The Bucks Student: Freshers' 2021 Edition

September 2021 - Freshers' special

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A very warm welcome

Freshers' special

Hello!

We are your Students' Union team and we are here to make life better for students at Bucks.

Get to know your new and returning sabbs, Honor, Tom and Tash - working hard to represent you, entertain you, and always be there to hear you. Find out more about each of their roles by visiting pages 4–6!

Contributors Honor Fletcher • Tash Neal Tom Featherstone • Amy Pile • Lucy Webb Jamie Baxter • Tomasz Siemieniuch • Nellie Hughes Daniel Lawrence • Seana O'Reilly • Jade Collis Tim Dixon • Emily West • Sarah Jackson

IN THE

You are now a member of one of the TOP 5 Students’ union in the UK

Some of you hopefully already know what Bucks Students' Union does, and what we provide - but for those of you who are new; enrolling on a course at Buckinghamshire New University automatically makes you a member of Bucks Students’ Union. You don’t need to join and there are no fees involved, but membership gives you access to the vast range of services that we offer - all for free. These services include; sports, events and entertainment, societies, additional skills training sessions, recreational activities, support from our Advice Centre, a rewarded student rep scheme and much more. Our hope is that offering all of these activities and events free as part of the Big Deal will give you the opportunity to enrich your University life as much as possible and get involved in as much as you can!

In this Freshers' special edition of the newspaper, we will introduce our teams to you, as well as give you a look into the societies, events and clubs that are on offer. So jump in and find a way that you can get involved!

Einike Rannaste • Ada Flores • Bethanie Ball Fraser Garden • Olivia Tatton • Ellie Ramsden Katie Jedrek • Emily Keogh

page 10

BNU Dance Club • Bucks Men's Rugby Oli Gunson Want to see your name in the list above? Want to have your writing or artwork on show to thousands of people?

Get involved. Email editor@thebucksstudent.com

Advertising

Our commitment to mental health Bucks Students' Union recognises the importance of supporting the mental health of our members

page 16

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

Simon McDowell - simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk 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/communications.

Freshers' 2021 events preview Get the exclusive scoop of what awaits Freshers' fortnight this year

© 2021 Bucks Students’ Union

If required, this document can be made available in different formats.

Please contact Bucks Students' Union for more information.

page 25

Get involved!

See what our clubs, societies and sports team have in store for the upcoming year, and make the most of joining them!

4 Freshers' special

Meet your President

By Honor Fletcher

Hola from...

Honor Fletcher

your Students' Union President

Hello everyone, I am Honor Fletcher and I am the president of your Students' Union. I firstly would like to say a massive welcome to all our new and returning students. You made it!! I cannot wait to meet you all and make some fabulous memories over the next year together.

Students' Union president... what’s that?

Well it’s me! My job is to be a representative of your student voice. I liaise with the university to ensure that students are at the heart of all decisions made here at BNU. I also keep up to date with all of the national issues that could potentially effect students at university and ensure these are fair. I know that all sounds a bit proper and adult but, in short, I am here for you and want to ensure your Bucks experience is the best is possibly can be.

During my time as a student at BNU I studied Performing Arts (Film, TV and Stage). From the get go I got to know the Students' Union very quickly. I started my journey as a student rep for my course. This enabled me to deal with difficult situations and start making life better for students at BNU. However I wasn’t ready to stop there, I joined the Musical Theatre Society and had the opportunity to perform at the Wycombe Christmas light switch on, various on campus performances and our very own showcase. Due to falling in love with the society I went on the be the chair for the next two years. In my third year I thought I would get involved with even more that our incredible Students' Union has to offer and joined the Leadership Academy.

This is a programme that aids students to access their desired career path through a development plan and unlimited skills sessions to really shape your CV. This is when I knew I wanted to work for such a unique organisation. I ran in the elections and here I am today.

Enough about me and let’s get the main bit. So a big part of this role is planning and running campaigns to improve our Students' Union and continue making it the best it can be. Some ideas I’m looking at working on this year are:

• Students' personal safety • Introducing a Nightline service • Enhancing support for students who are privately renting

• This is just a slight insight of some of

the things I would like to achieve while in office.

Before I draw this to a close would just like to thank you if you made it this far... I can literally talk for England! If you take one things away from this article it's that I am someone you can always come and talk to.

My door is always open and I’m always just a phone call or email away. Our offices are based in High Wycombe just along from The Venue so be sure to pop in and say hi! If you have any questions or thoughts please don’t hesitate to drop me a line at honor.fletcher@ bucks.ac.uk or message me on Facebook at Bucks SU Pres.

I can’t wait to meet you and have the best year yet! See you soon!

Honor x

He's back for more...

Tom Featherstone

your Vice President Student Involvement

Hellooo, I’m Tom and I’m your Vice President Student Involvement for the up and coming academic year! I am here to help enhance your Bucks experience whether that is through sports clubs, societies or volunteering opportunities which are all FREE thanks to the Big Deal!

During my time at Bucks I have been a part of both Men’s Hockey as well as Bucks Men’s Rugby Club. I also managed to take advantage of the volunteering opportunities, achieving my platinum volunteering award. Whilst studying TV and Film, I managed to go on free trips to Brighton and to Rush Trampoline park.

This year there are many different plans that I have. One of which is a campaign that I am very passionate about Movember. I am going to be working alongside the Movember ambassador to lay on a month full of different activities ranging from a charity raffle to cycle, which are going to be raising awareness of men’s health. Providing a location for men to come forward and speak about any issues that they are going through and allowing them to feel safe to speak about their mental health.

Another campaign that I am going to be running is around inclusion in activities. This campaign, along side the celebration of LGBTQ+ history month, is going to raising awareness of the language that should and shouldn’t be used around the community as well as celebrating the trailblazers in the community.

The highlight of every academic year for me must be Varsity. Held on 30th March 2022, we are going to be locking horns and going head to head against Roehampton on Home turf. Varsity is an annual sporting competition where all our sports teams compete against the teams from Roehampton for the RoeBuck trophy. Not only a day for the sports teams, Varsity brings the whole of Bucks together in cheering on the teams as well as having a great day with friends!

I can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to the Bucks community. If you see me around campus feel free to stop for a chat and you’re always welcome in and around the Students' Union office!

Freshers' special

By Tom Featherstone

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Meet your VPSI

6 Freshers' special

Meet your VPEW

By Tash Neal

A warm welcome back to...

Tash Neal

your Vice President Education and Welfare

Hi Everyone, my name is Tash Neal and I am the Vice President Education and Welfare (VPEW) for the Students' Union. If this is your first year studying at BNU welcome! If this is isn’t your first year studying at BNU welcome back! I am really looking forwards to getting to know all of you better this year which will be hopefully be a more normal year.

As VPEW I am one of three Sabbatical Officers within the Students' Union. As a Sabbatical Officer, I work full time after being elected in by the students at BNU and my purpose is to raise the students' voice with the University and hold the Union accountable to it’s three year strategic plan to make students' life better whilst studying at BNU. More specifically I work to ensure that the quality of education and facilities at BNU support students' educational experience and there are plenty of services in place to support the wellbeing of our members. I am also responsible for the Union's representation system where students are able to voice the opinions of their cohorts on the way they would like their courses to be delivered. I also work closely with the Students' Union confidential and independent Advice Centre to develop campaigns on matters that are important to our members.

becoming a student representative in any form for your course and would like some more information please email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk Some of you reading this newspaper today may already be aware but I was also the VPEW last year for the academic year 2020-2021 as well and was fortunate enough to be re-elected into the role for this year. The past year has absolutely flown by, and some of the campaigns I have run over the past year to support students included; getting the No Detriment Policy reinstated for the whole academic year, campaigning for a Bucks Emergency Allowance (where over £450k was given out to support student hardship during the pandemic), new loan laptops for the High Wycombe and Uxbridge libraries, providing thank you gifts to all our wonderful Nursing and Health Care students (who volunteered on the frontline during the pandemic) as well as providing a Students' Union Commitment to Mental Health. We adopted the Student Minds Mental Health framework to support the adoption of a whole-Union approach to mental health and wellbeing informed by research, gaining the learning and insight that Student Minds has gained through its work in UK higher education so far.

