Category: Welcome

Perfect roast dinner – on a budget!

Posted on by emily-may.roberts

Veggie, vegan or meat-eater, we can all enjoy a classic Sunday roast. There are only four essential components of a roast, protein, roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Yorkshire puddings are another roast staple, but these may be harder to obtain for vegans unless you’re willing to go the extra mile and make them yourself.

Get the flat together, prepare your ingredients, and indulge in a British classic.

 

Protein

Your protein can be whatever you fancy, you want quick and easy? Sausages will do the trick. We especially recommend Richmond’s meat-free sausages for a tasty but conscientious choice. Any joint of meat works wonders when you season to your taste, just remember your staples, like salt and pepper! This easy roast chicken recipe is a great starter if you’re new to the world of roast dinners.

Meat-free alternatives are just as tasty an addition as any meat option. Check out Quorn’s Roast for the veggie route, found in the chilled aisle in Sainsbury’s, or head to Waitrose for a vegan nut roast that the whole flat can enjoy.

Roast potatoes

Everyone has their own ‘perfect’ roast potato recipe. A second place spud is unheard of. If you want low-maintenance roasties, you can always go the frozen route, just don’t let your British mates see. Making your own is just a few extra steps and really boosts your standing in the Sunday roast community. Any potato will do, but common favourites are Maris Pipers and King Edward potatoes.

For a nice simple spud, simply peel your potatoes, chop them into medium consistent chunks and cook in the oven at 180 degrees with some oil and salt until golden brown. These should go in for around an hour, or until they’re golden on the outside, and soft in the middle.

Adding additional seasoning will help to level up your potato game. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and garlic are all classic ways to elevate your dish, but you can really use anything that you think will work

If you have the time and patience for it, there are several ways to boost your average roastie. Par-boiling your potatoes, pre-heating your oil and using fresh seasonings like garlic gloves are just a few examples. Have a look at this crispy roast potatoes recipe if you want to nail those crispy spuds.

 

Vegetables

There’s a whole world of vegetables to put on your roast. You can pretty much use any that you think of and cook them however you prefer. Boiled broccoli, peas, cabbage and carrots are cheap and easy veggies to include in your meal. You can also boil cauliflower, parsnips and Brussels sprouts for more variety. Roasting veg takes slightly longer but offers entirely different flavours, roasted carrots, parsnips and swede are tasty additions to any roast, just peel, chop and drizzle in oil, salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes to an hour. You can even just pop them in next to your potatoes. For a sweet take on roasted veg, try adding a few teaspoons of honey drizzled over top before you pop them in the oven.

 

Yorkshire puddings

For the meat-eaters and veggies, Yorkshire puddings will be the easiest side dish to handle. Grab a frozen bag of Yorkshire puds from any supermarket and cook as the packet entails. Aunt Bessie’s are known to be tasty and veggie!

For vegans, you may want to skip the Yorkshires, making your own can be difficult and time-consuming, but if you’re willing and able to give it a go, here is a vegan Yorkshire pudding recipe to follow. You can skip the food processor for a hand whisk, but you will need a muffin tray for this one.

For those who want a traditional Yorkshire pudding, try this one.

 

Gravy

No roast is complete without gravy. Instant gravy is a great affordable option, with choices of beef, chicken or vegetable (usually) and there are vegan alternatives available in most supermarkets (Bisto onion gravy is a popular choice). But again, there are always ways to up your gravy game. A lot of people opt to put leftover meat/veg juices and flour. There are so many gravy options out there that we could never list them all, so check out this BBC Good Food list here.

 

The first few weeks of Uni are exciting and new, the flatmates you have now are going to be with you for a whole year (at least!), so make sure you take that time to get to know each other.

We’d love to see your first flat roast! DM us on Instagram or tag us in your dinner pics and we’ll shout out our favourites on @bristolunistudents.

Moving in weekend

Posted on by emily-may.roberts

Moving in weekend

Students at Wills Hall during moving-in day

 

Moving for the first time can be stressful. What do I bring? Who will my roommates be? How many forks will I need?

We’ve put together some advice as you prepare to settle into life at Bristol.

What do I bring?

Badock Hall.

Firstly, if you’re staying in halls, make sure you check to see what is already provided. You can find this out here – Bedroom essentials include your bedding (don’t forget the quilt and pillows), towels, laundry bag, hangers and extension leads if you need the plug space (no more than 13 amps load). If you have an ensuite, make sure to remember a bath/shower mat and some bathroom accessories (toothbrush holder, soap dispenser, as many toilet rolls as you can sneak out of the house, etc).

