The Bucks Student: Edition 91

Check out a showcase of small businesses to help with your holiday shopping

December 2020 - Edition 91

2 The Bucks Student

Welcome In this edition: Sabb update . . . . . . . . . . 3 The sabbs give their last update of 2020, here comes 2021!

Small businesses . . . 4-8 Shopping small can make a big difference, give it a go

Recipe corner . . . . . . . . . 9 Sink your teeth into some delicious chocolate truffles

James Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Zuzanna shares another fantastic photoset

Events Calendar . . . . . 12 Rusty recommends . . 14 Mental Health Awareness. . . . . . . . . . . 16 Student Fiona Hollings shares her battle with mental health

Employability tips . . . 18 Activity update . . . . . . 19 Meet the SOCS team. . 20

Pages 4 - 8 A small business showcase to help your holiday shopping Well the holiday shopping experience is certainly very different this year, and who knows when the shops will be back to ‘normal’. But in this edition of the paper, we have taken the time to speak to and gather some small businesses that are local or dear to Bucks Students’ Union.

Sure, you could use amazon because it’s easier and maybe even cheaper.

But whilst you’re looking for that perfect gift, you could consider having a look at some smaller businesses that will jump for joy when your order pings through! You’ll be helping out local economies in a difficult time, and getting that special handmade touch that can make a gift go further!

The newspaper has never been easier to contribute to. With a faster release schedule, you can pick and choose which editions you contribute to. So if you have any content, articles, images, interviews or achievements you’re proud of, drop an email to editor@thebucksstudent.com to get started with contributing to the newspaper!

For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department.

The University SOCS team introduce how they can help you

Simon McDowell simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk

Musical Theatre . . . . . 21 ODP Society. . . . . . . . . . 22 BNU Boxing . . . . . . . . . . 23

Oli Gunson oli.gunson@bucks.ac.uk Nellie Hughes nellie.hughes@bucks.ac.uk

Page 10 - An exclusive photoset with James Bay

Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. View this edition online at bucksstudentsunion.org/media/ newspaperarchive. © 2020 Bucks Students’ Union

By Tamsin Grainger, Tom Featherstone, Tash Neal

Hi everyone,

Tamsin Grainger - President

Tom Featherstone – VPSI

Tash Neal – VPEW

December is finally here! What a busy few weeks it has been. A massive well done to RAG society for taking part in the Big Sleep Out to raise money for Wycombe Homeless Connection as well as our very own President, where all participants live streamed from their back gardens or their bathroom! We raised a whopping £830 for such an important cause. As well as this we have just rounded up Movember where we raised £67 for the cause so far.

It was great to see so many of you on social media taking part in growing your moustaches and a big well done to Josh and Honor for the different activities they put on with such short notice of everything going online. To celebrate International Men’s day we also had a video created by Tom and Alexi our Union Council chair where different students discussed the importance of men’s mental health and the need for breaking the stigma surrounding it. If you would like to get involved with any volunteering opportunities between now and the December holiday break or over the holiday period please drop an email over to jade.collis@bucks.ac.uk who can let you know about any opportunities that are available.

We also had or annual Representation Conference on Wednesday 25 November, which was executed virtually this year for the first time ever! Some of the sessions included Mental Health First Aid, Wellbeing in a Digital Age, Sustainability in a Digital Age, LinkedIn and Finding the Motivation for Home Study. We opened this up to all students so that everyone could engage in the developmental sessions.

As we are nearing the holidays, you may be thinking about gifts for people. Our top tips for shopping this year is to try and shop as local as you can. We have seen so many students developing their own new business during the first lockdown this year. Keep an eye out on social media for local businesses rather than supporting massive incorporations this year! Not only is shopping local a great idea to support smaller businesses it is potentially much more sustainable than buying from across the world.

Doing something as small as buying recyclable wrapping paper for the holiday celebrations can make a big difference.

Don’t forget to give yourselves some time out during this holiday break and make sure that you rest up. This has been a challenging term and you have all worked so hard alongside the new hybrid curriculum that is in place.

To those of you who celebrate over this festive period, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of your Sabbatical Officers. We will see you in 2021!