Before I tell you about my plans for the next year I Some of my plans for the year are as follows: thought I would let you get to know me a bit better • Combat digital poverty by providing more funding and explain how I got elected as a Sabbatical Officer. I to support financial hardship. studied Psychology and Criminology at BNU for three • Ensure all Students' Union Services are years before being elected into this role. During my accessible and inclusive.

University experience I was a course representative for my course which was a great opportunity as I was • Ensure mental health is a top priority through helping my cohort whilst being paid at the same time! continuing to implement the Mental Health As a Students' Union we financially reward our reps up Framework, providing four Wellbeing Weeks, to £100 a year to amplify the voices of their cohort and Tea and Chat sessions and challenging the I would definitely recommend running in the elections stigma around mental health. for this role. In my second year I then went onto a higher • Providing a Health campaign to reduce the taboos representation level within the Students' Union called surrounding physical health checks and encourage a School Officer where I represented the voices of all sexual health tests, smear tests, prostate checks the Human and Social Science (Education, Sports and and breast checking across campuses and why Psychology) students with the University (again, being it is important to have these tests. financially rewarded as well!) I also supported in running the Psychology Society as Treasurer whilst volunteering • Provide opportunities to support as a Student Trustee for the Students' Union Trustee student loneliness.

Board. During these roles I was able to see the common • Continue lobbying the government for problems that arose across different schools within tuition refunds. the University which made me want to make positive changes to improve the University experience for • Campaign for more placement support and students. All of the roles in which I was involved in during better timetabling for Nursing students. my degree are open to all students and get re-elected or interviewed for every year. If you are interested in

• Campaign for hardship support for Graduation ceremonies.

• Campaign for short term accommodation opportunities for students.

It is a new and exhilarating experience coming to University which can arouse many different feelings ranging from nervousness to excitement of what’s to come. It can be overwhelming especially after the pandemic, and if you feel like you need some extra support with the transition, as a student at Bucks you have access to 'Togetherall' which is an external online community where students can receive confidential support 24 hours a day to raise any concerns or issues that you have. You can access Togetherall through your BNU Student ID. As well as this, you can also contact the University’s Counselling service (counselling@ bucks.ac.uk) or our Students' Union Advice Centre (suadvice@bucks.ac.uk).

I am always here if you would like to talk, please feel free to contact me on Facebook ‘Bucks Vpew’, Twitter @BucksSUVPEW or via email natasha.neal@ bucks.ac.uk or come and say hi at my office in High Wycombe located next to the Venue!

I look forwards to meeting you all soon.

Tash x

Get a peek into...

Your Sabb's plans Hi Everyone,

Get in touch: Tom: tom.featherstone@bucks.ac.uk

Bucks Vpsi

Honor: honor.fletcher@bucks.ac.uk

Bucks SU Pres

Tash: natasha.neal@bucks.ac.uk

Bucks Vpew

@BucksSUVPSI @BucksSUPres

@BucksSUVPEW

We wanted to start this newspaper article by saying welcome / welcome back to BNU! We are your Sabbatical Officers of the Students' Union. We hope you have a fantastic time whilst you are studying, and we are here every step of your University journey to support you to make your experience the best it can be whilst you're studying at BNU. We will be coming into as many induction sessions as possible to meet you face to face over the next few weeks but if we don’t see you then please come and say hi at our Freshers' Fairs taking place at the Uxbridge campus on Wednesday 22 September from noon – 3.30pm and at the High Wycombe campus on Thursday 23 September from 10am-3pm! Keep an eye out on our What’s On page on the Students' Union website to keep up to date with all of our latest Freshers' event news.

We also have a set of podcasts that have been going out over the past month to tell you a bit more about what we offer as a Students' Union to you completely free thanks to the Big Deal, so make sure you check out Rusty’s Radio station on our website to listen back to them.

Finally, make sure you check out our website where you can find the contact details for all of the variety of Sports and Societies we have available to you as a Students' Union for free that you can get involved with.

Don’t be afraid to get in touch with Tom (tom.featherstone@bucks.ac.uk) if you have any questions about a society or sport or you are interested in setting one up yourself.

Best of luck with your courses and we will see you soon!

Honor, Tash and Tom

Freshers' special

By Honor Fletcher, Tash Neal, Tom Featherstone

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What we can do for you

8 Freshers' special

We've all been there...

We've all been there...

A look into life at Bucks At first, starting university filled me with such a mix of emotions, because everything was just so new and different. Being new to the campus and not knowing anyone was definitely nerve racking, but once I had met a few of my course mates and other students at the Freshers’ events I was reminded that we were all new students and were all in the same boat.

»

Amy Pile speaks about their time as a student rep with BNU Hi, my name's Amy and I’m currently studying Adult Nursing. Being a mature student and a mum to 4 children, I was so nervous about starting university, the fear of getting comments of "wow, you are starting this quite late", "why didn’t you go to university when you were younger" - it overpowered me I couldn’t understand why I was feeling so many emotions at once. Fear, excitement, lost, worried, I put it all down to not knowing how I would come across to others and it felt like the first day of school where I was worrying if I would make friends and how I would get used to the new environment and most importantly adjust to many situations. All the comments I feared I would hear, never came.

Being new to campus you also realise that there are so many other individuals who also are new, so you are not alone in how you feel. I found out about nursing representation on my induction day, I was informed that all individual groups in every cohort select someone to represent them and I was interested because I have always enjoyed supporting others, but it meant I could also be a voice for all students. I put myself forward and it was voted I would be my groups rep.

Representation has been vital in my development at university, I have grown in confidence, gained valuable skills that will support me throughout university and also in my career. I continue to make new friends and everyone is so unique and has their own individual skills that you do learn from each other. I was also part of re-launching the nursing society - without becoming a rep first I don’t think I would have had the drive and confidence to do this.

I fully recommend other students becoming a rep, I’m so happy that I got this opportunity as a nursing student. Being a rep allows you to adapt to new situations, discuss upcoming changes which then leads

you to be able to inform other students of important updates. You can voice your concerns and make valuable changes which could affect not just yourself but all the others on your course as well. It’s given me so many skills which will really help when we take our next step after university. I’ve enjoyed every minute of being a rep - mostly listening to others, joining meetings which discuss upcoming changes and the concerns raised by all students, meeting new people and even writing articles for the student newspaper.

My favourite memory so far is attending Union awards where I received my Gold Accredited rep recognition.

Having set goals allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and do things I really would not have done without the support from the representation team who are all amazing. They’re always there to support you and being a rep you feel truly valued. So if you do get the opportunity to become a rep, take it! Better still, put yourself forward, you won’t regret it.

Lucy Webb shares their experience with the Leadership Academy program

As well as initially quite worrying, it was also really exciting. Knowing that I was about to start a whole new chapter that was completely different to anything I had done before, and one that I spent lots of time thinking about and preparing for, was exhilarating. During Freshers’ Fortnight, we were given so much information about what we could do alongside our degree with Bucks Students’ Union.

Particularly at Freshers’ Fair, in the welcome pack we received, and the Bucks Student newspaper, we were informed about what the Big Deal offered, such as sports and societies, volunteering, additional skills sessions, recreational activities, and additional opportunities, such as employment, volunteer roles, and the opportunity to join the Leadership Academy.