 

If you’re a Marlborough House resident, no need to worry about kitchen equipment as this will be provided! For everywhere else though, here are some things to remember. All residents should bring plates, bowls, mugs, cups, cutlery and a bottle/can opener. If you are a self-catered student, you should also bring frying pans, saucepans and other cooking accessories you may need. Don’t forget you are just one person, so no need to bring four of everything!

You also shouldn’t feel the need to rush to the Wilko sales this week, as this year the SU’s ‘Take a Plate’ campaign could save you some cash.  You can expect to find mugs, plates, bowls, glasses, pots, pans, cutlery, graters, baking utensils, oven trays, cafetieres, reusable cups, water bottles, food containers and peelers, all for free in these locations:

Student kitchen at Clifton Hill House

This is the start of a new campaign introduced to limit the amount of waste going into landfill and saving you a pretty penny.

Cleaning supplies are also a must have. Washing up liquid, sponges, cloths and tea towels (don’t forget to wash them regularly) are a good start! As these things are all used communally, you may want to wait till you arrive so you can share the costs with your roommates and avoid bringing duplicates.

 

Roommates

It can be pretty intimidating moving in with strangers, especially if you are also moving to a new city or area. Try to remember that you’re all in the same boat! Whether you are the type to kick start introductions, or prefer to let others do the talking, there’s room for all personalities here. Why not arrange a group activity for you and your new roommates? You could hunker down for a movie night, cook a meal together or check out a local café or park! A really simple thing to do is leave your door open as you move in, it lets people know you’re open to talk and introduce yourself.

If you do find yourself struggling to settle in, you can always talk to the people around you. You may find that one of your roommates is going through a similar situation and can help each other through it. You can also reach out to the University wellbeing services if you feel unable to turn to anyone else. This friendly team has loads of advice and resources to support you and there are some great tools to help you manage your own wellbeing as well.

 

 

 

The importance of the LGBTQ+ Society

Posted on by Tyesha

Bug Lewins Ktori is the incoming president of the University’s LGBTQ+ society. Having been involved with the society since their first year at the University, they are committed to making sure that all LGBTQ+ students benefit from a sense of community and peer support during their time at Bristol.

We spoke to Bug about intersectionality, peer-support, representation, and their following of the ‘DofE’ approach.

Why is the Q so important in LGBTQ+?

The Q is very important. To me, queer means not fitting in, having parts of yourself that aren’t societally acceptable, not fit

ting into a box that has been assigned to you. It can act as an umbrella for different gender identities and sexual orientations and how they intertwine

with other identities. Having the ability to say I’m queer, I’m one of you without specifically narrowing down to specific letters is important for me.

Also reclaiming the word queer is so empowering, we’re able to take back which was used as a slur and are now able to say this is my identity and I love and am proud of that.

How important is intersectionality to the LGBTQ+ Society?

Our top priority really is intersectionality, because there’s no point making those of us who are more privileged within an underprivileged community feel wonderful, while still excluding an entire underrepresented part of our community, that is already struggling more so you know, as a group that’s supposed to be providing support and community that is one of our biggest focuses.

We have a very diverse committee with a zero-tolerance policy on any sort of discrimination, we also do our best to cater to intersections such as disability and race.

What are your peer support sessions like?

These sessions run in collaboration with Project:Talk, so any concerns are fed back to them. But we’re very chilled out, we try to make these sessions as unintimidating as possible. We bring a bunch of biscuits, a bunch of colouring books and we chat, we do have some structured questions i.e. names, pronouns etc. but mostly we talk about our days/weeks and natural conversation is sparked from that. And then the rest of it is just kind of almost kind of like hanging out as friends. 

If a student had an issue how would/could the society help?

If a student has an incident or a negative experience, we will escalate this to the SU and the University and discuss formal measures. We help students navigate any formal complaint processes and make that person feel less alone in that whole process as nobody should go through those things alone.

I like to think that we exist as sort of like an advice group. Almost like if you had a problem in the workplace, you could talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau and you’d have someone to help represent you.

What is the best way for a student to get in touch if they have an issue?

We’re trying our best to make as many of our communication channels as discreet/anonymous as possible, which will hopefully encourage those who aren’t ‘out’ yet or allies to join. I work with the DofE (Duke of Edinburgh) rules in mind, moving at the slowest person’s speed by catering to the most marginalised/cautious people and then moving forward from there.

