Levitate Student: Job & Study Balance

Guest Blog Interview with Oliver Bell (final year student at Heriot Watt University)

Oliver Bell (22), 2017 graduate of Heriot Watt University, talks to Levitate Student about his experience of working alongside his course.

Levitator - What are your thoughts on the importance of working alongside your course?

Oliver - Whether you have had a job prior to university or not it is of vital importance to continue or start working while at university. As well as building lots of transferable skills that your future employers will look for once you complete your degree. Also it is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are living away from home.

Ideally it is best to find a job that suits your schedule, having a job at university that takes up too much of your time will hinder both your social and academic components of your time at university. It is good to look at what the university has to offer internally. Jobs such as being a student ambassador rarely require any prior work experience and usually pay above minimum wage level. Shifts will not be regular but it’s a good way to fund some of those nights’ outs during term time.  

Levitator - Did the tutors guide against working? Or did they make suggestions about a max number of hours? In my experience tutor recommend no more than 16 hours per week - what do you think to those guidelines?

Oliver - I think it is advised at Heriot Watt, as it is more of a modern institution, that it is best to have a balanced university lifestyle. It does not have to be paid work as there are roles in societies

Levitator - Did you find work yourself or did you get help from others, did the university offer a jobs service to help students find work - did you or anyone you know use it?

Oliver - Yes they do. They have their own jobsite search area and a careers service which I have attended but I did not find any jobs I was interested in that way, I found my own opportunities.

Levitator - Are there any opportunities, that you were aware of, to work for the university - as a student ambassador for example?

Oliver - Yes there is, there are student ambassadors and everyone gets an email in their class school about the opportunities. There are also class reps. Also within societies as a coordinator this is also a paid opportunity.

Levitator - Did you work in holidays or alongside your course or both? Were your hours fixed or was it flexible.

Oliver - I have done all of them, and a mixture of the two. My hours have been flexible for many student ambassador roles. But had a fixed role working weekends in one of my semesters

Levitator - Did you feel you had to work in order to afford to be a student or chose to in order to make it more manageable or to simply build up your funds?

Oliver - I think it is important to manage your funds which puts less pressure on having to work. But it is good to have a break from studying and actually be in a workplace....even if it is just a café. Plus, adding to your funds is always a bonus!

Levitator - Did you choose to work to build up experience for your CV?

Oliver - The student ambassador roles were more to build up experience on my CV displaying more of an individual role, where many of the ideas are my own and building a team that I would work alongside. But as well as this working in café’s and other high street and more ‘typical’ student jobs are just as important in terms of the transferable skills that you can develop.

Levitator - what were the advantages/disadvantages of working alongside your studies?

Oliver - When working weekends, I found that there was pressure to do a lot of my studying and coursework during the week, as after getting in from an 8-hour shift there just is not the motivation left to then sit down and do some studying.

It is good for the networking side and meeting more people, and developing different circles of friends.

As long as you use a diary it should be good to plan a Zero-Hour Contract around your social and study activities. Just be organised and plan ahead

Levitator - Did you have any problems with understanding your tax/payslip - did you get any help with these matters if so who?

Oliver - Nope it was all fine, but I did ask my parents advice on a few matters (cannot remember them at the moment) But maybe that is just me. I’m sure your bank or student services at the university would be able to help with this.

Oliver concludes - My advice to all students no matter what year, it is really important to be proactive outside of your studies. University is an experience not just an education. Join societies do things that you are interested in and do not be afraid to do something different. But also remember it is usually never too late to participate in a lot different things. For example, missing football trials, contact someone at the club and see if you can attend training or a 7-a-side session. If you do not like it then that is perfectly normal - go and try something else!

There are so many opportunities that university life brings so do not miss out.

Levitate Student: Freshers - Not settling in? Want to Leave?

Moving to university is a big step and the transition is not likely to be completely without problems.

The vast majority of Higher Education students are school or college leavers many leaving home for the first time. However many students are from Overseas arriving in the UK for the first time. Other people are leaving or reducing paid employment to start or return to studying. Some are making a transition from welfare benefits as a main income source to student finance.

Whatever the changes of circumstance may be chances are things will eventually settle and your old routine will be comfortably replaced by the new.

