Month: February 2021

My COVID-19 university experience outside of student life

Posted on by Frankie

I’m George and I’m studying BSc Politics and International Relations.

What volunteering I’m doing whilst studying

Whilst at university I’m volunteering as a Special Constable with our local police force, Avon and Somerset Police. In this role, I hold the same powers as a regular police officer and patrol alongside them by preventing and detecting crime to help keep the community safe. Engaging with the community through my volunteering has allowed me to engage with the wider community, which is great because I learn something new or exciting about Bristol every day. I volunteer at least 16 hours a month, however I recognise the importance of breaking the study cycle at university so often commit to more hours.

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PROJECT:TALK Bristol – connecting our community in the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on by Frankie

PROJECT:TALK Bristol have a mission to change the way Bristol views mental health by pioneering mental fitness. Below, members of the team tell their story of setting up PROJECT:TALK and their work to support students at Bristol during the pandemic.

PROJECT:TALK logo and committee members

George, PROJECT:TALK CIC’s co-founder and Bristol Society’s current co-president, explains how it all started

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‘It’s an exciting opportunity for anyone at the University’ : Isobel Edmondson on Global Lounge Language Café sessions

Posted on by lizzie.feltham

Name: Isobel Edmondson
Course: Second-year, French and Theatre
Both Language Café learner and volunteer, since the start of the 2020/21 academic year  

As a French and Theatre student, I always intended on attending the Global Lounge’s weekly Language Café sessions during my first year of University. I’m now in my second year, and while it still takes place every Wednesday afternoon, the venue is pretty different! Instead of meeting at a physical space, we move freely between virtual tables on a platform called Remo, communicating through cameras and microphones.

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Search the internet and plant a tree

Posted on by Frankie

This blog was written by veterinary students Hannah and Elspeth. They have successfully campaigned for the University to adopt Ecosia as our default search engine on all open access computers across campus.

During a time when it is essential to make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle, we knew the University of Bristol needed to switch to Ecosia, so our campaign started. With the University declaring a climate emergency in 2019, and committing to carbon neutrality, the move to Ecosia fits with becoming a more sustainable campus.

Ecosia is a search engine, which uses its revenue to fund tree planting in twenty different projects across the world, where trees are needed most. This not only has huge environmental benefits but also social impact for the surrounding communities. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, preventing excess greenhouse gases building up in our atmosphere, they also…

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The path to self-acceptance, resilience and happiness

Posted on by Frankie

This blog was written by University of Bristol Student Counsellor, Natalie Read. Natalie has been a counsellor for 14 years, working both at the University and in private practice. She’s worked with students and non-students of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, all with different reasons for seeking support.

The importance of self-acceptance, resilience and happiness

We all strive for happiness but aren’t always successful in achieving this. If we’ve experienced hurt, rejection, failure and other similarly painful situations, we may naturally try to avoid these in future. This can lead to strategies such as overworking, pleasing others, perfectionism and other unhelpful coping strategies. Whilst well intended, these strategies are ineffective in the long-run and come with unhelpful side effects. Trying to be somebody we’re not or trying to control life is like trying to be superhuman.

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