We have a big discord server which is open to anyone – there is no need for membership. We also have our Instagram and Facebook Group which are managed by us. People can also reach us on our personal accounts and email addresses e.g., someone may feel more confident speaking to the Accessibility Officer or BAME representative about certain things.

Find out more about the LGBTQ+ Society on Bristol SU’s website!

 

Happy 2022 & Welcome back!

Posted on by Dan Cragg

Welcome back! We hope you had a refreshing and enjoyable break over the winter holidays. We’d also like to wish a very warm welcome to the new international students joining us this term – we’re delighted to welcome you to our University and amazing city, and hope you will enjoy your time here.

Keeping yourself safe

With increasing cases of Omicron COVID-19, we need to do all we can to keep ourselves and others safe. We encourage you to make sure your vaccinations are up to date as it’s the best way to keep yourself protected. Please also make sure you take a lateral flow test before returning to campus, and then continue to test twice a week, every week. You can access lateral flow tests via the NHS website and from Estates Assistant Lodges in University buildings. Don’t forget to record your results on the NHS website too.

You may have already heard that the UK Government has recently changed the rules around testing for COVID-19. Under the new rules, which take effect from next Tuesday 11 January, people without symptoms can start their isolation from the day of their positive lateral flow test and will not need a follow-up PCR to confirm.

The aim is to prevent prolonging isolation for people who may have been waiting for a confirmatory PCR result. You can read more about the isolation guidance on the government website.

Please remember to wear face coverings when inside all University buildings, including in teaching spaces, when walking around corridors, and if you have any in-person exams. Be aware that staff may remove their face covering when delivering teaching.

Assessment arrangements

For our returning students coming back to assessments, we wish you the very best of luck.  Please take a few minutes to read through our assessment support page and familiarise yourselves with relevant details about the exams and remember we have a range of study resources to help you. The SU has put some top tips together about looking after your wellbeing during assessments and you can also make use of our online wellbeing resources.

If you need medical support

We know that our hospitals are currently under a lot of pressure.
If you feel unwell and are not sure where you should go you could:

  • phone 111 for advice
  • visit your local pharmacy
  • make an appointment with your GP (local doctor).

If you have an injury and think you may need medical attention, but it doesn’t seem urgent, you might find going to a local Minor Injury Unit more helpful than going to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the local hospital.

You should only phone 999 or attend the local A&E department in an emergency when you need urgent medical care that can’t wait.

For new international students, please visit our Students Health Service web pages for advice about registering with a GP (local doctor) and lots of useful information about looking after your health and where to go for help when you need it.

Things to do

If you are new to Bristol, there’s lots going on to help you settle in including Bristol Student Union’s  Refreshers events programme. Make sure you also visit the Welcome Lounge run by our friendly Global Lounge Team where you can meet other students as well as get advice and support to help you get started.  We also produce a regular newsletter for international students, so watch out for it in your University email account. You’ll find useful information to help you get used to the uni at our Student Services website.

If you’re planning a night out, it’s important to look out for one another as unfortunately, further incidences of spiking were reported before Christmas. Remember to follow the Bristol Rules to have fun and keep safe. Read the SU’s blog post about safety at night and find out what your elected officers are doing to support safer nights out.

We’d also like to remind you that you can now access your teaching timetable and loads of other useful information through the University of Bristol app. You can download it from the app stores, or update to the latest version if you have downloaded it previously.

Things to look forward to this term include:

  • Source cafés across campus offering tasty plant-based meals and snacks for ‘Veganuary’
  • Refreshers events programme  — 21 to 30 January
  • Time to Talk Day – 3 February. We’ll be planning some activity on starting conversations about positive mental health.
  • SU elections – nominations open between 1 to 23 February. Your chance to elect union officers, course and faculty representatives, network chairs and more.
  • 5K run at Coombe Dingle — 20 March
  • Climate Action Day — 29 April. Keep an eye on the SU website for further details.

We hope you have a happy and healthy spring term.

Getting to know our University Police Officer

Posted on by cheryl.miles

University of Bristol PGCE graduate, Sian Harris, tells us more about her role as our Universtiy Police Officer and how it differs from Security Services.

Sian Harris, University Police Officer

Sian joined Avon and Somerset Police in 2005 and has spent her Police career to date in uniform, either as part of the 24/7 response teams or neighbourhood policing teams.