But.....what if you just don't like it? Not a wobble from the transition but a genuine acknowledgment that the course, the university, the people or the town are not for you. You have changed your mind and want to leave or as it is commonly referred to in the Higher Education sector - withdraw.

If you have taken student loans to pay for the course then it is likely you have a very narrow window of opportunity to withdraw without paying the first quarter tuition fees.You may also be tied into the accomodation contract.

The university will cover your rights on withdrawing in their Student and General Regulations. These are equivalent to your university's Terms and Conditions - you should always know where to find these on your institutions webpages. 

Here are a couple of examples

University of Nottingham  - the window of opportunity for a new, home undergraduate to withdraw without first quarter fee payment is 3 weeks according to the Fee Regulations

Teeside University  - the window of opportunity for a new, home undergraduate to withdraw without first quarter fee payment is 2 weeks according to the Fee and Charges Regulations

So as you see the rules are not the same from institution to institution.

The rules may differ for Overseas students, self funding students, postgraduate students, part-time students. Accommodation contracts will vary depending on your provider.

So Be Wise

Check your university regulations and accommodation contracts to understand your consumer rights. 

Seek advice especially if the matter is complex or seems unfair.

Know where to find your university's complaints procedure.

Levitate Student: How I made my Uni Choices

Guest blog by Connor Brown Year 13 student

Connor

I personally started researching Unis earlier than most of my friends, perhaps around the start of year 11. At this stage I was just using University league tables like the Complete University Guide to get a list of the sort of Unis I might want to look up. For this I looked at how high Unis ranked in the subjects of German and French as luckily I knew this would be what I would want to study, but you can use these guides to look at student life, accommodation or a host of other criteria. Next came visiting the Universities' actual websites to look up the course content (for me this became the main way that I managed to narrow down my list, with Universities like Oxbridge and Exeter offering very traditional, literary-heavy courses that I really didn't fancy).

By the start of year 12 I had visited my first Uni outside of an Open Day when me and Mum went for an informal look around UCL. This sort of visit was enough for me to get a feel for the Uni but in truth I wouldn't recommend it as you don't get to find out much more about the course/accommodation without Open Day staff being there to talk to you. Nevertheless I knew after this visit that I could rule out UCL; for me it felt too small to offer what other Unis could.

By the middle of year 12 I had only four Unis that, based on League Tables and course content, I felt I wanted to see on an Open Day. All of my Open Days fell at the end of June/early July so as I had finished my AS exams by this point I had no trouble getting the time out of lesson. Where I was focusing on course and just the general 'vibes' I got from a place, my Mum was much more interested in accommodation, something I personally found difficult to judge having never lived away from home for any extended period of time.

Before I went on the Open Days my preference had changed quite a lot: UCL had been my favourite before I went to visit, and then Durham had been top for a long time until I received my prospectus and realised that the focus was yet again on literature. Here it's worth noting that you should order your prospectuses as early as possible as they do provide more information than you can find on the website (I personally felt a lot of the websites needed quite a lot of work doing to them). Also make sure you book your Open Days early as certain talks run out of places quickly, though on the day it's always worth turning up even if you couldn't book onto a talk/tour as they're often happy to let you in. 

By the time I visited Sheffield (my first Open Day) Newcastle had become a very strong contender. For me Sheffield ranked particularly highly for student life, having the best ranked Students' Union in the country, and the course was very flexible which was just what I was after, however the accommodation seemed pretty standard to me, with a strong emphasis on 'communal living' (a term which was to me oddly presented as a positive). However after my visit I could certainly see myself living there for 3 years of my life.

The next stop was Newcastle and as the Open Day was on a weekend I had enough time to explore the city. Newcastle seemed to combine the security and community of a campus with the diversity of a city, being a good next step between the town where I grew up and the big bad world. Newcastle ranked highly across the board but had particularly  special language facilities including a whole language library building offering language learning in 150 languages (including Klingon!). From this point I had decided that Newcastle would be tricky to beat, and the next day when we traveled the short distance to Durham I was in a way relieved that I found the course and the collegiate system a bit too traditional for it to challenge Newcastle (I actually walked out of a college tour when our guide started talking about the odd blindfolded dinner on offer), although it couldn't be denied that there were less concrete monstrosities on Durham's campus compared to Newcastle.