3 December edition 91

Sabb update

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Small business showcase

The Bucks Student Featuring Amy Kelly Draws

Amy Kelly Draws

My business is my furlough project. I was inspired to make posters for my own kitchen, and now my business has expanded to several different foodie collections.

I sell prints in A4, A3 and A6 postcards, as well as 2 collections of Christmas cards. I also have a fundraising print, raising money for British theatre and the arts. I sell my prints on my Etsy, and each one is professionally printed.

Hi there, I’m Amy Kelly and I draw and sell prints of all your favourite foods!

I completed my Art Foundation at Bucks in 2015, before studying Graphic Communication at Bath Spa University.

I then came back to work at the Students Union for 6 months as a marketing intern before moving up to Leeds for a new job in the arts.

I have lots of options for stocking fillers, such as my recipe cards. All prints I can package up to make them Christmassy, and there is also an option to send straight to your recipient. My last day of posting orders is the 16th December.

Search for AmyKellyDraws on Etsy to have a look at the store!

Featuring Earrings by Kia

Earrings By Kia Our very own student and Women’s officer, Kia Wing, has found great success with their online earrings business recently.

Shona.ie hosted a fantastic interview getting the low down on the new trend...

Sexual empowerment comes in many different forms. For Kia of ‘earringsbykia’ on Instagram, empowerment of this kind comes in nude earring. That is right: earrings of your very own nudes, dangling for all the world to see. I interviewed Kia to find out more about her business and her principles.

How did this unique business come about?

Kia said, “I was just spending too much money on earrings on Depop and fancied a challenge.

One night I took a picture of myself in my underwear and wondered what it’d look like on a pair of earrings. I posted a picture of them on my page, and the rest is history. Earrings By Kia became the empowering earring shop.”

Empowering indeed. The earrings are lifelike and stylised at the same time, hand-drawn by Kia herself.

Lookout for @earringsbykia on depop and Instagram for the store!

So, what is your goal with this business?

“I just want to make people feel good about themselves and empower every single person who buys my earrings. I try to make sure buying earrings from me is a trustworthy and comfortable process – I’d rather buy something from someone I felt like I knew than a business with a front. I think it’s so important to build a relationship with the people who buy from you because then they come back!”

This intimate business is one of specialty and discretion yet is unapologetic in its’ brazenness.

But what has been the impact of creating and selling these earrings?

“I’ve had people who have started Only-Fans accounts because of the earrings. I’ve had people starting classes they’d never had tried; pole dancing; heels dance classes. I’ve had people say it’s helping them regain their love for their body after body dysmorphia and Eds (Eating Disorders). I am so, so honoured to say that I have been part of a journey like that for someone.”

A beautiful sentiment, truly. As we as a society emerge into a new wave of feminism, full of body empowerment and sexual liberation.

5 December edition 91

Small business showcase

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Small business showcase

The Bucks Student Featuring Shoes By Stella

Shoes By Stella

I have always been interested in painting and design; I’m currently studying Art in my final year of A Levels.

I started by creating portraits for friends and family members; this eventually lead to commissioned work through my first social media page @ArtByStellaS. A little over a year ago I wanted to broaden my work and experimented by painting an old pair of beaten up Adidas trainers. I wanted to create something wearable that was unique as opposed to throwing the pair away. As it turns out, the sale of customised shoes has become a popular marketplace.

During the first lockdown back in March, I was finally able to dedicate time to my business and begin creating personalised designs for clients. I found a niche market for durable, hand-painted leather shoes and my Instagram and Facebook @ShoesByStella has grown rapidly since then. I’ve now completed over 100 unique pairs for global clients.

An important part of what I do is creating a design with my client based on their ideas, reference images or themes. After a design is agreed and drawn up I can finally start painting, which is my favourite part. Some customs - especially when portraits are involved - can take 20+ hours to complete!

Seeing people’s reactions to my work makes up for all of the time and effort, especially if I’ve completed a tribute pair for a client’s loved one or a special birthday present; noticing people wearing my work is really rewarding.

Look out for @ShoesByStella on Facebook and Instagram to place an order or see the latest shoes

My plans are to pursue the customisation of items as a career once I leave Sixth Form. To expand my business, I hope to begin painting onto other accessories as well as shoes such as jackets, phone cases, AirPod cases and bags.