Tell us more about your work and what it involves?

I deal with a wide range of incidents – both those reported to me by the University such as drugs possession and criminal damage or burglary, and those reported by students and staff, for example bike thefts, assaults and harassment. I also act as a liaison between Avon and Somerset Police and the University.

I’m part of the neighbourhood policing team which means that I have responsibility for a designated community, in this case the University. My role doesn’t differ to any other neighbourhood officer.

There is no typical day here – there never is in policing – but I try to create a good mix between desk-based work (answering email/phone enquiries, updating crime reports …) and being out on patrol. I patrol both on foot and by car and will include both University buildings and Halls of Residence.

How would you explain the difference between your role and a Security Officer?

Although, I work very closely with the security team, and we often respond to jobs together/work together to tackle on-going issues, criminal investigations are my responsibility. I liaise with victims, interview suspects just as any other Police Officer would.

Our joint aim is to create a safe environment for students and staff. Security Services will often be your first point of contact. Their knowledge of the site and access to buildings will mean that they are often the best people to contact in the first instance. Just like police, the security team have an emergency and non-emergency number and as you’d expect, emergency calls will always be prioritised. Security Officers will then contact other services if required. If they identify that a crime has been committed, they will take details and preserve evidence and then pass it on to police to continue the investigation and deal with the offence – often this is me, but could also be other officers on duty in Bristol at the time.

We also both wear body worn cameras, although Security Services only started wearing these from January 2021 to further protect students and staff and reduce crime on campus.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

It’s definitely the variety. You never know what each day is going to bring. I’m up for the challenge and enjoy making a positive contribution to this diverse community.

Sian is based in the Security Services building at Royal Fort Lodge and happy to be contacted via phone or email to answer questions and offer advice. Please do get in touch with her if you need to:

Welcome to the University of Bristol  

Posted on by olivia.farrell

 A welcome message from Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience Professor Sarah Purdy  and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education Professor Tansy Jessop. 

We hope that you’re all settling in well and enjoying your time in our wonderful city – whether you’re a new student or returning to Bristol. As your studies have begun, we wanted to check in and remind you of a few things to help you get the most out of your time here.

During your time with us, we highly recommend that you explore Bristol, including the different areas beyond Clifton and the central campus. Bristol has so much to offer – diverse food, art, music, as well as museums, parks and waterways. Make sure you visit the newly refurbished Senate House, including brand new bar, The Beckford, and the Bristol SU Loft, which are great places to relax, unwind and connect with other students. While you’re on campus, check out the brand-new meningitis research mural near the Biomedical Sciences Building which aims to motivate and inspire the public to join the fight against meningitis and remember to familiarise yourself with the symptoms.

We all know life can be challenging at times, so we offer a comprehensive range of wellbeing services and support if you need it, including self-help resources and access to specialist services where you can speak to staff. We’ve also put together a study support package to help you develop excellent online and in-person learning techniques. We also encourage you to actively use available teaching rooms on campus, which can also be found on this web page – see the ‘Find a live learning space’ button.

To keep our community safe, we ask you to wear a face covering when inside all campus buildings, including teaching spaces, unless you are exempt. This includes walking around corridors and generally moving around inside buildings. Find out more about how to keep safe on campus.

We also want everyone to have a fun and safe time when out and about in Bristol. So, make sure you look after each other on nights out. Check in with your friends and let them know where you’re going, plan how you’re getting home and keep an eye on your drink. Read our blog post for some useful resources to help make your night out safe .

We hope you enjoyed Welcome Week and finding out about the University and Students’ Union. Please take a few moments to fill in the SU Welcome Survey and share your feedback on Welcome Week, so we can continue to improve our welcome activities!

We hope you have an amazing term with us – we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone on campus this year and to enjoying University life together!

Best wishes,
Sarah and Tansy

Professor Sarah Purdy             Professor Tansy Jessop
Pro Vice-Chancellor                  Pro Vice-Chancellor
Student Experience                  Education

 

Staying safe on a night out

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

The legendary Bristol nightlife is coming back to life again! 

Bristol is a city that knows how to have fun so here are some useful resources to help make your fun night out a safe night out.

