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Refugee Education UK

Wed 15 February 2023 - 14:29

By Refugee Education UK

For me, education is freedom. It opens doors and clears your way. It’s like walking from darkness into light. When you are educated you get knowledge, wisdom, understanding and a future.

Aarash (whose name we’ve changed to protect his identity) has just come to the end of his first year at university. In many ways, his highs and lows have been just like those experienced by all new students: the joy of learning more about a subject he loves, the fun of meeting new people and finding a sense of belonging in his university community, the challenges of a whole new level of academic work.

But, in others ways, Aarash’s experience has been completely different. He is an asylum seeker who fled escaped conflict in his home country and arrived in the UK alone as a teenager.

Like many young adults seeking safety in the UK, he’s faced the trauma of fleeing war, the loss of family and a familiar environment, and a very broken experience of...

Making the most of freshers' week

Tue 23 August 2022 - 11:15

By UCAS in UCAS advice

It’s an exciting time and a great way to meet new people. So, here are some top tips for getting involved during the week.

  1. Find your tribe: There will be so much happening during freshers' week. There are cool events on all the time, nights out, freshers’ fairs and more. Most of all, it’s a chance to meet people, get involved and find your crowd, whether that’s a specific sports team, society, or your flatmates, to name a few.
  2. Take time for yourself: With everything being new (new people, new room, new freedom!), freshers’ week can be a bit overwhelming. So, make sure you take some time out for yourself. Whether you go for a walk, pin up some pictures in your new room, or head into the city, you can chill by yourself for a while if you need. 
  3. Talk to your student reps: Feeling worried about something? Struggling to find a certain building? Most unis have a bunch of student...

Student finance + saving tips

Tue 9 July 2024 - 09:20

By Charlotte Stevenson in Money

One of the things I have always found most stressful throughout my life is the idea of student finance. Mainly because I am terrible at keeping up to date on what is going in and out of my bank account, so getting into the habit of this has been really important in order to make sure things are paid on time and everything is in order. Once you do get into the habit of organising things and keeping track of where you are at with everything, it gets much easier to deal with your income, what you can spend and when, without needing to worry too much. Worrying should be confined to the minimum so that you don't surpass your stress levels too soon and burn out before exams/deadlines, so it is important to keep those levels low with as much organisation as you can.
 
With this in mind, I thought it might be useful to combine a few tips in this post so that you have an idea of how to keep things going throughout your...

Working for a successful student journey for disabled students

Thu 4 July 2024 - 11:13

By National Association of Disability Practitioners in Support

• Do you have any needs that make studying more difficult for you?

• Have you had some extra assistance in school?

• Not had help at school, but feel you may need it studying at a higher level away from home?

What can I do to help myself now?

Telephone, email, or visit the disability support office for your college or university.

You may never have heard about NADP, the National Association of Disability Practitioners – in fact, doing a Google Search for NADP brings up a host of interesting options such as a complex biochemical protein, the National Anti-Doping Panel, Novel and Dangerous Pathogens, and something to do with teeth! But we are actually a professional organisation, with members working with disabled students across post-16 education. 

Our members work in offices with different names, but just search the college or university website for ‘disability’ or ‘student support’. Don’t...

Five apps for surviving freshers’ week

Thu 20 June 2024 - 13:25

By Ability Net in First year

September is coming and we all know what that means – the famously frantic freshers’ weeks are upon us! It might be your first time away from home or perhaps you’re just concerned about getting organised, or how you’re going to afford the weekly food bill.

Every year, AbilityNet helps thousands of students with a range of disabilities to get the most from their time at university, and we know that preparation is key. That’s why we’ve put together a list of apps that we think might help you prepare for the start of term…

1. Organisation – ‘Swipes’ – this handy app is essentially a funky to do list – it allows you to ‘swipe’ tasks to the right to complete them or to the left to remind you later. It’s a nice way of prioritising the things you can do right away and things you can put off until you’re ready. Make your way through your daily tasks, and even get a nice satisfying fanfare at the end.