Through these fantastic sessions, activities, and opportunities, you meet so many students you may not have otherwise crossed paths with, who for me became my closest friends at BNU. As well as meeting new people, these opportunities were amazing for building knowledge, ability, and confidence, and for development, in terms of general life skills, personal skills, and transferable skills for employability. I would 100% recommend to any student to just get involved in anything and everything that is of interest to you. You will not regret it and you will have the best student experience you could have hoped for. I personally got involved in a huge variety of sessions, activities, and opportunities, and I had such a brilliant time with Bucks.

I think what I've enjoyed most from all that the Students' Union has had to offer, is the people I have met and the fun I have had. Meeting a variety of people, that I share interests with, or who have different interests to my own, and having completely unique and fun experiences had been incredible. My favourite memories are from the Beach Cleans. One of them I went with friends from a society, another we had horrible weather but a great laugh, and the last one I went knowing that I knew no one else but I made some good friends on the day. They are a fantastic opportunity to do some volunteering to help the environment and have an amazing fun day out with both friends and strangers. My top tip for being a student with Bucks is to just go for it and make the most of it.

Coming to Uni was an incredible opportunity for me to continue pursuing my sporting passion while studying for my future career. From the Students’ Union staff to the lecturers, the team at Bucks has been exceptionally helpful in making the balance between training and studying as easy as possible.

From joining the Swim team to graduating, they have been there every step of the way. They’ve encouraged my involvement in the university community and supported my development as a student and as an athlete.

When I was a fresher, I was introduced to the swim team by a member of staff and they had such a warm welcome, which made fitting into the team and the Bucks sporting family feel seamless. We compete in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) league.

The BUCS competitions and the annual Bucks Varsity are a great chance to get to know the broader team of the Bucks supporting community.

In the second year of my studies, I had the chance to be a student leader by becoming the chair of the swimming squad. The team at the Students’ Union helped so much in supporting the role and keeping me fully informed with my duties and assisting me

with the best way to carry them out whilst balancing training and my studies.

The community and attitude at Bucks is unbelievably supportive and friendly, no matter what sports you decide to take part in. I came to Bucks to swim and study, and now as I complete my final year of study, not only do I take part in even more sport socially than I ever thought I would, but I’ve also been awarded a space in the elusive Hall of Fame. It’s an honour that is given to a select few athletes at Bucks and it now means that I have a frame hanging in the gateway building along with the other winners. I was given this award at the 2021 Athletics Union Dinner and it’s honestly one of the highlights of my sporting career.

There’s so much more on offer than simply ‘playing sports’ and it’s all down to the Students’ Union’s commitment to providing the Big Deal, which means all students can take part in any sport free of charge. It’s a fantastic offer that opens up sporting opportunities to everyone and removes so many barriers, and I would advise all fresher’s to take advantage of this and try their hand at any sport that interests them, it’s a once in a lifetime chance.

Jamie Baxter recounts his sporting career »

At the beginning, being away from home was an unusual feeling however the decision to enter halls was one I’m so glad I made as I made plenty of friends and memories, especially through the events put on by the Students’ Union. It wasn’t only the evening events I found myself attending, but also the day time events like beach cleans and dodgeball4RAG. The Students’ Union are really great at putting on events where we can give our time in small doses, which meant I didn’t need to worry about over committing myself but after seeing all the great work that they do and the opportunities that are on offer, I started getting involved in more long-term commitments.

I even joined the boxing society and ran for a voluntary committee role where I gained so many new skills, developed existing ones, and have grown so much as a person. I soon found myself attending more of the charitable events doing more and more charitable work, volunteering my time for something good. I’ve been involved in the volunteering opportunities and RAG events since my very first Freshers’ Fair but it was over this last year that I managed to log over 400 volunteering hours in the volunteering portal. Even though it’s been a difficult year this past year, I was really happy to be nominated for the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award at the 2020-21 Union Awards. I even went on to win the award this year which was an incredible honour and a great way for me to end my final year at Bucks.

Being involved in so many volunteering opportunities through the Students' Union showed me that there is so much more you can do at University to add to your degree and build your experience, but also have some fun with it. Bucks is made up of an amazing diversity of facilities and driven people, so you’ll never feel disconnected, limited or without a challenge. That’s why Bucks was my top choice.

»

My experience at Bucks is one I won’t forget anytime soon. From my first time on campus at an open day I felt welcome and included, and after 3 years of studies the presence of support and warmth did not fade.

Tomek, our volunteer of the year, shares their experience on volunteering

Freshers' special

By Amy Pile, Lucy Webb, Jamie Baxter, Tomasz Siemieniuch

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We've all been there...

10 Freshers' special

Our commitment to mental health

By Tash Neal

Our commitment to

Mental Health THIS BIT IS LEFT BLANK SO YOU CAN TAKE 30 SECONDS TO CHECK IN ON A MATE

Bucks Students’ Union recognises that the wellbeing of our members and staff is paramount to our success in delivering our unique, awardwinning offer. This year, more than ever, positive mental health and wellbeing is at the top of our agenda and we therefore invested in the Student Minds Mental Health Framework.

The Students’ Union Mental Health Framework has been created as part of the Student Minds SUs programme. The aim is to provide SUs with a helpful framework that can support the adoption of a whole-Union approach to mental health and wellbeing. The framework has been informed by research, learning and insight that Student Minds has gained through its work in UK higher education so far. It draws from the University Mental Health Charter, the Co-Production Toolkit and a wide range of reports and publications that the Charity has led or supported.

This framework is designed to support informal self-assessment of an SU’s organisational approach to mental health and wellbeing and help SUs to identify areas for improvement. It provides a set of 10 principles for good practice in achieving a whole-Union approach to mental health.

As a Union, we have formed a working group including staff and students from all areas of our work and together, by working through the framework, have created an action plan that we believe will ensure we continue to deliver outstanding support to our members. Already we have implemented new policies and procedures, reviewed our current activities and scheduled some clear timelines to ensure the framework is not only a series of actions to be taken now, but embedded into our day-to-day operations as a Union for many years to come.

Your Vice President Education and Welfare, Tash Neal had this to say: “The Mental Health Framework is a fantastic opportunity for us to carry out a ‘self-check’ on what we do as a Students’ Union already to support mental health and wellbeing as well as areas to focus on going forwards. We know that the majority of our activity is really proactive and supports our members and staff to a high standard. By using the framework we are able to identify any gaps in our offer to ensure that we are doing our absolute best for our staff and students to promote and encourage positive mental health and wellbeing”

A handy packing list

It’s time! You’ve accepted your offer, confirmed your student loan and paid the deposit on your new room in student accommodation, and now it’s time to pack. But what exactly do you need to make sure that you bring along with you?

Everyone will tell you something a little different and it’s so easy to panic and just take everything (I’m talking to you, never-once-used iron!) so make sure you break it down, cover all your basics and remember if you unpack and realise you didn’t bring a single piece of cutlery, you can always pick some up for free with our Bucks New Usage initiative or borrow from a housemate until then!

First up, the important stuff – passports, paperwork and prescriptions.

⃣​⃣ Valid passport and/or driver’s license ⃣​⃣ University acceptance letter ⃣​⃣ Accommodation contract ⃣​⃣ Prescription medication (and the paperwork if it’s a repeat prescription)

⃣​⃣ Bank card (have you considered switching to a student account?)

⃣​⃣ Passport photos ⃣​⃣ USB ⃣​⃣ 16-25 railcard for great train travel discounts ⃣​⃣ Totum card Moving on to where all the magic happens (We’re talking about those well deserved zzzz’s!) it’s the bedroom.