By the final Open Day which happened to be Lancaster Uni I was convinced I had my firm and insurance Unis settled. Lancaster did have a modern beauty about it which surprised me - the architecture fit perfectly with its rural surroundings (Mum thought it looked like Center Parcs) - however I felt I would miss having a city on my doorstep and I might feel quite isolated. Then, however, I went to speak to the languages teachers. The languages talk had been interesting but had told me little new, so I would always recommend actually speaking to the teachers and coming prepared with a few questions. My main question was unsurprisingly about literature, and I was delighted to hear that if I took a third language I could miss it out almost completely.

On to the accommodation tour and it was clear that Lancaster had had a revamp, although I'm looking forward to hopefully going back again on a post-offer day to try to find some of the older rooms to see if they're just as nice. By the end of the day (and of my Open Days as a whole) I had my top 2: Newcastle and Lancaster. Although Newcastle stayed my top, this was still quite a departure from UCL and Durham which had been my favourites in year 11. The fact that I had changed my mind so much proves the importance of Open Days. My parents' top choice? Me and Dad were in harmony but Mum thought Lancaster would at least offer her peace of mind, with me being secure in a campus where compared to Newcastle I wouldn't even have to cook for the first year if I didn't want to.

Shortly after my Open Days the arduous process of UCAS began. Regardless of the amount of money they put into the site it remains confusing (I had to watch some of their videos describing what you have to do on each page), with the section adding all your qualifications being particularly time-consuming. The personal statement that goes along with UCAS will take hours to complete and several redrafts, having to fit why you would be the perfect student, what you 

love about your chosen subject and why you want to go to Uni in the first place into only 4000 character (with spaces) seems impossible at the beginning, but keep calm and eventually you'll manage it. Just remember that it's not the be all and end all, your grades are still what count.

Now I'm at the stage where, as long as I get the offers, I have made my University choices, and that is a huge relief! You get to choose 5 Unis to put down at the first stage (for this part there is nothing wrong with putting down Unis that you haven't visited), and then by March you have to decide on your firm and insurance choice, the insurance usually asking for a least one grade lower. Almost everyone changes their mind along the way which can be pretty stressful but is also really exciting, and having had a look around 3 Unis which I could happily go to I can't wait for this next stage in my life.

Levitate Student: Video for Freshers

Levitate Student: Six Money B's for Clearing

 

Be Wise – Understand what Clearing is all about.

Clearing is a very exciting period in the academic calendar. Exam result can throw a sudden change of plan into the mix and a bit of quick thinking is required.

Yet so many students just hope it won’t happen and don’t want to think about it. It is really important to consider what you would do if results day means a change of plan. It’s not failing it is just shifting stance and that is fine.

Sometimes between picking courses and results day you have changed your mind anyway about second and third choices, or perhaps the institution has changed their mind about you – for better or worse. You may have received offers from universities but no longer want to accept them and want to look elsewhere – that’s what Clearing is for.

It’s okay – it’s exciting but it’s good to have thought about where else you might want to study, have thought about the financial impact and have planned for those changes.

Clearing might turn out to be the best day ever when you look back – so embrace it.

Be prepared – it’s the early bird that catches the worm

Hopefully once you have learnt how Clearing and Adjustment works you will have a plan in mind for results day.

Universities plan their own strategies well in advance and have an army of staff on hand to deal with their customer queries and help with new offers and to hopefully win your custom.

The universities are eager to fill their courses so as the day goes by fewer places will be in the Clearing pool. It’s makes sense to act as swiftly as possible, though ensure you are comfortable with your decision. Planning ahead will help your swift response not turn into a panic.

Be an empowered consumer

Remember you are a customer of the universities. On results day, unless the university is fortunate to have filled all its courses, they will be waiting and hoping for your call.

The universities open their Clearing Lines early and keep them running until they have filled all the spaces they possibly can. It is a stressful time for the university staff dealing with all the enquiries and changes of circumstances that results day brings. The staff usually offer a responsive service to win your custom so don’t phone the Helpline thinking they are doing you a favour. This flux works both ways – they want you just as much as you want them and they are likely to be flexible on entry requirements.

