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Monthly Archives: October 2018

What helped me gain confidence in my employability skills in City, University of London

School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , , .

Thinking about the future is daunting, especially when you are in university. This is the time when you have to choose a career path, an interest of yours, and inevitably consider your professional growth and start applying for internships or employment.

This process is harder, especially when you are a fresher. It feels as if you are thrown into the adults’ pool and somehow you have to learn how to swim and stay above the water by yourself. You are overwhelmed by the environment – a new place of study, unfamiliar people, a new home and responsibilities like groceries and laundry are preying on your mind. 

However, when it comes to the professional aspect of your development as a character and person in busy London, you are not alone. One of my favourite departments in City, University of London is the Careers, Student Development, and Outreach Centre. 

The team of people working there are professionals whose aim is to support and provide us with the exact tools we need in order to enhance our employability. They offer a range of services – mock interviews, opportunities for part-time/temporary work or internships, career-related events, mentoring, and even recruitment. In my personal experience, I have mostly benefited from the Careers Consultant appointments I’ve had and Unitemps. 

Careers Guidance appointment’s involve a one-to-one meeting with a professional, who can help you with your career ideas and plans, as well as creating a CV and cover letter for a specified job description. They are confidential and not intimidating. We discussed my strengths and how can I improve my weak points, as well as the issues relating to the transition from study to work. And most importantly, we worked on my CV and cover letter. As I have never written one, I initially trusted templates from Word but found this is not always a good enough approach soon enough. During the overview appointment, you can receive pieces of advice concerning the layout, what is important to include, how to present your best traits and even the way to correctly structure a sentence. This enables you to not only list jobs and skills you have acquired, but also to feel confident when handing in your CV. 

When you have prepared, the next step will most probably be Unitemps. You can apply for a variety of job offers at all levels: temporary, permanent or paid internships roles, both at the University and in and around central London. You do not need to sign a contract with Unitemps, which gives you a flexible schedule and the freedom of choice. In that way, you can test your CV and cover letter writing techniques, start working as a Student Ambassador or as a temporary Charity CD Library Assistant like me, and through baby steps conquer internships and find jobs in your field of study.

With the Careers Department support, you have the basis to explore, try and most importantly practice in a safe environment. You can explore what gives you the most pleasure at work, try to apply to as many jobs as possible and practice your interview skills, adaptability and work ethics. Furthermore, you can work on your time-management skills and this is one of the most important strengths you must develop throughout the BA years. 

My final days at City, University of London

London, Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , , , , .

Hi, it’s been a while! I received a few messages on LinkedIn after my last article here, and I have to say I am really excited that some of you will be starting your postgraduate studies at City this year!

Unfortunately, this will be my last post on the blog as I have come to the end of my time studying at City. I thought about how best to wrap up, so I’d like to talk briefly about my final days here at the University and my tips for writing your dissertation.

It’s been an amazing year – a year of learning, socialising, hard work, giving back, self-awareness and so much more. Most of my final days have been spent in the Tait Building. What was I doing there? Writing my final thesis! Many postgraduate courses require you to submit a dissertation at the end of the year, which is worth four times your average course unit. See below my three major tips for when the time comes to write yours (make sure you have your pen and paper ready!)

1. Start on time!

Almost everyone knows this, but I can assure you only a few people practice it. I can’t stress this point enough because I made sure to start extremely early, but still ended up working until the last day proof-reading it. Obviously, your workload might be lighter than mine, but I was able to use the spare time I saved to triple-check my work.

2. Pick a topic you’re interested in!

Some people already know the topic they’d like to research from the moment they start their course. If that’s you, great! If not, don’t be weighed down by this. During your course year, look out for the modules you find really interesting and write down areas you’d like to potentially explore. I had no topic when I started out, but discovered my area of interest during the year, which was information visualisation.

3. Set personal deadlines!

The project team will release a timetable closer to the start of your dissertation. This contains the major deadlines set by the School. I’d advise you to take a step further by setting your own deadlines. Don’t set impossible targets, your goals must be SMART. What this does is to motivate you when the going gets tough. This is because you might get to the point where you’re just really tired of staring at your laptop. Your goals will keep you going at this point.

I hope these tips will come in handy. As for my plans after finishing my postgraduate course? Consulting! I’ll be starting a job in consulting soon, where I can apply all the amazing skills I’ve learnt at City.

Please comment below if you have any questions, and I wish you all the best!

How not to gain the “freshman 15” as a law student!

The City Law School, Undergraduate , .

Have you ever heard anyone say, after their first year of university, that it looks like the “freshman 15” got them?

Are you going into your first year of law school and worried about gaining 15 pounds from sitting in class all day, and additionally, reading for hours in the library?

Well, look no further than my top ten tips to get you through your freshman year of law school without the extra 15 pounds!

1. Take breaks during your studying to visit CitySport, City’s on-campus sports and fitness centre. A bit of time out for exercise will also help you focus more and relieve any stress. You could also go for a walk or a run along the river and take in the sites of London.

2. Skip the unhealthy snacks when studying – as tempting as it may be to head straight for the chocolate (you may love it, but it does not feel the same way about you ….time to move on and pick up a new love named “carrot”!)

