Buckinghamshire College Group - Student Services Newsletter - Spring 2023

EXAMS ARE COMING. DON'T LET THEM DEFEAT YOU!

Summer Term Summer Term is finally here! is finally here!

Spring has sprung and It's going to be a busy term for all in the run up to Summer, packed with exams, FMP's, choosing new courses, getting ready for university and our first Prom!!

We hope you all have a fantastic term and please remember if you hit a bump we are here to support you.

PICK UP OUR STUDY SKILLS GUIDE FROM STUDENT SERVICES

WHAT'S WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HAPPENING HAPPENING

Worldwide event to raise awareness of the environmental issues which face the whole of planet Earth. The Earth Day organisation campaigns on environmental issues worldwide and promotes sustainability and reducing pollution.

Earth Hour

April - June

National Gardening Week 2nd - 8th May

Eid al-Fitr 21st - 22nd April

A religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-tosunset fasting of Ramadan. It is celebrated with prayer and different festivities and foods in different countries.

25th March

Earth Day

22nd April

National Honesty Day 30th April

Make June 1st extra pleasant for everyone. The purpose of this holiday is to counteract bullying and the lack of civility and common courtesy that is growing among people in today’s world.

National Gardening Week 2023 is held between 2nd and 8th of May and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to raise awareness of gardening and horticulture, and to encourage more people to take part in the healthy and productive outdoor activity of gardening

National Doughnut Week 7th - 15th May

National Doughnut Week is a very special week where businesses including bakers, coffee shops, offices and take part and sell lots of delicious doughnuts to raise funds for The Children’s Trust.

May is National Teen Self Esteem Month and it's a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring our teens are self aware and feel confident about themselves.

Teen Self Esteem Month 1st - 31st May

National Truffle Day 2nd May

May 2 is National Truffle Day. This day honours deliciously sweet chocolate truffles, that everyone should enjoy today. There are different types of truffles: European, Swiss and American.

Eat Whatever You Want Day

11th May

Eat What You Want Day is just a way to enjoy life with friends and family. Many nutritionists even agree that “taking a short break” from your diet regimen is actually good for you

National Say Something Nice Day 1st June

Make June 1st extra pleasant for everyone. The purpose of this holiday is to counteract bullying and the lack of civility and common courtesy that is growing among people in today’s world.

Pop some popcorn, grab a blanket and your favorite buddy, put away the cell phones and tablets, and then queue up a string of movies for a fun night of entertainment.

National Movie Night

10th June

While many zoos function as an extension to conservation and preservation efforts, others do not. The campaign focuses on advocating for the humane treatment of animals, including pets, farm animals, and wildlife.

Animal Rights

Awareness Week

19th - 25th June

Refugee Week

19th - 25th June

Through a programme of arts, cultural, sports and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns, Refugee Week enables people from different backgrounds to connect beyond labels, as well as encouraging understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety.

Selfie Day 21st June

Thanks to social media and the smartphone, June 21st recognizes a form of self-portrait that couldn’t exist without them; It’s National Selfie Day! We are encouraged to take creative (appropriate) selfies and share them on social media.

National Mental Health Awareness Week

15th - 21st May

Mental Health Awareness Week is an ideal time for us all to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.

On the theme of 'anxiety', this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is from 15 to 21 May.

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face. In a recent mental health survey we carried out around stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time. Six in ten adults feel this way, at least some of the time. On a positive note, anxiety can be made easier to manage.

Sometimes you might not like someone when you first meet them. But you mightfindthatastimegoesonyoustarttolikethemmore.Trynottojudge someone before getting to know them. If you give them a chance, you might justbecomefriends.