⃣​⃣ A duvet (and two covers - wear one, wash one style)

⃣​⃣ Pillows ⃣​⃣ Pillowcases ⃣​⃣ Pillow protectors ⃣​⃣ Mattress protector ⃣​⃣ Bed sheets ⃣​⃣ Coat hangers ⃣​⃣ Clothes horse ⃣​⃣ Extension cable ⃣​⃣ Photos of friends and family ⃣​⃣ Chargers for all your devices – phone,

camera, laptop. (Double, triple check these)

You knew it was coming, the COVID safe stuff...

⃣​⃣ Masks (bring spare!) ⃣​⃣ Hand sanitiser

Next up is the bathroom and it’s probably the most straightforward one on your packing list.

⃣​⃣ Bath towel ⃣​⃣ Hand towel ⃣​⃣ Toiletries (these cover a wide range of things

and this is personal to you, but I would recommend buying the loo roll and handwash once you arrive to save some space in your parents' already crammed car.)

⃣​⃣ Bath mat – get a bath mat! ⃣​⃣ A first aid kit – so many bumps, cuts and

bruises will happen in your first year so make sure you grab a kit.

⃣​⃣ Paracetamol – For everything from a

hangover to computer headaches and the ever dreaded Freshers' flu.

Clothes – Rightfully has its own section. You don’t need to bring your entire wardrobe, all your shoes, and fancy getup. For the most part you can break it down into summer/winter. Your first term at uni will be in the colder months before you head home where you can swap out your winter coats boots for tshirts, shorts and flip flops. On that note, this is what you should bring for the start of term in September.

⃣​⃣ Warm clothes ⃣​⃣ A scarf ⃣​⃣ A good winter coat ⃣​⃣ A lighter winter jacket ⃣​⃣ Sensible shoes ⃣​⃣ A handful of dressier items for your nights out ⃣​⃣ Sports/gym gear if you need it ⃣​⃣ Fancy dress (a Freshers' Fortnight staple – you don’t need your whole dressing up trunk though. The lineup is always revealed before you arrive so you’ll know exactly what to pack.)

Last up is the kitchen, crockery and cups. You want to keep this to the basics, why bring a corkscrew bottle opener if you don’t drink wine?

Six set of dinner plates when you’ll probably only cook for you and a mate or two?

⃣​⃣ A good set of pots and pans (A good rule

of thumb is a big lidded pot, small pot and medium pan to cover your essentials)

⃣​⃣ Cutlery ⃣​⃣ Plates ⃣​⃣ Bowls ⃣​⃣ A mug ⃣​⃣ A glass ⃣​⃣ A sharp knife ⃣​⃣ Tupperware (brilliant to save leftovers, avoid

foodwaste and finally kick the cling film to the curb)

⃣​⃣ Scissors ⃣​⃣ Chopping board ⃣​⃣ Sieve ⃣​⃣ Can opener ⃣​⃣ Spatula ⃣​⃣ Set of wooden spoons for stirring, mixing and general cooking use

⃣​⃣ Peeler ⃣​⃣ Baking trays (2 will usually do the job) ⃣​⃣ Tea towels ⃣​⃣ Washing up sponge/brush If you get stuck for something in halls, pop into Bucks New Usage on our High Wycombe campus where you can nose around and pick up anything you need from cutlery to bedding, pots to lamps and even toastie makers. This can be really helpful for International students, as you will have a limited luggage allowance and this can help you to save money on new items.

Freshers' special

What do I bring??

By Nellie Hughes

11

Packing list

12 Freshers' special

Societies

By Daniel Lawrence

Find your people with...

Looking to enhance your university experience participating in something you love? Then why not join one of our many societies we have on offer!

We have a total of 24 societies which you can join ranging from physical activity (Karate, Pole, Women’s Rugby), societies linked to your courses (Aviation, Nursing, Psychology, Mooting) and common interest (First Aid, Green, Star Wars). This is only a handful available to you, so for a full list visit bucksstudentsunion.org/activities/socs.

All of our societies are preparing for your arrival and have some fantastic plans in the works to engage you and get the most out of your university life. Each society is led by a committee who have been in your shoes and know exactly how you are feeling. Feeling nervous, no need to worry, our societies will help you settle into university life by helping you meet new people and gain some friends for life and this is only some of the amazing feedback we received last year!

Is there something you are interested in which we do not offer? Why not set up a society of your very own, all you need is 3 people. You will get the full support of us here at the Students’ Union to help you get going, ranging from help with the initial paperwork to providing you with some funding to get the society up and running. Leading a society is a great way of enhancing your CV, providing organisation and communication skills which will help you in any career. For further information on how to set up a society contact susocieties@bucks.ac.uk or you can message Daniel Bucks on Facebook.

Daniel Lawrence Student Activities Coordinator (Recreational Sport and Societies)

Societies

There's plenty to choose from!

I'm Seana O’Reilly, and I look after all competitive sport. As a former student who played Netball for the University, as well as being on committee as Captain and then Chair I have experienced all the thoughts you are currently having about going to University.

Bucks Students' Union manages the Competitive and Recreational Sporting offer and we do everything we can to make it as good as it can be. We run several team sports from Badminton to Volleyball, just check out our website to see all the clubs, and nearly all of these play their competitive games on a Wednesday afternoon. We also offer the opportunity to those individuals who play individual sports the chance to represent us in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS). Over the last few years we have sent boxers, swimmers and fencers to their chosen competition.

Just come down and talk to us and we will do all we can to help you represent us in your chosen sport. For those that are not so keen on the conventional sports our Cheer and Dance clubs train every week, honing their routines for their competitions which tend to take place over a few weekends from the middle of term 2.

Each club is slightly different, and all are run by an elected student committee. Whilst they all have their own identities what they do have in common is a friendly welcoming atmosphere. All of our clubs welcome students of any ability to join and you can find out more at Freshers' Fair where they will be in attendance.

Seana O'Reilly Student Activities Coordinator (Competitive Sport)

All competitive sport at Bucks is free to play thanks to the Big Deal, meaning there is nothing stopping anyone joining a club or competing individually at BUCS comps.

When I say free I mean free, the only thing you might need to buy are the shorts, skorts and/or socks that you play in. All our competitive teams take part in BUCS leagues throughout the season, in both league and cup format, our Men’s Football 1st team managed to win the double in their last season. If there are any sports that you may be interested in and do not see them advertised on our Students’ Union website or at the Freshers' Fair then do not hesitate to let seana.oreilly@bucks.ac.uk know or come into the Students’ Union office, our door is always open.

Another key part of joining a club at Bucks is the opportunity to run as Committee member, these can be great opportunities for Bucks students to develop their communication, organisation and social skills. The positions vary from club to club, but most clubs have a Chair, Secretary, Social Secretary, Treasurer and Welfare Liaison. These roles can provide you with excellent experience and can be a valuable addition to anyone’s CV, we will be running elections in October for those positions that aren’t currently filled.

If you have any questions relating to competitive sport prior to starting at University and know which sport they are for, please visit the Students’ Union website and visit the individual sports page in order to find the relevant contact details. If the questions are more general or pertain to a sport we do not appear to offer, please contact seana.oreilly@bucks.ac.uk Or, look out for me in September.

Freshers' special

Competitive sport

By Seana O'Reilly

13

Competitive sport

14 Freshers' special

Sport for Fun

Keep active, try something new, and meet new people!

We are ready to welcome you to Bucks whether you are returning student or coming for the very first time.

Do you want to be active but not compete in sport? You can with our recreational sporting programme. With Sport for Fun you can try a variety of sports regardless of your ability. There is no commitment and the majority of our activities are free of charge and take place on different days, so there is always something for you to try. Sport for Fun gives you the opportunity to take part in sports you may not have previously tried, all in an enjoyable, non-competitive environment.

What can I get involved in?

We have an action-packed programme for you this year with a mixture of weekly activity such as Dodgeball, Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Snowsports and Yoga. Throughout the year we will also be running lots of fun trips which you can get involved in, Go Karting, Rush Trampoline Park and Ice Skating to name just a few, so be sure to keep track of our social media channels for all the latest information. If there is something we currently do not offer and is something you would like us to do, do not hesitate to get in touch.