As a potential customer of the university check out their terms and conditions – usually these are usually found on the website as for example

Student Regulations/University Regulation/General Regulations......

These may be dull but are very important to know about as the intuitions will follow these rules when dealing with their students.

Also see if your university has Student Charter or other form of customer service agreement.

Get to know what support services the university offers such as well-being, advice, careers, help for disabled students etc.

Understand your consumer rights by looking what the Competition and Market Authority advice for undergraduates. 

Be on top - Keep the funder informed of changes of circumstance

This seems obvious but when you are busy it’s easy to forget. If you change university, course etc then the funder (SFE, SAAS, SFW, SFNI) needs to know.

Be informed -Check out your universities of choice on OFFA

TheOffice for Fair Access work to ensure universities are reaching out to all potential students. Each Higher Education Institution submits an agreement about how they achieve this every year to OFFA for approval.

Read the agreements from universities of choice – there may be details of extra financial help that you may be eligible for.

Be flexible on accommodation

Changing university in August can mean that your accommodation plans have to change too. Not all universities will have accommodation for all their first year students. Those who accept a place through Clearing may find this an additional challenge.

Again universities are used to this process happening year on year and will provide guidance. You may have to consider living in Private Rented instead of Halls. You may have to start looking for a place at short notice. Remember that it won’t just be you and the university may put you in touch with other students in the same situation. They may have lists of private rented accommodation providers or of shared houses with a room available.  Also prospective students often use social media to find others to share with. So be ready to respond to these options.

Signing your accommodation contract may seem a big commitment and it is. Whether the accommodation provider is a university, private halls, landlord’s agent or private landlord, you will be signing a legal tenancy agreement.

It will be legally binding for the number of weeks outlined and is likely to require the student and a guarantor to sign it.

Know what you are signing for – the number of weeks (these can vary widely 42,44,52 for example); what is the deposit; are there administration fees; what is included in the rent; how many instalments & when are they paid; what are the rules for terminating the contract......

Note that for halls of residence the instalments may not be equal. For example it is possible for the institution to front load the plan so that you pay more in the first term. This can be tough to budget for but it’s best to be prepared.

If you are looking at private accommodation, then many universities offer services to check the tenancy agreement before you sign – worth doing to be safe.

You do not have to go into halls and if you chose private rented then understand your rights fully. Look on www.shelter.org.uk and www.unipol.org.uk for helpful information. Also learn about Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Remember if you choose to live at home to consider how you will contribute to the household bills from your student finance.

This video on Fresher’sAccommodation may help you.

Levitate Student: August! Clearing & Adjustment Plan

A' level results are pending.

What many do not realise is that half of A' Level students do not get the results they were hoping for, while some of course will perform better than predicted. However given this scope for results differing from those anticipated, few prospective higher education students have a contingency plan for results day. 

Results day means potential for everything to change. Better grades could bring opportunities to consider institutions that may have seemed out of reach, lower than expected results brings different opportunities, but opportunities none the less. 

Its worth thinking about what you might do if.......

Universities take results day very seriously and most have crack teams of staff on hand all day from early hours on results day and through the following weeks until their courses are full. It is a stressful time for university staff to negotiate around the changes while dealing with anxious enquiries from worried/hopeful students.

Here a first year higher education student tells of his experience from A' Level results day 2015.....

I woke early, it's not easy to sleep in on the day your future gets decided right? Rewind a bit to my three university choices - by the time August came I had changed my mind about my second choice university, I knew I no longer wanted to go there, so my hopes, I thought were all pinned on my first choice university. I felt I had done okay in my exams - you never can tell though can you?

On the morning I logged onto my sixth from college student portal at 7 am and collected my result. It took me about ten minutes to slowly work out what I was looking at - my doomed future or so I thought. I was very sleepy so it really took some effort to compute that the results on screen were not what I had been relying on for my first choice uni. The problem was in my main subject I had done very badly in one paper - so while getting A's in the others my overall mark was lower than predicted. 