We can't choose how we feel, but we can choose how we act So if there's someoneinyourgroupwhoyoudon'tlike,it'simportanttomakesureyou're notnastytothem Youcangetalongwithsomeoneandhangoutinthesame groupasthemwithoutbeingreallyclosefriends

DRIFTINGAPARTFROMFRIENDS

You'll make lots of different kinds of friends in your life Some friends you'll only know for a summer or an after school class And some you might know for your whole life It's natural for some friends to drift apart And this is more likely to happen if you and a friend go to a different secondary school orcollege

Friendships are normally best when they aren't forced If there's a friend that you feel you ' re naturally growing away from, that's okay. You might not have the same interests anymore, and you might make new friends somewhereelse.

REMEMBER

It's not okay for someone to make you feel bad If your friend has said something about how you look or where you come from, or pressured you into doing something you didn't want to, it could be a good idea to tellsomeonewhat'shappened.

IT'SGOODTOTALK

Ifyourfriendhasmadeyoufeelbad:

trytothinkaboutwhytheymighthaveactedthewaytheydid

ask if they're ok - they might have felt worried about something, and takenitoutonyou beassertive-thiscanmakeiteasiertosayhowyoufeel.

Ifyou'vemadeafriendfeelbad:

ask another friend or maybe even a teacher to explain how you feel to them

bepreparedtosaysorry givethemtime

If you need advice, just talk to Student Services or to find more help with friendships, visit the Childlinewebsite

What to know more? Visit the official website for loads resources and inspiration

...like this poster

lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk

ways to boost your ways to boost your emotional wellbeing and emotional wellbeing and mental health mental health

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FOOD AND MOOD

Changes in blood sugar levels are linked to changes in mood and energy. Eating regularly maintains blood sugar levels. Not eating regularly can make you tired, irritable, anxious and cause poor concentration Good tips include eating breakfast, eating every 3-4 hours, avoiding junk foods, eating plenty of fruit and veg and drinking lots of water

KEEP ACTIVE

Physical activity helps release endorphins which can improve your mood. When you feel low in mood you might stop doing the things that can improve your mood, almost without realising it. Making sure you do some physical exercise, even if you don't feel like it at first, can give you quick results in improving your mood.

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DRINK SENSIBLY

Alcohol can cause depressive feelings, heightened anxiety, or feeling out of control in a way that feels unpleasant It can also increase risk taking behaviours, so you need to know what your reactions might be. Remember to make your own decisions about what is right for you and not to bend to peer pressure around drinking.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Some people like to read to learn about the world, or escape into other worlds. Some people like to express their feelings through art, some like talking things through with others. Whatever your style, make sure you do express yourself - it will help you to stay connected, to discover more about you, your identity, and the person that you want to become.

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DISTRACT YOURSELF

When you are feeling immersed in a problem, let yourself switch off from it and go and do something completely different. When you return to it at a different time it may seem more manageable. Distracting yourself is not a cop-out, but can be a reliable way to stop overthinking a problem when you are feeling stuck.

ASK FOR HELP

How would you feel if a friend asked for help, advice or just wanted to talk things through?

Many of us would be pleased to be chosen to confide in, it might make us feel valued. When you are feeling low in mood, or anxious, it is easy to think negatively about yourself and be less likely to seek support from others. Try and beat this feeling and approach people that you trust to talk to. You may be surprised at how much better you might feel and how they have responded positively to you, as you would if the situation were reversed.

LEARN TO TAKE TIME OUT AND RELAX

People have lots of different ways of relaxing or having downtime from the stresses of life. These can be the things that you stop doing when you start to feel low in mood, or stressed, as you forget to be kind to yourself A hot bath, listening to music, watching a film, keeping social arrangements and hobbies going, whatever it is, think about the things that help to keep you calm or more content, and make sure they are still in your routine.

DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY

We are all unique and enjoy different things. You may not have found the thing that you enjoy yet, so try some different things out. You may have lost touch with activities that have given you pleasure in the past. Doing things you enjoy can help you to stay connected with some of the more positive aspects of life.

If you ’ re struggling with your feelings, you ' re not alone. YoungMinds have loads of practical tips and advice from young people just like you, as well as information on getting the support you need.

