human and we aren’t perfect. Many advice articles tell you to start early, which yes, in an ideal world you would have done. However, if you’re reading this and your essay is due in two weeks, a week or less than that, that guidance is of no use to you right now.

So, how do you balance multiple assignments in a relatively short period of time? You can start in two ways, I would advise starting with the work that is due first. Working in chronological order avoids the nightmare of having an essay that’s due next Thursday completed to an impeccable standard, without having even looked at the one due on Monday. Your other option, which is slightly more risky, is to start with the assignment you perceive to be easiest. This may enable you to get this one out of the way quickly, and get you on a roll for your other assignments. Use this method with caution, perhaps only if you have quite a bit of time before your work needs to be submitted, or as I will now discuss, when all your assignments are due at the same time.

3) Multitasking:
The problem may be that, while you feel you can start your assignments, you just can’t cope with the sheer number you’re being expected to complete. Say you’ve been assigned 4 essays of 2500 words, all due for the same day. You can’t decide which one to start, and it’s terrifying that such a large amount of work is due at the same time. Starting with the two most difficult assignments may be too overwhelming. So, pick one slightly easier one, and one more difficult one. Only focus on these two essays to start off with, as flitting between four large essays during the space of a day may be too much for you to deal with, and limit the amount of progress you can make on each. For those first two essays, break down exactly what you are intending to do per day in a ‘to do list’, for example:

To do lists:
PPR 252 Seminar reading (10 pages)
Essay 1 (PPR 225) Complete reading A and B for essay, write 100- 200 words on this. (Easy)
Essay 2 (PPR 253) Complete reading A for essay. (Hard)

You can of course ramp up or reduce how much reading and how many words of your assignment you wish to complete, but by breaking it down in this way you have goals for each day that you can tick off. Remember not to overload yourself, if you set unrealistic goals, you’re bound not to reach them, which can be even more disheartening. Also, remember to take regular breaks and don’t expect to be able to work 7 days a week!

4) Avoid distraction, turn off your phone!

5) Staying positive:
You’re likely going to have a few off days here or there, or feel like no matter how perfectly planned out your work is, you just don’t have the energy or the patience to do it. So many students get to this point near deadline week. You have two options, if this is the first wobble you’ve had, drop your work and walk away for 10 minutes. Ring or message a friend, talk it through with them. Have you been overworking? Is your current method ineffective? If you can realistically afford to take a more extended break, perhaps an afternoon off, then do so and start afresh the next day. If you can’t, or maybe if this has been one of many highly stressful outbursts over a short period, it may well be that you are working as best as you can, but it is just taking its toll on you. This is when it is time to approach your department, lecturers, seminar tutors, TA’s or the welfare team. They may be able to help you better manage your workload or clarify something you’re having an issue with.

Final thoughts: Your department is there to help you if you are struggling, but remember that it is entirely possible for you to meet your deadlines. You are allowed to have off days or wobbles, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to reach your goals, so try not to be too hard on yourself and good luck!

How to ‘do’ third year, first term

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by Caitlin (Student Blogger: BA Hons English Language)

There isn’t really a step-by-step guide on how to do third year right – but I can offer you some useful insights into what to expect and how to deal with third year in your first term. My first term in my final year at Lancaster is nearly over, and I can definitely say it’s by far the best but the most stressful.

1. Get organised
I know it’s what EVERYONE always says, but it definitely helps if you have a calendar with all of your upcoming deadlines, a to-do-list and make use of posit notes to remind yourself on things you need to do.

2. Start your dissertation early
This is something I have NOT done and regret it, because at this point in the term I’m swamped with other deadlines and priorities and my dissertation has fallen behind. I cannot recommend enough deciding your topic as early as possible (summer even) and getting started on your literature review and data collection as soon as you can, before other deadlines catch up with you.

3. Start applying to jobs early
This is something I began doing at the start of term, but have also had put on pause due to my deadlines. Lots of graduate job deadlines can be as early as October and November, so make sure you check out the deadlines in advance as job applications can be extremely time consuming (especially grad schemes that involve various tests and online interviews).

4. Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise
With the mountain of things you will have going on in third year – from sports to assignments, job applications to work experience and part-time work to maintaining a social life – prioritising is vital. This ties in with organisation, make sure you know when your deadlines are and order what you should be doing first – because there won’t be a time during first term of final year when you have NOTHING you could be doing.

5. Go out, socialise and do everything you did in previous years
Just because it’s final year, don’t let this scare you into isolation, quitting your sports and not going out with friends. I’ve managed to maintain all of this and revive a society on my own – it’s all about time management and once you get the hard work out of the way, you can reward yourself by going out. Without the de-stress of spending time with friends, going out for food or doing anything sociable, you’ll look back on third year with frustration and stress. It doesn’t have to be like that.

6. Get a break from uni
This is something that I only recently discovered – that staying in the ‘uni campus bubble’ is not productive and definitely does not motivate you to get your work done. Get out of Lancaster every once in a while, – catch a train to Manchester, go on a drive to the lakes with a friend or get a bus to Blackpool. Sometimes a day off from work, stress and Lancaster is all you need to motivate you.

Planning coursework effectively

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by Catherine (Student Blogger: MSc Electrical Engineering)

When you have coursework or an assignment due, it it is important to take a step back and plan your work to get the most out of your time.

Creating a Timetable

Let’s say you have an essay due in a week. The piece is worth 20% of the module, but you have classes this week and are concerned you won’t have the time. The table below shows an example week plan for completing the work:

Day  Planned Work
Friday (assignment set) • Read and annotate the coursework assignment
• Highlight key points to research
Saturday • Research key points, collecting references
• Plan structure, listing appropriate references for each section
Sunday • Write introductory section
Monday • Day off – reflect on assignment so far
Tuesday • Write the bulk of the coursework, using references and structure from Saturday
Wednesday • Finish writing the bulk of the coursework
• Note key points for the conclusion
Thursday • Write the conclusion sections, using notes from Thursday
• Proof read, and note any improvements
Friday (assignment due) • Execute improvements from Thursday
• Submit assignment

The key point of this plan is to not begin writing until a day or two after the work has been set, to give you the time to plan and prepare. Annotating the assignment is an important step to ensure you don’t miss any key points and can maximise your grade.

Coping with Stress

You have two pieces due, both significant to your grade, and you work weekends. Breath, everything is going to be okay.

Some stress levels can be beneficial and motivate you to work. Too much stress is distracting, effects your mental wellbeing, and worrying consumes your time.

My advice?

Try to Schedule a Day off
If time allows, take a day for yourself. You could attend a society meeting, spend time with friends, or catch up on a series. This gives you a motivating incentive to work towards.

Get Enough Sleep
Sometimes, you may not have a choice and you may find yourself trading sleep for time in order to meet that deadline. However, consistently losing sleep will affect your mood and productivity so it is best to take care of yourself, so you can work harder for less time.

Allow Yourself Time to Worry
If things become too much, set aside an hour to allow yourself to be stressed. If you can, use this time to create a mind map of how to solve the problems that are concerning you and refer to this the next time you become stressed.