By Rukhsar Hussain

BoxRoom Print Studio An interveiw with I’m still Becki from BoxRoomPrintStudio Starting a business is hard enough but starting one during a global pandemic is on a whole other level, but was a challenge Becki from was willing to take.

During the pandemic, Becki was unable to meet her better-half so she started creating unique screen printed cards for him and would write over her designs. She would send him a personalised card each week which was not only a way for her to have something to look forward to but also kept her busy, “I started screen printing during lockdown as a form of escapism” she said.

What made her want to start a business?

So just what can you find in her online store BoxRoomPrintStudio?

During lockdown Becki was exposed to numerous new start up businesses which she mainly saw from social media, this inspired her greatly and encouraged her to take the leap and start her own business. She says “because I’ve always made more prints and cards I could use so I set up an Etsy account and started photographing my work to sell”.

For a start up business Becki has a range of products that you can buy from her store, from screen print cards that can be used for all types of occasions to postcards, and she is currently in the process of designing and introducing gift tags which should soon be available on her Etsy: BoxRoomPrintStudio.

Becki explains “I like to show people a different side to the generic birthday or greeting cards with bold prints and designs”. This is very evident in her work as all her designs are unique but best of all most of her greeting cards card design are multipurpose meaning that in general you can use one style of card for several occasions such as birthday or anniversary etc.

Becki had started creating cards before starting her business so she already knew where she would get her supplies from. “I source my paper from G.F. Smith and then from some craft shops and with these I used the screen printing process to bring my designs to life, from digital to print”.

Once she had set up her business she also made an Instagram account @becki.kr which she used to advertise her products.

What advice does Becki give to those wanting to start their own business?

Becki explains “I think that the main thing is that I’ve always been true to myself and my own design style and sometimes you have to make a choice between what sells and what you like as a designer. That’s a personal choice but always stand by your work. Also taking lots of clear photographs is important and just keep putting yourself out there online, it takes a while to get noticed”. By doing this you surely will start getting sales it will take time but it will be worth it.

7 December edition 91

Small business showcase

8

Small business showcase

The Bucks Student

By Rukhsar Hussain

It is never too late or too early to start your own business, a lesson which we can all learn from Charlotte Ketteridge. Charlotte is a graphic design student currently in her third year at Bucks New University. She started her small business, Ketteridge creations, during her second year of university and has not looked back.

What is her magic ingredient?

Charlotte tries to be as resourceful as she possibly can and always uses things she already has “or things that would otherwise go to waste”, which is very important to her she explains. She does this by reusing old items that can be designed to have a new purpose in life. For example, she used old bottle caps to decorate her coasters with.

From a university student to entrepreneur, what got her started?

Charlotte creates amazing handmade products using poly clay and resin. Items which can often be found on her website, charlotteketteridge.com are handmade earrings, coasters, trinket dishes and keyrings and she is currently designing new products to expand her shop and add to her website for the new upcoming year.

For a while before experimenting herself with resin and poly clay Charlotte had been watching videos on YouTube of people creating all sorts of things and thought “I’d like to try it”. From there she became fully immersed in this art however this hobby of her’s was not a cheap one she explains, “resin is expensive… so I had to think of a way to make some of that money back and basically fund my hobby”.

She goes on to explain how she never intended this to become a major part of her life however “the business just seemed to grow every single day which is amazing!”.

Charlotte’s own words on her experience of starting a business...

“I knew very little about running a small creative business when I started, it’s been a massive learning curve for me, there are so many things you don’t realise are part of the process until you get to them. I did quite a bit of research at the beginning and joined a lot of groups to gain advice, but I found I’ve learned most things just from going through the process, making mistakes and trial and error. Other than that, I kind of just jumped right in, some people would probably say I took a bit of a naive approach to the ‘proper’ ways of running a business, I’ve done what works best for me, without too much fear.”

If you ask her…

Charlotte says Just go for it, start a business and “if you don’t like/ enjoy it you don’t have to keep it up forever, you have full control!”

However she explains that if you are a student do not allow your business to “take over your life... sort out a routine where you can prioritize when you need to”.