2....

Ben Fogle: Haven't got the grades you hoped for? Be positive!

Thu 11 July 2024 - 09:37

By Ben Fogle in UCAS advice

I will never forget the day I finished my final A level exam. FREEDOM. The summer that followed was one of the happiest times of my life. No worries. No revision. No pressure. But all good things come to an end, and before the summer was up it was results day. I still get just a little bit sick thinking about it. It was many years ago now but in many ways, it feels like yesterday. It's like a slow-motion rollercoaster. There is nothing you can do to alter or change those results.
 
So much pressure is placed on those few results. I can remember thinking that my whole life could be made or broken by them. University and thence my career both relied on them. I remember opening the envelope. Heart pounding as my eyes settled on the marks. I could see a D and an N. N? What was that? I had failed.
 
My stomach churned and I was overcome with a wave of hopelessness. I was alone at home with only my dogs for company. I tried to...

How can we help you? AbilityNet student services

Thu 4 July 2024 - 10:13

By Ability Net in Support

Are you a student with a disability or impairment? Or a parent? Or someone working with disabled students in higher education? Would you like specialist advice and expert information on how best to support your/their studies? AbilityNet can help.

AbilityNet helps people of any age and with any disability to use technology, to achieve their goals at home, at work, and in education. We provide specialist advice services, and publish free information resources on our website.

We also raise awareness of the Disabled Students Allowances, and other support universities can provide. Many people don’t realise that they could qualify for extra help, so don’t get the support they need to succeed.

How we can help

We can help advisers and students at all stages of education, in a number of ways:
  • Call our free helpline to discuss questions or issues with individual cases.
  • Come to our inclusive tech for education events – a chance to...

Additional support and financial help for disabled students

Tue 20 June 2023 - 14:41

By AbilityNet in Support

University is a time of independence, new experiences, and new challenges. It’s exciting, but for some these new challenges may be on top of challenges faced every day, challenges that place additional burden that might affect your ability to study.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to study, such as a learning difference like dyslexia or ADHD, you may be eligible for additional support with your studies. This support might be equipment, human support or may be financial help with the additional costs associated with your disability.

This blog will help you understand some of the support options available to you.

Financial support

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a UK Government grant which provides personalised support to disabled students in Higher Education. This is funding you don’t have to pay back and can include specialised hardware or software, or support from specialist staff, to make your learning activities as...

Get set for Clearing - Part One

Wed 26 June 2024 - 11:08

By UCAS in Applicant

Wendy James, Admissions & Student Records Manager, Birkbeck, University of London

It’s really important to remember that studying at university isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ experience. As well as finding the right course, take some time to work out what kind of experience you want out of the next few years, so you don’t get swept up with what your friends are doing, or go for the first option that comes your way.

For example, do you want to study in a city or campus-based provider? If you need to work to support yourself during your studies, what are the employment opportunities like?

If possible, do this before results day – research viable alternatives just in case. If you get the grades, then great, but if you don’t, be prepared! Would you go to Glastonbury without your wellies?

Look at courses, entry criteria, the university environment, facilities, the social scene, bursaries, and...

How to audition for a music degree

Tue 18 June 2024 - 15:04

By British & Irish Modern Music Institute in First year

Tom Picken, British & Irish Modern Music Institute 

So, you’ve decided that a music degree is right for you, and you've submitted your application. You’re now probably thinking about the next step, your audition… The word alone can be enough to make your heart beat and palms sweat! But don’t worry – here are five ways to impress the assessor, and ace your audition.
 
1. Learn the material
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse – this is your time to shine, so make sure you’re prepared.
 
2. Don’t be late
Think of the audition as a job interview. Arriving early shows you’re committed and gives a good first impression.
 
3. Relax
Although you might feel under pressure, your assessor is as keen for...

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