REMEMBER YOUR GOOD POINTS

We all have them, and none of us is perfect either. It can be easy to think that others are more talented, more successful, have more opportunity than us, when you are feeling low in mood. But it is impossible to know how someone else is feeling inside, whatever they seem like on the surface. Remind yourself about the things you do well, and looking for evidence of this can help to balance out critical thoughts about yourself, which tend to increase when we are stressed

SELF-HELP

Use online resources and books that offer help and support, information and advice, or just give another perspective. Some people like books with information, some people like reading about other people's experiences. Some people like novels with a particular theme. Some people prefer films. Whatever works best for you. Why not pop into your local library and check out their Shelf Help books.

let's get let's get moving moving

Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal

Taking up running can seem like a scary prospect, especially if you feel out of shape or unfit NHS Couch to 5K is a running programme for absolute beginners, and will help you gradually work up towards running 5km in just 9 weeks, or longer if you want to go at your own pace.

has a choice of 5 trainers to motivate you works with your music player tracks your runs connects you with other Couch to 5K runners

The Active 10 app records every minute of walking you do (anonymously). Just pop your phone in your pocket and away you go!

tracks your steps helps you set goals shows you your achievements gives you tips to boost your activity

Did you Did you Know? Know?

To stay fit and healthy, it's recommended you get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or around 20 to 30 minutes a day

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THE INTERNET &YOU

ThisFebruary, theCollegetookpartinNationalSaferInternetDayCoordinatedbythe UKSaferInternetCentre, thecelebrationseesthousandsoforganisationsgetinvolved topromotethesafe, responsibleandpositiveuseofdigitaltechnologyforchildrenand youngpeopleThisyearsthemefocusesonencouragingconversationsaboutinternet safety, sotheUKSIChasputtogethersometoptipstohelpyoutohaveagreattime online, byalwaysrememberingtotalkabout >>>

>>> UsefulLinks

TheUKSaferInternetCentrehasputtogethertonsofresourcestohelpyoustaysafe onlineandincreaseyourawarenessofpotentialrisks Checkoutsomeofthelinks belowtomakesureyouarestayingsafeonsocialmediaandbeyond

Forfurtherhelpor informationregarding stayingsafeonline, visit theUKSaferInternet Centre

Thinkyou'vegotit allsussed?Whynot testyourselfwith thisInternetSafety Quiz?

TEAMMeetthe BCGSU

CASSIE HOOPER AYLESBURY CAMPUS PRESIDENT

AVA CHILLINGWORTH AYLESBURY CAMPUS VICE PRESIDENT

RACHEL LLEWELLYN WYCOMBE CAMPUS PRESIDENT

DAISY CLARKE AMERSHAM CAMPUS PRESIDENT

WONDERFUL OLOWOKERE AMERSHAM CAMPUS VICE PRESIDENT

VACANT

Timeout Activities

Can you solve the riddle?

"Im of THREE letters, remove ONE ill become stronger, remove TWO ill become 10. What am I?"

There is a hint in the picture below!

Can you find the tiny Bee?

Everything is going to be ok again!

I'm taking this time out for me

I've coped with this before. I can do it again!

BE'IN' TOWIN

PRIZE DRAW

GIVEIT100%ANDYOUCOULDWIN ONEOFTHESEPRIZES

SONY PS5

1YEAR SPOTIFY PREMIUM

£50 AMAZON VOUCHER BEATSBYDRE HEADPHONES

IT'STIMETODECIDEYOURNEXTSTEP

Doyouknowwhatyou'redoingnextyear?Whetheryouareplanningonmovingupa level,progressingtothesecondyearofyourcourse,university,orevensomething differententirely,we'llhelpgetyouthere!

StepUpstarts24thApril2023inyourTutorialsessions.Duringthistime,youcanexpect allofthesupportandguidancerequiredtohelpyouprogresswith d ti