  • The city of Bristol want you to enjoy the nightlife to the max. Bristol City Council have recently launched Bristol Rules – a campaign to encourage us to stay safe, respect each other and call out inappropriate behaviour. Here are their helpful links and tips on how we can all help each other to have fun and stay safe in Bristol. 
  • Bristol city council have also joined forces with Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol city Centre BID to address the serious concerns around drink spiking. The Stop Spiking campaign provides helpful advice on how to recognise when drinks spiking may have occured, what to do if you think a drink has been spiked and where you can get support in Bristol. Find out more here.
  • Bristol Students Union have listed some practical tips on how to stay safe this Autumn. Check out their useful links on seeking support around drugs or alcohol.  
  • Our Security Serivces are always on hand to support on campus too. They operate 24/7/365 to help us learn, live and have fun in a safe and secure environment. Find out here how you can contact them and read their useful tips on personal safety. Point number one is to add the Security Control Room number (0117 9287848) and emergency number (0117 3311223) to your contacts on your phone.  
  • Did you know we also have our very own neighborhood police officer to support Security Services? Read our recent interview with Sian Harris who gives us an insight into the role she plays at the University
  • If you, or someone you know, experience unwanted actions or behaviour, the University has teams in place to listen and support you. Find out how you can report unacceptable behaviours and what support is available to you here.   

Don’t forget, look out for each other, plan how you’re getting home, keep an eye on your drink and remember to respect your neighbours. Have fun! 

 

Welcome Week Wrap up

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

To all new and returning students, a very warm welcome to you all!

It’s been brilliant to see students on campus again. Our first ever Welcome Village brought the festival vibe to Royal Fort gardens and Tyndall Avenue with activities including live music, food stalls, street performers, plus a very warm and friendly welcome from our student support and inclusion advisors. Highlights included free yoga classes from the Yoga Society, getting glitzy at the glitter bar, waffle fries and so much more.

Afternoon tea?

Students were treated to the quintessentially english fresh scones, cream and jam in the Global lounge, our dedicated meeting space bringing together students together from all over the world. The team and their student ambassadors couldn’t resist raising the ongoing debate…“What goes first on your scone – cream or jam?”

Bristol SU Welcome Fair

To top it all off, the Students Union Welcome Fair took place on the Downs on Friday and Saturday. New students had the opportunity to meet the enormous range of student groups and find out more about volunteering or joining a network. No doubt they bagged themselves a load of freebies and discounts too!

Time is ticking on and it’s already the end of your first week of teaching. Don’t forget we have a wide range of study support resources. Please remember that we expect and encourage you to wear face coverings when inside University buildings on campus to keep everyone as safe as possible.  

Have a great weekend!

Things I wish people had told me I didn’t need to take all the way from China to uni!

Posted on by sophie.patrick

eby Juntao, Senior Resident

I still remember the day  I was packed for my Masters, packing for an exciting adventure to a different country, different culture, and of course, a completely different food system from China. My mum was standing next to me, muttering about all the things I should squeeze into my poor suitcases: clothes, shoes, stationery, sanitary pads, skincare, eye drops, rice cooker, tableware, woks, quilts, pillows… Then there was the day when I was carrying two giant 28-inch suitcases and one boarding case, struggling all the way from the train station in my city to the airport in Shanghai, to the airport in London, and then finally to Bristol. Oh, yes, how can I forget the day when I finally submitted my dissertation and started to pack my things and leave for home, I looked at my wardrobe, sighed, and wished someone had reminded me not to bring this stuff!  

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Find your Support

Posted on by cheryl.miles

Hi everyone! Khadija here, chair of the BME network, elected by BME students to represent BME students at a university and SU level.

Many students struggle with finding support, and in my role, I particularly find this as an issue for BME students, who often find it difficult to see how to access the university’s services. As such, I’ve become familiar with what is available, and have had some great discussions with the staff behind them already to incorporate the needs of all students, including those from racial and ethnic minorities! How to Find your Support:

1. Student Wellbeing Service

This is your first port of call if you’re struggling, and includes a range of services, from:

– Student Wellbeing Advisors, who can help direct you to where you need to go.

– TalkCampus app, giving you online peer-support any time of day and night.

– Self-help resources, including the FIKA Covid-19 support app, which is designed to help you learn practical mental and emotional fitness approaches which you can apply to your everyday life.

– The Student Counselling Service, including a specific BAME Counselling service run by NILAARI, which the BME Network supported being expanded into the university last year.

– The uni are working with Bristol Drugs Project too and ‘The Drop’ harm reduction service. If you’re thinking about trying drugs or if drug use has become a problem, reach out via email thedrop@bdp.org.uk find them on Instagram above or call 0117 987 6000.

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