Bucks Bike Scheme With the increase in interest in Cycling, we are launching Bucks Bike Scheme. As part of this we offer bike hire throughout the year, where for a small deposit you can access the bikes for any purpose that suits your needs, whether this be commuting to uni/work or for general exercise.

We will make you aware of local clubs, should you wish to partake in group cycles, but this is something we would be looking to run regularly here at Bucks. When you hire a bike, you will also be made aware of local cycle routes so you can further explore the beautiful Chiltern Hills and get to know the local area better.

SFF Ambassadors We are looking for student leads for several sports so, if you have a passion for any sport and would like to enhance your CV whilst at university by gaining valuable leadership, organisation and communication get in touch. This is a volunteer role but we will reward you for your work by paying for a coaching course if this is something you wish to do.

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in participating or would like further information on any of the upcoming events, contact sport@bucks.ac.uk. Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on all our social media!

Daniel Lawrence Student Activities Coordinator (Recreational Sport and Societies)

Keep up to date with our social media; Facebook – Sport for Fun Bucks New Uni Twitter - @BucksSUSFF

Find a way to give back with...

Volunteering Last year our students volunteered over 7,000 hours in the community, running clubs and societies and through our internal Students' Union projects! Our students also managed to raise an amazing £18,677 last year for RAG.

Volunteering at University can be so beneficial for you and can easily coincide with your studies. Volunteering can be anything from being on committee for a club or society, to giving back to the community either by helping with a river clean or working in a charity shop. Volunteering is anything in which you give up your own time to give back to something or someone else.

Here at Bucks Students’ Union we are always encouraging students to volunteer as there are so many great benefits that you gain. Volunteering looks great on your CV and also provides you with many experiences and skills which will be great for after university life. Volunteering can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable and it is also a chance to meet like-minded people and make new friends.

Volunteering opportunities are very varied and there is definitely something for everyone, from six month internships to one-off volunteering opportunities selling poppies for the British Legion. There is always an opportunity to get involved with that will fit around everyone’s busy university schedule and individual passions.

Already planned for the first term we have a Bournemouth beach clean and Brighton Beach Clean during GiveItAGoWeek fortnight. Weekly visits to One Can Trust and a one-off visit to a goat centre to help look after the animals is also scheduled for the start of term 1! There are so many volunteering opportunities already in place for the year, if you want to see what we are offering visit the Bucks Students’ Union website and visit the volunteering portal where all the opportunities are kept.

Students who volunteer their time get rewarded by being awarded with certificates based on the hours they have put in. The hours are:

• • • •

Bronze award, 50 hours Silver award, 100 hours Gold award, 200 hours Platinum award, 400 hours

If you reach your platinum volunteering award, you will be invited to our annual Union Awards dinner evening to be presented with your certificate.

This academic year we are introducing volunteering bundles! If you reach 30 community hours, you will be able to collect your very own volunteering kit which includes a T-shirt, hoodie, backpack, portable charger and more! We want you to be kitted out in volunteering stash ready for any opportunity you may want to get involved with! There is only 50 bundles available so be quick and get logging those hours!

If there are any volunteering opportunities you would love to do that we do not offer at the moment please message me on Facebook at Jade Bucks or drop me an email at jade.collis@bucks.ac.uk.

Jade Collis Student Activities Coordinator (Volunteering & Charitable Fundraising)

Freshers' special

By Jade Collis

15

Volunteering

OKTOBERFEST Tuesday 28 September

COMEDY CLUB Tuesday 21 September

SPEED QUIZZING SUNday 26 September

BINGO LINGO

SATURday 25 September

FRAT HOUSE: LOVE ISLAND

WEDNEsday 29 September

FRAT HOUSE: TOGA PARTY

WEDNEsday 22 September

FRESHERS' BALL & SURVIVORS BRUNCH FRIDAy 1 - Sunday 3 OCTOBER

AND MUCH MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

18 Freshers' special

Could you be a leader?

By Ellie Freeman, Lucy Ryan

Could you be a leader? bucksstudentsunion.org/representation

If you are looking to get more out of your university experience, gain and develop career-enhancing skills and make life better for students at Bucks, you may be interested in taking on one of the many leadership positions available to Bucks’ students. To find out more about any roles, please email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk.

Student Reps

School Officers

Union Council

Student Reps are elected by their peers to be the voice of their course and are the first point of contact for students with issues or concerns. They are democratically elected by their course mates each year, with elections taking place in March and October.

At Bucks, we have one School Officer for each of the seven schools: Art, Design and Performance; Aviation and Security; Business and Law; Creative and Digital Industries; Health Care and Social Work; Human and Social Sciences; and Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health. School Officers are appointed through an interview process to work alongside the Representation Team to promote the benefits of representation.

Union Council is the highest form of representation at the Students’ Union and is our senior representative body. The Council meets monthly during term time and was formed to represent the voice of the students.

The Council is a platform that informs students about the changes to policies within the Union, and the opportunity to vote on University-wide issues and directs our lobbying approach.

School Officers lead on representation within their school and liaise with Student Reps to gather feedback and help formulate our Education Committee reports, ensuring the student voice is heard at all levels across the University. Extra support from the Students’ Union and various training programmes are provided, as well as a financial reward of up to £350, and invitation to Rep Conference and Union Awards.

Our three Sabbatical Officers also give a monthly update on what they've been doing and their plans for the upcoming month so students can scrutinise them and hold them to account. Additionally, our eight Executive Officers also provide reports on their work and raise any issues brought forward from the student groups they are responsible for.

Student Reps are supported throughout the year by the Students’ Union and are rewarded up to £100 for their contributions. Reps also have access to additional developmental opportunities, such as our annual Rep Conference, and the possibility of invitation to our biggest events, such as the annual Union Awards.

Each year group of every course should have a Student Rep. All courses need representing, so why not put yourself forward and ensure your peers have a voice, all whilst boosting your CV? Nominations for 2021/22 Student Reps close on Friday 8th October 2021, with Rep Elections taking place the following week. If you are interested, please email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk with any questions or the following details to submit your nomination: Student Rep Nomination: Full name Student ID Course name Year of Study Preferred email address -

Contact us Email: surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk Facebook: Bucks Students’ Union or add Bucks VPEW or Ellie Bucks Twitter: @buckssu @BucksSUVPEW @ellie_bucks Instagram: @BucksStudentsUnion @BucksRep

We are still recruiting for the 2021/22 School Officer for Health Care and Social Work. If you are interested in learning more about this role or would like to apply, please email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk expressing your interest. Requirements: Must be a student in the School of Health Care and Social Work.

Executive Officers To ensure the Students’ Union represents all members and is inclusive and accessible for all, we have Executive Officers who represent eight student groups and are democratically elected by the students they represent in our March and October elections.

Executive Officers are offered an extensive package of benefits, including Leadership Academy application support, additional free skills and training sessions, personalised one-to-one support, and are rewarded up to £250 for their work.

Four of the Officer roles are self-defining: Women’s, Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), Disabled, and LGBT+. Students who wish to stand or vote for these positions must self-define before doing so.

The final four Officers are based on entry criteria when applying for university: Mature (aged 21 or over at the start of their degree), Part-Time (part-time programmes), International (paying international fees) and Postgraduate (postgraduate programmes).

The following Executive Officer positions are still available: Women’s, BAME, LBGT+, and Postgraduate.

Nominations for these positions close on Friday 8th October 2021, with Elections taking place the following week. If you are interested in any of these positions, please email surepresentation@bucks. ac.uk expressing your interest.