Overall she believes that if you want to start a business there is nothing holding you back from doing so but do it with a brave heart as business can be challenging at times however don’t forget to have fun with it.

By Janet Gladstone

Choco truffles...

Need we say more?

Method • Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl.

• Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point.

• Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage.

• Cool and chill for at least 4 hours.

• To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper.

• Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms.

• Coat your truffles immediately after shaping.

• Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on baking parchment.

• You can try: hundreds and thousands, crushed pistachio or walnuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder.

• To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with baking parchment. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles.

• Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate.

• Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated.

• Place on the baking tray, then chill. (both you and the truffles)

Ingredients: 300g good quality dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa solids 300ml double cream 50g unsalted butter

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Recipe corner

10

James Bay photoset

The Bucks Student

By Zuzanna Majewska

Are you staying in your student accommodation for the holidays this year?

We don’t want anyone to feel alone, so we have created some hampers to give out to everyone who won’t be going home for the holidays.

We have two different hampers available; a super festive treat box and a calming self-care box to re-energise and repair yourself over the holidays.

Head to bucksstudentsunion.org/holidayhampers to sign up, choose your holiday hamper, and have a happy holidays!

12

Events calendar | 30 Nov – 6 Dec

The Bucks Student

The Venue and The Lounge at Bucks Students’ Union are open seven nights a week.

If you don’t see an event listed below, check online nearer the time; bucksstudentsunion.org/whatson

Wednesday 2

Tuesday 1

Friday 4

Thursday 3

Saturday 5

Sunday 6

Pizza Night Curry & naan night

Sunday 6

Have an idea for an event, want to arrange a takeover, or feedback for our events team?

You can get in contact with the team by dropping an email to; events@buck.ac.uk

Monday 7

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9

Friday 11

Thursday 10

Fish Friday

Saturday 12

Sunday 13

13 December edition 91

Events calendar | 7 Dec – 13 Dec

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Rusty recommends

The Bucks Student

Rusty recommends Fish Friday

Curry & naan night

Events are back on the menu!

With the new Tier system in place from Wednesday 2 December we’re working as hard as we can to make sure that we can open in a safe and COVID secure way.

From Wednesday you can join us in The Lounge to enjoy a sit-down meal (alcoholic options available) with up to six people from your household! We’re bringing you a variety of food themed evenings along with our popular everyday menu, with this you can also enjoy live sports with the upcoming fixtures available on our website and socials!

Don’t worry, we’ve not finished with our virtual events either. Check out our website for what we’ve got planned during December including the Biscuiteers Ice-olation Challenge, with The Great British Bake Off finishing we LOVED the idea of learning new tricks and skills in the kitchen! Follow along with biscuiteers.com/iceolcationchallenge for nine different baking activities.

DJ OneF is working hard to bring you never ending games and topics for your zoom socials/calls! Make sure you follow along on socials for weekly activities he is suggesting along with a perfect mix cloud playlist for you to listen too!

Our weekly Kahoot quizzes aren’t going anywhere, we’ve still got two more quizzes for you to be in with a chance of winning a £10 Amazon Voucher just before Christmas!

Keep an eye out on social media for our themes and the live link.

With the re-opening of the The Lounge, you can enjoy daily set menu’s such as Pizza Wednesday’s and Fish & Chips Friday’s. It is important to remember that you need to have a substantial meal if ordering any alcohol and that being in a tier two region, we must shut at 11pm.

We’ve got so much more to share with you in terms of what we have planned going forward but for now you’ll have to head to our website for more information!

Download the FREE app Discounts Legal ID Campus Life

Join today

TOTUM.COM @WEARETOTUM

16

Mental Health Awareness

The Bucks Student

By Fiona Hollings

My battle with anorexia my physically, but I was too ill. I almost died in the time I was there, I needed specialised treatment.

So, when a bed became free in Glasgow, I had no choice, I was sent there. I was terrified.

I first got ill when I was 14 years old, it completely stopped my life.

I wasn’t allowed to go to school, I wasn’t allowed to do anything. I tried to keep up with the rest of the world, I taught myself my GCSE’s from home, and most of my a-levels. I tried to get better, but this illness is vicious and unrelenting, and I was just going in circles.