3. As a student, it can be hard to find the time to cook a proper meal. However, ordering a take-away every night is a bad idea! Yes, it might be the quick alternative (especially if you’re busy preparing for a big exam or assignment) but, try to plan ahead. Make all of your meals at the beginning of the week and then put them in the freezer.

4. Try to alternate when you eat carbohydrates, so that you are not eating them everyday. Yes, pasta every night is a great “broke student” diet, but not a great idea unless you are participating in regular exercise!

5. Do not eat too quickly, even if you have limited time in between classes. Yes you might be hungry, but eat slowly and enjoy your food.

6. Make time throughout the day to regularly eat. Eating multiple small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism working faster in comparison to eating just three large meals a day.

7. Avoid late-night snacking. You should be sleeping anyways, as a lack of sleep can also play a role in contributing to your future 15-pound friend. Time management with schoolwork is key to ensuring a healthy sleep schedule.

8. Skip the sugary drinks, or at least drink them less often!

9. Join clubs to get you out of the house. It is a great way to meet new people. Even if it is a non-sport related club, it is still getting you off the couch and forcing you to take more steps and move around more than you would have if you did not join.

10. Above all else, don’t stress too much about the ‘freshman 15’. You’re only at university for a short amount of time, and it is supposed to be fun and exciting. If you are happy, healthy and enjoying yourself, does it really matter what number the scale says?

Summer job, or vacation?

Cass Business School, Undergraduate.

Thank you for reading my blog and following along on my journey at City so far! As usual, I’m going to begin by emphasising the subjectivity of this post. Everyone is different, and this post is just “my two cents” on how you can spend your summer as an international student (as a first-year international student, to be specific!)

Our generation can often feel a lot of pressure to always be busy, in addition to the pressure to continuously advance ourselves professionally for the sake of our future careers. Because of this, many university students opt to spend their summer holidays either interning, working or participating in external school-based activities.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, there is a danger of allowing yourself to think that if you do not take part in any of these that you are “lazy” or less than your friends who are taking part in these activities.

My advice to a first-year student, especially one who is taking a challenging course that does not allow them the leisure of much free time, is to sleep your summer away. Okay, not quite! But, do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself to remain busy in the name of trying to keep up with everyone else. If you are able to travel or visit your home country, even better. It is very rejuvenating to go back home after a year of living in a foreign country. Rest, have fun with your friends, bond with your family, and generally take a break from the life that you’ve come from and that you will go back to. This is not to say that you should do absolutely nothing productive, you could learn a language, take a dance class, learn that instrument you’ve always wanted to, etc.

However, for those that actually want to take part in all these things, by all means, add value to your life! My perspective depends on so many factors, some of which are: your personality, your course, your attitude towards your home country and your goals. Also, in later years of university I do believe that you should do things related to your career, and spend your time wisely and deliberately.

Generally, I’m trying to say that if you’ve just began university, you mustn’t let the “overkill” mentality control you – because it easily can! Life is short and before you know it, you’ll be starting your career and working your way up the ladder. Therefore, there is no need to rush into it – sometimes it’s important to just press “pause” and enjoy your time as as student!

Freshers’ Weeks: the most important 20 days!

School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , .

The period from 14th September to 4th October, also known as “Freshers”, can be anything but peaceful. These days are for you to be re-programmed! You are not at home anymore, the weather is different, the food does not taste the same, you are surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and there are so many new places to be explored. These are the changes classified as “the tip of the iceberg”. This is your one step closer to an independent way of living.

In my opinion, the first few weeks at university are the most important. They give you a chance to look around, familiarise yourself with the new territory and make new friends. The first few weeks are exciting, but also overwhelming.

My piece of advice is: take your time! Breath in and breath out. Do not follow the crowd or do what is somehow expected of you from fellow students. These 20 days are your chance to not only make a physical change, but a mental one. Some of my tips for settling in are:

  1. If you like decorating, spend your time moving into your new student accommodation. The room may be smaller than you are used to, but with the right touch, you can create your own personal space. Candles, soft pillows and plants usually do the trick for me. City’s campus is within close proximity to its student halls, which are also located near a variety of stores, making accessorising your space more convenient. Create your own “before and after” series, and bring friends over for spa days and spooky nights.
  2. If you prefer informative events and various activities, City has prepared a programme of events during Freshers where you can socialise and adjust to the student lifestyle as quickly and smoothly as possible. Examples of activities include mug painting, movie marathons, origami workshops, pub quizzes and karaoke! There are also events designed for international students, to help settle you in to life in the UK. The most important thing is that these events are a great opportunity for you to relax and meet other students with similar interests.
  3. If you like neither of the given options above, you could be from the group that wants to let their hair down and party. CityBar, the University’s student bar, is a fantastic space to meet with other students and socialise.

You may be feeling worried and slightly disorientated, while also feeling way too excited to know what to do first! From personal experience, I would advise you to do what interests you the most. City, University of London has given a platform to every group, society and event possible. Find the best place for you and enjoy the truly unique adventure that university is!

 

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City, University of London is an independent member institution of the University of London. Established by Royal Charter in 1836, the University of London consists of 18 independent member institutions with outstanding global reputations and several prestigious central academic bodies and activities.

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