I didn't have the conditional grades to secure a place at my first choice uni -  I felt defeated. I spoke to my parents who were typical in saying all the right things about my results being very good if not what I had expected. They encouraged me to make an early call to my first choice university which I did. The staff member confirmed that my grades would not secure my place, they were great an guided me to call back if I asked for my paper to be remarked etc.

I had an offer from my second choice university but I didn't want to accept. My third choice had asked for a higher grade in my main subject - I called them and they quickly replied to say they too would still be happy to offer me a place.

Still I felt I had failed - but my mum reminded me that I had 3 good A' Level results and just had two university offers before breakfast!! 

Get over it! 

I headed into college to talk to teachers especially about the low grade paper. Mum stayed home looking at what unis were offering spaces on courses of my preferred subject through clearing. She made a list. 

When I returned from college we chatted and I decided to stick with my third choice university. My parents had always liked this one anyway for location, reputation and facilities. I phoned the uni clearing line back and told them I was happy to accept their offer.

The scary bit was having to decline the offer on UCAS from my second choice university. This was needed so that my third choice could make a formal offer. It felt strange on the strength of the phone call taking this step. However the verbal offer was backed up later with an email from the university.

I felt nervous but determined and soon I was coming to terms with the shift and feeling comfortable with it. I didn't have an accommodation place secured and was left with the option of finding a private rented or waiting until freshers week to see if a space in hall would come available. I attended an accommodation Meet and Greet session and meet another student who was in the same situation. We swapped numbers and agreed to go searching for accommodation together. We found a shared rented house along with two other first years so it all worked out okay. I liked it as my room was massive compared with hall - the only downside was being off campus especially in the early weeks.

There was no problem with Student Finance England - I just let them know of the change of circumstances, no hassle, no need to reapply - easy!

Really......now I can't imagine being anywhere else. I enjoyed my first year, made some great friends and am now looking forward to my second year sharing new accommodation with other students from my course.

Looking back I do wish I had thought ahead of results day about what I might want to do rather than just cross my fingers and hope for the best. However the support I got from parents, schools and in particular the university staff made it all okay. 

So embrace the day what ever it brings - uncross your fingers, think ahead, seek help and advice.

For more information visit UCAS Clearing

Levitate Student: Students & TV Licences

The law is changing so make sure you check if you need a 

TV Licence HERE

Even a room like this without a TV where the student only watches TV on catch up on their phone may require a licence!!

Student Bedroom

Levitate Student: Naughty! Retrospective Change Loan Repayment Terms

Remember this..... Watch, Care, Share and #Shout



Music courtesy of Mizudori Dreamer

Well thanks to Martin Lewis, former student Alex True and all of you who signed the petition and wrote to your MPs - there will be a second chamber parliamentary debate on the issue today at 16:30

You can follow the action live  HERE

Wonder how many MPs will be in attendance? We predict a very empty chamber with just a handful standing up for students let down and mis-sold the student loan repayment terms. 

No doubt the government representatives will tell us what a great deal students have and changes are needed to keep the funding affordable......blah blah

The real issue is not changes but RETROSPECTIVE changes and the RISK that further changes could be imposed over the 30 year loan term.


Governments have to change how they deliver services - but that does not have to happen retrospectively. Student Funding changes that affect new students only allow them to make an informed choice about whether they consider the funding system a good deal before the embark on study and a lifetime repaying the funds that helped them access the opportunity.

Changes after the fact are mis-selling and letting down students and families who were naive enough to believe the what the MPs and universities were saying.

What other lender could get away with this? Only an unregulated one....

Levitate Student: Brexit & funding for EU students

The EU referendum in the UK  saw the public vote to Leave the with an outcome of approx 48% of people voting to Remain versus 52% to Leave.

The UK is in political turmoil and the future is very uncertain.

What do we know about the future for EU students.

Jo Johnson MP is the UK Minister of State for UnMPiversities and Science. He is the brother of MP Boris Johnson who led the Leave campaign in the run up to the EU Referendum

Unlike Boris, his brother Jo stated he wanted to Remain in EU and indeed his profile shows he benefited himself from studying in universities in Europe.