Anorexia is like a parasite in your head, commenting on your every move, infiltrating your thoughts, controlling you. It trapped me, it got to the point I didn’t want to live anymore because it was torture living with this thing in my head, where food is the enemy and therefore, everyone around me became the enemy because they wanted me to eat. I argued with everyone constantly, my parents, my psychiatrist, my therapist, and dietician. I felt like they were attacking me, but they weren’t, they were trying to fight my eating disorder.

I was in and out of hospitals since I was 17, and when I was 19 years old, I hit rock bottom. I spent nearly 4 weeks in John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, they tried to stabilise

I was kept there for 2 years, I missed my friends and family more than anything. It was a battle up there, recovery isn’t straightforward; but with an awful lot of therapy and hard work, got well enough to be transferred to a specialist unit in Oxford, and finally I was discharged home in February 2019. It’s not been easy since I was discharged, the illness doesn’t go away after being in hospital. It’s not like a broken car going into a garage, getting fixed and coming out okay.

Eating disorders are complex, they’re exhausting; but I had learnt so much about myself, and about the illness, and I used it to slowly keep on fighting back.

That July I got my offer to study psychology at bucks, and for me… it saved me. Psychology is the subject that I have always found fascinating. In my recovery, my biggest weapon was knowledge; if I could understand why I was thinking a certain way, why my brain processed things the way it did, why my body reacted like it did, it calmed me. I always knew I wanted to go into psychology, but I didn’t ever think I could. When I got that offer, it felt like someone had given me the key to a future.

I’m now in my second year, and like every other student, I’m stressed and tired… but I’m also loving it. Studying a subject that gives you that fire in your belly, well for me its kept me strong. I’ve stayed out of hospital for nearly two years now, a place that no one thought I could get to. I am still in recovery, I still have therapy weekly, I still see my mental health team weekly, and there are days when the voice in my head shouts so loudly I think I have no choice but to concede. But there are also days, which are far outweighing the bad, where I can concentrate, I can smile, I can go out for lunch with friends and have this ‘normal’ life, which I ached for, for so many years.

14-year-old Fiona was heartbroken, watching the world go on around her whilst she was paralysed in an illness she wanted to escape from more than anything. 19-yearold Fiona almost lost her life to the illness. 23-year-old Fiona is controlling the illness, or more importantly, is recovering.

I never thought I would be in the position I am in today, I thought I couldn’t get better. I’m finally starting to experience a life on the other side, a life I actually enjoy.

COVID has brought a lot of pain this year, and I know a lot of people are struggling with their mental health. If I had one message for anyone in that dark place: hold on, because it is not permanent, and the other side… it is worth it.

Bucks Students’ Union

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Evening appointments are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5 contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you. gh Wycombe Campus: Uxbridge Campus: ursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm MONEY COURSE ISSUES YOUR PERSONAL LIFE INTERNATIONAL MONEY om N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located:YOUR RoomPERSONAL 1.03, first LIFE floor STUDENT ISSUES Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 605 180 to make appointment at either or campus to make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment. suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice an appointment atPlease eithercall campus for aanface-to-face, telephone Skyp for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment. Please call to make ents are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please High Wycombe Campus: gh Wycombe Campus: Campus: Campus: Uxbridge Campus contact us to arrange an appointment at a time toUxbridge suit High you. Wycombe Uxbridge Campus: Monday to Thursday Monday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm ursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm to Thursday 9am-5pm, Frid Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ISSUES Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block om N0.03, ground floor, NorthLEGAL Block ISSUES Located: Room 1.03, first floor ACCOMMODATION Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located: Room 1.03, first INTERNATIONAL Located: Room 1.03, first floor STUDENT ISSUES Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: STUDENT 01494 605 180 ISSUES Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 605 18 Phone: 01494 605 180 suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice Evening appointments are available outside of standard openin5 ents are available outside of standard opening hours Evening at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm.

Please High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: YOUR PERSONA ng MONEY hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please appointments are available outside of standard opening hours at contact us to arrange an appoi contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you. contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you. ntment at a time to suit you.

ADVICE CENTRE

Please call to make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment.