Free refreshments are provided at every meeting including Domino's pizza. So not only can you have a major input on the student experience Bucks but you can also grab yourself some free pizza in the process what's not to love?!

For more information about Union Council and how you can get involved, please speak to any member of the sabbatical team or email surepresentation@ bucks.ac.uk.

Student Issues Experienced an issue during your time at university?

Want to challenge the University to do better? “Student Issues” is a platform that has been designed so that students can quickly log any issues with the Students' Union so that we can act swiftly on your behalf to get them resolved as quickly as possible.

Issues can range from not being assigned a personal tutor, timetabling problems, lecturers’ attendance and more. After your issue has been logged, we'll record this and the sabbatical officers along with the representation team will tackle it as quickly possible.

Head to bucksstudentsunion.org/support/ studentissues to submit an issue. Alternatively, you can always email the Representation Team directly.

Bucks Students’ Union

Advice Centre Got a problem?

ADVICE CENTRE We help you find a solution!

Tell us what it is

MONEY

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

ADVICE CENTRE If you have problems in any of these areas we can help: ADVICE ADVICE CENTRE ADVICE CENTRE CENTRE High Wycombe Campus:

Uxbridge Campus:

Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday LEGAL ISSUES Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located: Room 1.03, first fl YOUR PERSONAL LIFE Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 605 180 make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment.

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

Wycombe Campus: Uxbridge Campus: day 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm MONEY COURSE ISSUES YOUR PERSONAL LIFE INTERNATIONAL MONEY N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located:YOUR RoomPERSONAL 1.03, first LIFE floor STUDENT ISSUES one: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 605 180 Please call to make appointment at either or campus make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment. suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice an appointment at either campus for aanface-to-face, telephone Skype r a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment. Please call to make s are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please High Wycombe Campus: 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 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm day 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Frida Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ISSUES Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block 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 fl INTERNATIONAL Located: Room 1.03, first floor STUDENT ISSUES Phone: 01494 603 016 one: 01494 603 016 Phone: STUDENT 01494 605 180 ISSUES 603 016 Phone: 01494 Phone: 01494 605 180 Phone: 01494 605 180 suadvice@bucks.ac.uk bucksstudentsunion.org/advice Evening appointments are available outside of standard opening s are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm.

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

High Wycombe Campus:

Uxbridge Campus:

Phone: 01494 603 016

Phone: 01494 605 180

suadvice@bucks.ac.uk buck 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 studentsunion.org/advice INTERNATIONA AL ISSUES Located: Room 1.03, first floor Located: Room N0.04, ground floor, North Wing

RSE ISSUES

We are offering telephone and virtual appointments only due to the current situation. To book an appointment to speak with an adviser please email us at suadvice@bucks.ac.uk and include your telephone number, name and Bucks student ID (if you have one), some days and times you are available and a brief description of your issue or query.

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

STUDENT ISSUE

ACCOMMODATI

20 Freshers' special

Download the FREE app Discounts Legal ID Campus Life

Join today

TOTUM.COM @WEARETOTUM

JobShop Get paid!

We understand that many of you starting university with us will also be looking for part time work to help support you during your time at Buckinghamshire New University.

Our JobShop page on the Students’ Union website will be continuously updated throughout the year with local, part time job vacancies for you.

Whichever industry you are looking to work in, we have a range of recently published opportunities available for you. These are updated weekly with current part time opportunities, so at any point through the year when you find yourself needing some additional work, please remember to check the JobShop. You can also visit the JobShop each Wednesday in the Students’ Union foyer or in Beats.

As well as the financial benefits, work experience of any kind will provide you with transferable skills to support your success when you graduate and move into your career. Prospective employers will value any work you can detail on your CV or an application form, whether its paid or as a volunteer.

We also have numerous opportunities to work within the SU! We value student officers, volunteers and employees with ideas and personality and believe that lively, active and vibrant people shape our organisation. We have a wide range of paid opportunities available within the Union and you don’t necessarily need experience, but a great attitude is essential!

Please see below for some of our current vacancies available at the SU and go to our JobShop page for the full list of current part time work advertised: Restorative Practice Practitioner HMP Aylesbury are looking for a parttime Restorative Practice Practitioner to work with a small caseload of prisoners embedding restorative practice into relationships.

Part-Time Sports Coach The Little Gym at Handy Cross are looking for a part-time Sports Coach to join their teaching team, assisting in classes with experienced teachers.

Poster Designer Little Wing Film Festival are looking to commission a designer to create their festival poster for Little Wing Film Festival 2021.

If you would like us to assist you with a CV or vacancy application, you can contact our Development Team at sutraining@bucks.ac.uk or pop into the Students’ Union offices.

Please remember if you have any problems regarding finance or anything else, our Advice Centre is there to help you and you can contact them at suadvice@bucks.ac.uk

Part-Time Retail Sales Consultant Beaverbrooks are looking for a part-time Retail Sales Consultant to join their team and passionately sell stunning pieces of jewellery, watches and diamonds.

Tune in. Listen up.

Catch us live on the Bucks Students’ Union website 24/7.

Freshers' special

By Sarah Jackson

21

JobShop

22 Freshers' special

Leadership Academy

By Emily West

It's never too early Academy to start planning your career Leadership

So why not apply to be part of our 2021/2022 cohort in the Leadership Academy?

The Leadership Academy is a bespoke development programme for talented students to gain specific skills for routes through the Union into leadership roles. It’s a series of training, courses and opportunities to enhance employability and build leadership traits - all free of charge courtesy of The Big Deal.

change, understand the difference between management and leadership, identify and encourage high performance and adopt a coaching style. We will be looking to organise these remotely, but as soon as it is possible and appropriate we will provide the option to have these as in person events.

The idea is to provide a truly personalised and candidate led development programme based on your specific requirements and goals.

Accredited training courses specific to your chosen route - We can provide licensing qualifications and legislation compliant certificates for those in the hospitality industry; safeguarding or coaching qualifications for those in the sports industry; your development programme will be specific to your route and we will source the experience that you need, all of which will appear on your Bucks Award.

There are many routes into leadership roles within the Union and beyond your University life and depending on your interest or ability, your choice of route may be individual to you.

Each route will have tailored development sessions to help you reach your goal.

Development activities will be sympathetic to studies, manageable for students at all levels and a typical programme will include: One to one sessions to agree your leadership development route and monitor progress - We will discuss your career aspirations with you, propose and agree a personal development plan with clear objectives and deadlines and review your progress throughout the academic year. We will encourage use of the My Bucks Career platform and monitor achievement of the Bucks Graduate Attributes. Regular contact through email and telephone calls will enable us to support you in achieving your goals.

Face to face meetings can also be held once Government guidance assures us this is safe for you.

Workshops focusing on leadership styles and self-awareness - We will deliver formal leadership training which will provide you with workplace critical skills on how to demonstrate values, manage conflict, manage

Creating future leaders

Employability sessions focussing on CV’s, interviews, applications and assessment centres - Group sessions in all of the above will be scheduled regularly alongside the University’s Careers and Employability Service.

One to one sessions are also available with both the Students’ Union and the University.

Access to networking opportunities through conferences, staff days and external events There may be a national or industry specific conference that we agree will benefit your leadership journey or an employer that you would like us to set up a connection with; You will be invited to be involved with Students’ Union meetings and development days and consulted with when we have new initiatives or policy to implement.

You will also receive full support of the Students’ Union Development Team through one to one meetings, reflective developmental sessions and assistance with finding your ideal leadership role.

For further information or to apply to our Leadership Academy, please email sutraining@bucks.ac.uk or come and see us at our Freshers' stall!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Bucks Award

Track and showcase your success!

Every time you participate in an activity with us, be it volunteering, a skills session or securing a committee role, we have a record of it and are now able to collate these records to really showcase your involvement through the Bucks Award.