Jo Johnson MP offered the following reassurance on Twitter on the 27th June 2016 

UK welcomes EU students. Current students and this autumn's applicants will continue to receive student finance for duration of their course

Jo followed this by highlighting a statement from the Student Loans Company  .
The statement reassured that students who are EU nationals and their families who are currently on a course in England and those who begin studying from August 2016 who are assessed as eligible to receive grants and/or loans by will be eligible for the duration of their study on that course.

Changes we reported on in March 2016 already mean that any EU national starting a course in England in 2016 needs to have resided in UK for 5 years in order to be eligible for any living cost support. If they have lived in UK for less than 5 years then they are likely to be eligible for tuition fees support only.

So if you are from the EU and considering studying in Higher Education then you may want to apply for a place as soon a possible. You may also benefit from understanding how the Clearing Process works in August.

If you have resided in UK for less than five years but have been working and intend to continue to work alongside your course, or you are a family member of an EU worker then you may be entitled to living cost support as a EEA Migrant Worker or Family Member of a Migrant Worker. 

Previous study at higher education may limit your access to tuition fee support. If this applies to you then you may want to consider studying part-time where your previous study won't limit your fee support so long as your new course is at a higher level than the qualification you achieved from your previous course.

Anyone from EU starting a course beyond autumn 2016 can not be assured that there will be funding for their course from the UK government.

Levitate Student - Should I stay or should I go now.......

In the words of The Clash 

Should I stay or should I go now? (Yo! Me frío o lo soplo?)

If I go there will be trouble (Si me voy, va a haber peligro)

And if I stay it will be double (Si me quedo, es doble).....

It's nearly decision time and according to those in the know, it's seem still all too close to call in the UK EU Referendum.

Hopefully a vote for "Remain" will bring much needed sensible debate of the role the UK plays in the EU. Perhaps the tight vote will keep a sharp focus on public disquiet about how effective our membership is and how satisfied the public are with our investment.

A "Leave" outcome will be surely unsettling for many EU students already living in the UK and those considering a move to study here in the future.

I have supported many EU students over the years. It would be fair to say in my experience the vast majority are hard working, diligent and many balancing working alongside their full-time courses. Of course while they work they are contributing to the local and national economy, contributing to the public purse that assists with their student finance.

In recent years it has been harder and harder for EU students to access their student finance entitlement. Bulgarian and Romanian students were particularly hit hard by a tightening of eligibility rules. Hopefully a remain vote will seek to treat all EU member countries fairly with regard to their Treaty Rights.

On March 1st 2016 Joe Johnson MP (Minister of State for Universities and Science) announced a further significant  change to the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 changing the residency requirements for EU national students. 

Currently an EU national is entitled to apply for

• Tuition Fee Loan only if they come to UK to study in Higher Education

• Tuition Fee Loan and Living Cost Support (currently loans and grants) if they have lived in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their course.

• Tuition Fee and Living Cost Support if they are a EEA Migrant Worker or Family Member of a Migrant Worker

The proposal is to increase the residency requirement from 3 years to 5 years before an EU national can be eligible for the living cost support in their student finance package.

The government cited the increasing pressure on the student finance budget due to the level of EU applicants and their desire to manage the burden on the tax payer as their reason for the change. These changes will impact students starting a new course in academic year 2016/17.

Many EU nationals of course fall into the category of an EEA Migrant Worker. These changes will not affect the entitlement of Migrant Workers and their families according to the statement. Neither will it affect "those who are already studying". 

However if the UK vote to "Leave" what will happen then to all our EU students still in the Higher Education system once the mechanism for exit is negotiated?

How will our universities cope with the potential drop in income from the fee funded EU students?  Imagine our neighbour students from the Republic of Ireland being regarded as International or Overseas students by the UK.

A vote for "Leave" with throw the HE sector into a whorl and keep money advice services very busy indeed in support of the rights of EU students up and down the country.

Its interesting the polls that indicate reported divide based on age of the voters with a high percentage of 18-24 year olds looking to vote "Remain". Wonder how the 16-17 year olds would have voted given a chance to have a say on their future?

Whatever your viewpoint, do ensure you VOTE. Such an important issue, no matter how muddled the campaigning or divided the stance, deverse a strong public turn out.

Happy Polling Day - see you on the other side :)

Useful information and guidance for oversea and EU students is available through UKCISA