COURSE ISSUES ACCOMMODATION COURSE ISSUES ACCOMMODATION

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Phone: 01494 603 016

Phone: 01494 605 180

suadvice@bucks.ac.uk buc suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm suadvice@bucks.ac.uk Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm,bucksstudentsunion.org/advice Friday 9am-4.30pm ksstudentsunion.org/advice INTERNATIONA LEGAL ISSUES Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located: Room 1.03, first floor

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Evening appointments are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you.

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suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice bucksstudentsunion.org/advice suadvice@bucks.ac.uk

18

Employability tips: interviews

The Bucks Student

By Emily West

Employability tips

Interviews You can never start preparing for interviews too early! With so many different styles of interview, it can seem difficult to prepare for each type, but having ready prepared answers to popular interview questions can just take the edge off the stress of an interview! Taking time to prepare yourself before, during and after the interview can help give you the best possible chance of securing your job, so see below for our top tips for interviews.

Top tips: • Research the organisation before your interview and be clear on the responsibilities of the role • Dress appropriately and arrive in plenty of time!

• Don’t be afraid to ask for a minute if you need to consider your response and don’t lie!

• Prepare some answers to expected questions and some questions for you to ask at the end of the interview. How is your experience relevant to the tasks of the role?

• Go to as many interviews as you can and always ask for feedback especially if unsuccessful Research the organisation: Having an understanding of the organisation you are going to interview for is incredibly important for you personally, to ensure that you want to be involved in that organisation, and also that it fits your values. But it is equally important that the interviewer knows that you understand the company and what they do as it will show that you are interested in working for them, rather than in the role generally. It is also important that you revisit the job description, if available, before your interview to show you fully understand the requirements of the job and be ready to demonstrate how you can meet these.

Dress appropriately and arrive on time: It may seem obvious, but it is really important that you dress in an appropriate manner for the business you are interviewing for. If you are unsure, dress smartly, in clean and wrinkle-free clothes! Make sure you also know where you are going for your interview, and leave enough time for any unplanned traffic and to find a parking space if necessary. But also make sure you don’t arrive too early!

Don’t be afraid to ask for a minute: If you are asked a question and don’t have an immediate answer, always ask for a moment to think about it, rather than rushing into a response that is irrelevant or unhelpful. Take the time to take a sip of water and take a deep breath. Make sure that you don’t lie during your interview!

Not only can it cause you to be hired for the wrong job, for example by indicating you have more experience than you do, it is easy to get caught out later, and will create an untrustworthy impression at the very least!

Prepare some answers to expected questions: This is really important. It will help reduce the stress of the interview setting and give you the confidence to talk more openly. In competency based interviews, you can find example questions on the internet, but having answers prepared to “what are your weaknesses”, “provide an example of when you have worked well in a team” and “how do you manage your time” are all great ones to have something ready for! Also make sure that you have a couple of

By Emily West

Presenting yourself online As more activities, businesses and interviews move online, it is now more important than ever to be able to present yourself online. This particular course has been requested by you, our students, and we are excited to be running this FREE course on Wednesday 2 December at 10am, all thanks to the Big Deal!

It is a 3 hour workshop, giving you all the essential skills to be able to deliver a presentation online, understanding key differences between online presentation and in person presentation and breaking down the training into 3 key areas: 1. Identify your weaknesses as a communicator – selfawareness is a key component in improvement, and understanding what makes a good communicator can help us focus on areas we can improve within our own communication.

This can be more difficult online, when accounting for technical difficulties, reaction lags and speaking to a group across different areas of your screen, this course can help you build on key communication skills to compensate for any problems!

2. Prepare and deliver a short presentation – although most people will dread this element of the training, it is arguably the most important to give you the chance to put everything you have learnt in the first section of the session into practice. It will mean that when you are asked to do this as part of your university course, for a job interview or later in your chosen career, you will have had a real practice at using the key skills behind a presentation already and so will have more confidence in your delivery!

3. Gain valuable feedback to enhance your performance – the final part of the training will be devoted to giving feedback on the presentations. This will be your chance to understand your strengths in presenting online, as well as any areas you might need to work on and make sure when you do need to use these skills, you have given yourself the best possible tools to make your presentation.

