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:
– 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.
Although this is a difficult time for everyone, we are here to ease the transition to online learning and provide you with all the technical support and advice you need.
There are plenty of useful online resources available to you.
You did it! You got your place! And right now, you’re probably packing and thinking about what you’ll need to start student life in Bristol next week. You might be wondering about what life at university will be like; whether you’ll need one saucepan or four; thinking about who you’ll meet and which societies to get involved in.
With so much to think about, studying may not be right at the top of your list right now! But do read this later for top tips to help you build great study skills to keep on top of academic life right from the start.
Tip 1: Get to know your personal tutor
Your personal tutor – everyone has one— will help you to get the most out of your time here at Bristol. They provide feedback on your work and general info about your course, advise on study skills and choosing options, and help with personal development planning. Importantly, if you are struggling with financial, health or other problems, they can also signpost you to our support services to get the help you need.
At the moment, we’re also looking for new 1st year undergraduate students to help us develop personal tutoring further – Visit our website to find out more.
Tip 2: Start your Personal Development Plan early
Personal Development Planning (PDP) helps you reflect on your skills, attributes and achievements, and plan for your future personal, academic and career development. As part of this, you should create a PDP portfolio to record your progress as you move through your degree. Your personal tutor will help you with this. Find out more on the PDP tab and check out our Bristol Skills Framework to get started.
Tip 3: Expand your horizons with our Optional/Open Units
Some of our degree programmes are flexible so you can choose from a range of optional/open units and explore topics outside your discipline. Bristol Futures Optional Units will help you develop new perspectives studying themes such as global citizenship, big data, innovation, and sustainability. Alternatively hone your language skills with our University-Wide Language Programmes – and if your degree doesn’t allow you to choose these units (check with your School office), you can always follow one of our Bristol Futures open online courses, starting 19 October 2019. You can apply for your open/optional units via the Online Open Unit Selection form during Welcome Week (open from 9 am, 23 September to 12 pm, 25 September). Visit our website to find out more.
Tip 4: Study Skills for you
Studying at University may feel a bit daunting at first, but make use of our Study Skills Service, offering workshops, online training and other useful resources. In particular, check out our Upgrade to University course to develop a suite of study skills to help you through your degree.
Tip 5. Represent your Students’ Union
As well as getting to grips with studying at University, you could also think about becoming a student representative for the SU, responsible for raising academic concerns for students. First year course reps, Junior Common Room (JCR) reps, the Postgraduate Network Chair and committee members are among the opportunities up for grabs. Find out more on the SU website.
Tip 6: Follow the Library on social media
Checking up on the collections!
Following the Library Twitter feed is a must! A super useful source of information about where to study, it’s a great way of getting to know our many libraries and study spaces, with options for group and individual study, and where to find chill out zones for those all-important breaks. It provides interesting facts about our collections, our knowledgeable and dedicated library staff… and some of our special custodians. (Reader, I draw your attention to Mort the resident skeleton in the Medical Library). It’s also worth checking out the Library’s other social channels: Facebook and Instagram to keep in touch. And read the Library’s special welcome to new students.
That’s it from us for now! In the meantime….happy packing! See you in Bristol!
One of our former students has written you a welcome letter – look out for this on our Freshers’ 2019 Facebook group later this week!
Over 150 staff members in our nine libraries are busy preparing for the arrival of the new students and looking forward to showing off their extensive resources, inspiring spaces and specialist services making all libraries accessible to everyone.
Boosting those brain cells doesn’t just mean work, work, work though. Jez Conolly, Head of Student Engagement at Library Services is keen to provide plenty of opportunities for students to relax and refresh so that precious time you commit to studying is even more effective.
‘We want to encourage users of our libraries to include regular breaks in their study patterns. Working constantly without breaks isn’t great for your productivity: when you’re tired and stressed, it can be hard to take information in or do your best work. So it’s really important to get into the habit of stepping away from the study desk and taking some time out.’
Arts and Social Sciences library’s dedicated relaxation space
‘You’ll find a relaxation space on the first floor of the Arts and Social Sciences Library where you can ‘unplug’ for a while, plus in the Wills Library,we now have a ‘Library of Possibilities’ space with soft seating and a collection of more contemplative non-academic reading matter. This year we’re introducing new ‘take a break’ cards which will enable you to indicate to others when you’re on a break and when you will return to your desk. At especially busy and stressful times in the year we provide a range of enjoyable mindfulness activities designed to help you rebalance and relieve some of the revision pressure.’
Wills Memorial Library: Library of PossibilitiesWills Library, University of Bristol
The Library support team including, Jez Stein and Mary Lockwood, are also beavering away preparing for your arrival.
Library support information at the Arts and Social Sciences Library
Library services and spaces are designed so that they’re accessible and inclusive wherever possible. There are study spaces available to suit your preferred learning style, featuring social learning spaces, collaborative group study rooms, low-distraction and silent study areas.
If you’re a part-time student, studying outside of Bristol, have a disability, dyslexia, or caring responsibilities, the Library Support team aim to provide a range of services to make sure the library is accessible to everyone. We can work with you to discuss any specific needs or requirements you might have in terms of study space or access to resources. Please feel free to arrange an appointment time or just drop in during office hours.
Library support is based in the Arts & Social Sciences Library.
Email: library-support@bristol.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 117 928 8502
Textphone users can call via typetalk: 18001 0017 928 8502