The Bucks Award is divided into sections with the idea that by the time you leave university you have something in every section – a completely achievable goal due to all the free opportunities you have access to thanks to the Big Deal. Even if you don't have every element covered, we want you to be able to talk about your experiences in an effective way that can be relatable to the career of your choice.

Employment

Memberships

We will list any role you have had with the SU during your time at Bucks, backing up that you have had the work experience you claim on your CV.

If you are a member of a club or society, it will be listed here. Participation in these activities demonstrates commitment to a sport or interest and the ability to build your own networks and team based skills.

Volunteering This will detail the number of hours volunteering you have completed (and most importantly logged!) by type of role – club or society committee role, ambassador role, community or external projects and SU or internal projects. Being able to talk about your volunteering experiences and relate them to roles that you apply for will be invaluable.

Leadership Roles Whether you’ve been a School Officer or Course Rep, Ambassador or Chair of a Club or Society or Team Leader in our bars, you have had to use leadership skills to perform your role. As a candidate in our elections you will have planned a campaign and influenced people into voting for you thereby demonstrating signs of your leadership skills. Whatever you want to do as a career, leadership skills will be invaluable.

Skills Maybe you’ve attended our course specific or generic training sessions or achieved accredited qualifications through us. These will all be listed here so you can see exactly how much you’ve developed with your SU. Awards Here will be a list of any Award you have received at AU Dinner or Union Awards including any awards you have been shortlisted for. These are really great achievements and should be recognised.

Extra-Curricular Activities Anything else you’ve done with us, recreational activities or sport for fun, will be detailed in this section and can be used to demonstrate cultural, social or self-awareness.

BUCKS AWARD Acknowledging commitment & celebrating success

John Smith

Graphic Design | 2019

As part of our commitment to helping you find your dream career, we offer Bucks Award sessions which are opportunities for you to learn how to talk about everything you have done with the SU and how to turn these into transferable skills and experiences, in an application or interview setting. These are available to you throughout your time at Bucks, so whether you would like an initial meeting to discuss your ideal career and which activities you could attend to help this, or are looking for a part time job to help support you through university, we can help you in these selfreflective sessions become more confident in finding employment.

Volunteering

Employment

Poppy selling – 8 hours

Freshers’ Helper

Chiltern Rangers – 3 hours

Bar Staff

Smile Campaign – 3 hours

Students’ Union Receptionist

Gardening at Wycombe Museum – 2 hours Brighton Beach Clean Up – 5 hours Good Deed Day – 1.5 hours

Skills

Leadership roles Course Rep RAG Ambassador Badminton Treasurer

Autism Awareness Anti Bullying Awareness OCD Awareness Understanding Deafness End of Life Care Online Reputation Management Sign Language Public Speaking

We can arrange these as either face to face meetings, or online, depending on your circumstances (and subject to current advice) and we can’t wait to hear from you! Please email sutraining@bucks.ac.uk or pop down to the SU and see us in person to arrange a meeting.

Badminton Rugby Cosplay & Craft Society Snowsoc

Cooking Lesson

Awards

Beginners Scuba Diving

Big Deal Award for Engagement 2017

Careers in the Arts

Membership Services Employee of the Year 2018

Time Management

RAG Charity Fundraiser of the Year Nominee

Safeguarding and Protecting Children

Student Rep of the Year Nominee

Make Up Masterclass

Membership Services Student Staff Member of the Year Nominee

Business Path End the Awkward Public Speaking Public Speaking Level 2

IN THE

Memberships

Freshers' special

By Sarah Jackson

23

Bucks Award

GET INVOLVED WITH...

SOCIETIES

SPORTS

CLUBS » es ag p w fe t ex n e th r ve o u o y at g in com

Society

ISR

Welcome to the Intelligence, Security and Resilience Society!

Who we are

Latest events

Let’s get to know one another!

The newly established Intelligence, Security and Resilience Society at BNU aims to provide an engaging environment for students who want to further their interests and knowledge of domestic and international intelligence related issues. We are looking for members who are interested in any aspect of crime, security and intelligence analysis techniques used by law enforcement entities and militaries. Our society is open to students from all courses and years, whether you want to work in security intelligence or just want to know more about opportunities in the intelligence field.

Most recently, the society has welcomed Michael Chandler, Chief Operating Officer of The Vanquish Group and the founder of TSCM International to hold a live talk about his experience working in a bug sweeping company in London and counter-surveillance operations across the UK. An interactive Q&A session was held following the presentation where students could learn about what employers were looking for in the bug sweeping industry and how to strengthen their resume. This event consequently allowed members to connect with the speaker and bug sweeping companies on LinkedIn, building a stronger network of potential employers.

The society is chaired by Lydia. She is responsible for the society, its committee, and its activities. Supreme overlord-...err, lady.

The society will be running academic events and activities such as acquiring guest speakers from a multitude of security and intelligence related backgrounds and planning potential trips in the future that will contribute to the personal development of students, while increasing networking opportunities. However, we also plan to run more social-orientated events that allow members to interact and get to know one another through group outings. For this year, we are looking into escape rooms, spy tours in London, trips to museums and other security related sites.

If you have your own ideas, feel free to tell us!

Fraser is the Secretary. Some might say secretaries are boring, but there’s nothing boring about him. He’s genuinely passionate about security topics, and this society is an excellent way to bring that out!

Shelley’s the Treasurer, but she’s also the most active on social media. Quirky, kind, and with a passion for police intelligence analysis, she’s a perfect fit for our society!

Einike is our welfare liaison and is responsible for ensuring that everyone with concerns is listened to.

COVID-19 adjustments If meeting face to face is restricted, we will be running virtual academic and social events which can be found on our social media handle @BNUISR on Instagram and Twitter. We are very excited to continue organising events for the next academic year and look forward to seeing new faces!

Students' Union Mixers During your first few weeks we’ve arranged a series of mixer events enabling you to meet new people, help find Uni mates & find out about your Union. Come along to as many as you like!

Women students Wednesday 22 September 10am-noon FREE hot drinks in Beats

BAME students Friday 24 September 4-6pm FREE pizza in The Lounge

LGBTQ+ students

Part-time students Wednesday 22 September 4-6pm FREE pizza in The Lounge

Students with disabilities Monday 27 September 1-3pm FREE tea and cake in Beats

International students Thursday 30 September 4-6pm FREE pizza in The Lounge

Post graduate students Tuesday 21 September 1-3pm FREE hot drinks in Beats

Mature students Tuesday 28 September 10am-noon FREE hot drinks in Beats

Wednesday 29 September 4-6pm FREE pizza in The Lounge

Freshers' special

By Einike Rannaste

25

ISR Society

26 Freshers' special

Bucks Nursing Society | BSL Society

By Amy Pile | Ada Flores

Meet your course mates at...

Bucks Nursing Society

Facebook: /bucksnursingsociety Twitter: @bucksnursingsociety Instagram: @bucksnursingsociety

Bucks Nursing Society has been set up to provide an outlet for all students studying Nursing, Midwifery and Allied health.

Joining the society we can offer support, guidance, fun and most importantly friendship. Any type of studying is but having to fit in placements can be difficult so we believe reaching out to others who will feel how you feel is important.

We enjoy creating new events for our members - recently we had an afternoon tea party which was very much enjoyed.

We also join campaigns, volunteer, organise guest speakers, revision sessions and our breaking barrier sessions that are held every 3 weeks, these sessions are for members to come together and speak about university life, their experiences, and clinical placements.