This training will be relevant to all students, whether it is to help your presentations required on your course, or to prepare for your next job interview.

It is predicted that even when lockdown has ended and we have moved back to more normality, the move to online will not shift back entirely and several elements will remain in their online format, especially events that can ultimately cut down costs such as travel and associated costs.

So put yourself in the best possible position for when you leave university and sign up to Presenting yourself online available to book on now via our What’s On page!

For more information or to find out about other free development sessions, drop an email to sutraining@bucks.ac.uk.

19 December edition 91

Activity update

20 The Bucks Student

Meet the SOCS team

By Jess Aries

Put your SOCS on Your future starts today. The Student Opportunities and Career Success team, are here to help you from day one of your time at Bucks.

Chris Little

One-to-ones

Inspirational events and activities

We can support you with one-to-one careers advice (face to face or virtually), considering career options for when you graduate, enhancing your employability through CV workshops and getting advice on updating your LinkedIn profile.

From inspiring sessions with guest speakers to panel discussions from a range of industries, we will give you the opportunity to discover the options available to you and develop the skillset you need to get ahead in the world of work. We work with your lecturers and the Students’ Union to give you the support you need when you need it.

Bucks Mentoring

Kat ie Osmon

Jess Aries

At the start of each academic year we run Bucks Mentoring, to give you the chance to establish your professional network and build your confidence and understanding of the world of work. Our mentors are industry professionals at all stages of their career, some are even Bucks graduates. If you’re interested in Bucks Mentoring for next academic year, go to the Bucks Mentoring page on the Bucks website and complete the expression of interest form.

Career support with MyBucksCareer Register today on MyBucksCareer to find local part-time work to fit around your studies, internship opportunities and graduate jobs. You can also get: • instant feedback on your CV

Pau l Wilcock

Rita

Kapadia

• top advice for interviews • an interview simulator that provides tailored feedback Whether you are a 1st year or in your final year, this platform has something to help you to become the strongest possible employee of the future. Getting to know what it has to offer now means that you will be able to reap the rewards later, even as a graduate applying for work!

Study abroad Erasmus offers an exciting opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions in the European Union for a semester or a full year. You can apply for an Erasmus Grant to help support you to fund your living costs. Please drop an email to erasmus@bucks.ac.uk for more information.

Email careers@bucks.ac.uk for advice or to book an appointment with one of our advisors.

More information about how the Student Opportunities and Career Success team can support you can be found at bucks.ac.uk/ careers.

You can register for free to the MyBucksCareer service using the QR code here.

By Alisha Chester

Musical Theatre Since the academic year began back in September Bucks Musical Theatre have been busy holding sessions and planning workshops for our wonderful members. Even though we have been faced with the six person rule, we haven’t let that stop us from getting everyone involved in our sessions. We have been enjoying some singing and acting sessions, holding three per night every Monday on an alternative basis, to ensure all of our members can get involved.

We have a mix of both returning and new members and are loving seeing the talent and passion for MT as they come together. Since lockdown 2.0 has started, we have been holding online zoom sessions to keep our spirits high. We began with a Musical Theatre quiz, with everyone showing off their MT knowledge and it was great to see so many members get involved.

The following week, on the 16th November, we had a Q&A with industry professional Joshua St.Clair. His credits include Wicked International Tour, Kinky Boots UK Tour, School of Rock West End and looking forward to April next year he will be playing Pabbie in the original cast of Frozen in London’s West End. We had many of our members attend this zoom Q&A and we all learned a lot from Josh about what it’s like working in the industry. It was a lot of fun and we will definitely be staying in contact with Josh for future workshops/masterclasses. That brings us up to date on what Musical Theatre has been doing since the term began, but keep an eye out on our social media platforms for updates about exciting things coming soon!

Joshua St.Clair -

21 December edition 91

Musical Theatre

22

ODP Society

The Bucks Student

By Chris Nicholls

ODP Society Welcome to Bucks New University ODP (Operating Department Practitioner) society. You may well be wondering what on earth ODP stands for, and you wouldn’t be alone in this! Operating Department Practitioners are the hidden healthcare workers that you never knew existed, but if you have ever had an operation it is highly likely that you met an ODP.

Afterwards when the patient is in recovery, we must make sure that the patient gets any pain relief they need and are as comfortable as possible before discharging them back to a ward or going home- and of course being prepared for any eventuality within our scope of training. (There are some similar aspects to nursing).

A little bit about the ODP role.

The Operating Department Practitioner is an autonomous registered healthcare professional who looks after patients before, during and after a surgical operation.

We are the ‘right hand’ of the anaesthetist and also work in a sterile environment right alongside the surgeon to ensure they have the right ‘tools’ at the right moment. We play an important part in patient safety, helping to ensure that the correct procedure happens in the correct place and that nothing gets left behind that shouldn’t!

There are a few key attributes that make a great ODP: • caring and compassionate nature • excellent teamwork • good at problem solving, often on the fly • clear communicators • highly adaptable people, able to adjust to rapidly changing situations

This means that the level of knowledge of the human anatomy and skills required to anaesthetise someone is very in depth. We get training in life support skills should the worst happen, but also in helping a patient to feel as comfortable as possible when they come into the anaesthetic room.

Having an operation is scary for everyone, so we are there to help the patient feel at ease and ensure they understand what is happening.

Our role has the overarching principle of being a patient advocate , making sure everything is safe from start to finish to ensure that no serious errors are made which could be detrimental to the safety and recovery of the patient.

During the operation there are different roles we can do but most notably we can ‘scrub’ up and assist the surgeon.

ODP’s are getting recognised now more than ever and are working in Accident and Emergency units, offshore oil rigs as medics, resuscitation officers, advanced care practitioners and many more -exciting times!

We are here to support everyone on the course from foundation year through to third year students but also anyone with an interest in the profession. We’re currently looking at ways of supporting students and working with other societies here at BNU. This will not only provide mutual development it will also educate others about the role of ODPs. Guest speakers, fund-raising, online quizzes and trips to interesting places are activities we are looking into for the future.

You can join the society or follow us and keep in touch on our Facebook page: Facebook: thebucksodpsociety or visit the Students’ Union page: bucksstudentsunion.org/ organisation/11731

By Tomasz Siemieniuch

BNU Boxing Hello from all of us at Boxing. We did not have the opportunity to put ourselves in the papers this starting year with everything going on and making sure everyone stays safe.

We’re reaching out now to remind you that we are still here, all of our sessions have been jam packed for the past several weeks, now with the unfortunate news of the second lockdown the gym doors have closed and we know everyone might be feeling a little down, for all members who love the sport and other students, we all like to move and sweat every now and then, we don’t want you to worry as we will return!

Let’s catch you up on everything that’s been going on since the University re-opened.

BNU Boxing has been running its usual session on a weekly basis with more members joining each week, filling our hands with fresh talent! We have also been getting engaged with campaigns in the past few weeks, putting in the time to help with Hot School

Meals was amazing, and almost as fun as dressing up in colour for our sessions during Wear It Pink, putting in the miles on the cycling bikes and even raising money towards the cause! Behind the scenes we’re also putting in work to help the community with volunteering at One Can Trust, a simple foundation that makes a huge difference, an opportunity we would love to see more of our members get involved in and walk away with a big smile!

Come December we will use as much of the time we have left before Christmas to whip you all back into fighting shape and force some fitness into your weekly routine. COVID measures have been placed just like all other societies and clubs. We now have our own gloves which we clean regularly, more hand sanitisers in the gym, separate training spaces for all members, which means no sparring for the time being, we know… sad, and of course a thorough background check of

all members attending. Despite the thought that gym’s might have the highest risk of encountering a confirmed case of the virus, this is the opposite case as all gyms remain clean, including our Warriors with over 5000 gym visits and no cases.

We will do our best to keep everyone safe and are constantly working behind the scenes to plan fun activities in the next few months, (we think we can hear a social coming around) New Year is sneaking up quickly, and we feel like it going to be an amazing 2021! We can’t wait to see you all return to the gym and work the bags, and even more excited for the newcomers that will join us!

Don’t forget to keep up with us on social media!

Instagram: BNU_Boxing Facebook: Bnu Boxing Email: bnubxng@gmail.com

23 December edition 91

Bucks FC

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