Bucks Nursing Society Committee are Nursing students who are passionate about providing students with experiences and making memories of university a happy one. Our Chair Amy Pile says “Bucks Nursing Society isn’t just valued by our members but also the committee, we needed somewhere to turn to for support and people who understood life as a nursing student, I enjoy the society and feel incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far”. Also hear what one of our members Sandra (Year 2 Adult student Nurse) had to say "Joining a nursing society at Buckinghamshire New University was essential to me, as a nursing student I wanted take part in nursing networking and support other student nurses. I believe that being a

member of Bucks Nursing Society has helped me to develop leadership skills, further enhanced my team working skills and boosted my confidence. Bucks Nursing Society covers a broad scope of practice and offers a comprehensive way to stay on top of the trends in nursing. I love to attend guest speakers talks regularly, it's a great way to access practicerelated information and gain the new skills. All members are very professional, compassionate, friendly, and welcoming. We support each other and welcome all nursing specialities. If you want to feel heard, be on the top of the industry and have fun, I highly recommend joining the nursing society, I promise, you will not regret it."

We want to welcome all students to Buckinghamshire New University, if you are studying or interested in Nursing, midwifery or allied health please do join us. We welcome new ideas and creative ways of furthering our society making sure we can offer all our activities to all our members; we truly believe in supporting one another.

If you would like any further information, please do contact us on bucksnursingsociety@gmail.com or you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using @bucksnursociety.

Once again, a big welcome to you all.

Bucks Nursing Society

BSL Society

Imagine a world without hearing.

How do you express yourself? How do you communicate?

How can you watch TikTok without a sound?!

There is only one way to find out!

Are you interested in learning how to sign?

Learning languages improves memory function, enhances creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, boosts confidence and it’s a productive time-consumer. Also, it helps to include people with hard of hearing to our community. Are you in?

If you want to improve your CV and gain a new skill, why don’t you come a join the society where you will be welcomed by Ada, Nichola and Ioana?

We welcome absolutely anybody who wish to learn and discover! It doesn’t matter if you know BSL or you’re a complete beginner - come and join us. Maybe you can teach us too?

We value your membership so we would like to know your feedback on everything we do. Joining us you can feel like you ‘fit in’ the group. We will make polls on our social media so you can have an active participation in the society.

Every lesson we take with a professional teacher will be repeated together on our online or face to face meetings.

We also have a plan to visit Bucks centres for some volunteering and more practice.

Also if you would like to see us and talk about it before you join, you’re more than welcome to do so by meeting us at BSL stall at Freshers' Fair. We are also available on our social instagram @bucks_bsl or find us on Facebook!

Our vision is to be more inclusive and promote BSL among students at BNU. We would like to cooperate with other societies like Pole and Nursing.

We are so excited to meet you soon and start a new journey together.

Pole Society

Fun and fitness with friends

Pole classes through the pole society are back this year and we are so excited about it! Pole fitness gives everyone the chance to try a new skill, meet new people and improve their strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. The pole society welcomes absolutely everyone who would like to give it a go, there is no experience necessary. The great thing about pole is you are encouraged to bring your own style, there is no box to fit in and we encourage uniqueness and diversity! You do not have to be a dancer, gymnast, athlete or anything in between to join in. Coming along to pole gives you an opportunity to build strength through starting with beginner moves, so please do not worry if you feel like you are unsure of your strength capabilities. Each week will be structured so there are always complete beginner moves on offer, as well as the chance to try something a bit harder and build on your skills as you attend each week. This year we are so excited to say we are partnering up with the Gateway Gym at the University.

Sign up for your gym membership and you will be able

Bucks FC

to have a free programme card created around your pole goals. This could include increasing upper body strength to hold those wow positions or improving flexibility so you can get your leg that little bit higher! What’s more, for every membership purchased by a Pole Society member, the gym will reward the society with credit towards the hire of its Poles, thus saving money which can be directed towards exciting opportunities such as Pole masterclasses for example. We are planning so many exciting things including society socials, fundraisers and chances to showcase what you’ve learnt being part of the society. Keep a look out for us at Freshers' Fair (My name is Beth and I will be joined by Ada and Kasia) we are a friendly bunch and welcome any questions. Please also feel free to reach out to us on Instagram @bnupole with any questions. We will be holding a society meeting at the beginning of term so sign up to be on our contact list through either of the ways mentioned above and we will let you know the time and date. Hope to hear from you and see you soon!

Welcomes all freshers!

Hello and welcome to all our BNU Freshers'!

A week in the life of a Bucks FC Member

If you are interested in joining the biggest sports club at the university, look no further! We are Bucks FC, and whether you’re interested in playing for one of our 4 football teams or becoming a social member and joining the Bucks FC family by supporting us and joining us week in week out to celebrate at socials, we have a space for you.

MONDAY - In the evenings we hold two separate training sessions, for the 3rd and 4th team, and then the 1st and 2nd teams. These are coached by qualified professionals, and always intended to improve your skills and have fun.

From training nights on a Monday, to matchdays and social days on Wednesdays, to a friendly indoor kick about for the Union’s “Sport for Fun” campaign, or one of many planned sober days out, we are a club that always aims for involvement and enjoyment for all of our members.

Over the last few years, our club has known nothing but fun and success. Despite last year being plagued by the coronavirus, when it came to competitive matches, we had a 100% win rate! And when we weren’t in lockdown, we held many successful socials on Wednesday nights, where friends for life are made, and we can’t wait till we can do this weekly this year!

We will be holding trials for all freshers that want to be involved in the playing aspect on a date to be announced soon on our social media pages, but anyone wanting to join the social side, look out for social media posts for the first social and we cant wait to see you there.

WEDNESDAY - The biggest day of the week for Uni students!

Wednesdays are match days! For our Bucks FC players, our teams meet at the Students' Union for breakfast, and then head to our games in high spirits hoping to bring yet another win back to our Uni! For these games we will also be counting on our social members and supporters to come and support us home and away, and be in for a chance of winning our supporter of the week award (we can't wait to see your banners and face paints, and hear your chants). And if that doesn’t sound good enough for a day, wait for the evenings.

Social nights! We welcome all members, social and playing, one-time fans or just people that want to be part of the family and experience Bucks FC’s culture, to celebrate with us weekly as we head to a pub to socialise then go to the Students' Union for a night out with all other clubs.

THURSDAY - Thanks to the Students' Union's Sport for Fun initiative, we have an indoor kickabout for ANYONE who fancies it, whether you’re in the first team, or never kicked a ball in your life.

We can’t wait to meet you all at Freshers' Fair!

Your new chairman, Fraser Garden

Freshers' special

By Bethanie Ball | Fraser Garden

27

Pole Society | Bucks FC

28 Freshers' special

Bucks Swimming Society | BNU Swans

By Olivia Tatton | Ellie Ramsden

Bucks Swimming Society The Bucks Swimming Society offers a great place for students of all abilities. Whether you want to learn to swim or want to compete, the Swimming Society is the place for you. It is a great place to meet other students from different courses and allows you to reach your full potential whether you just want to make new friends, improve your fitness or take part in competitions. The Swimming Society has had great success at BUCS competitions throughout the years with our Former Chair, James Baxter, and Current Chair, Olivia Tatton, making finals. As well as making BUCS finals, James was also recently inducted into the Sporting Hall of Fame at the Students' Union this year and that could be you as well. We train once a week at the Wycombe Leisure Centre, which has amazing

facilities on offer, as well as being trained by qualified coaches who aim to help members become more confident in their swimming.

Swimming is also one of the sports at Varsity so you can put all that hard work into practice competing against Roehampton University. As well as all that training, we will also hold socials once a month. All you need to bring is a swimming costume, goggles, a swimming hat and towel. We will be at the Freshers' Fair to answer any questions you may have but in the meantime if you have any questions you can find us on Instagram, @bucks_swimming, and Facebook, Bucks Swimming 21/22. We look forward to seeing you at one of our sessions.

You can make a splash

BNU Swans

After a very different year last season we are excited to see what this year throws at us. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our team, whether you have done cheer your whole life or never done cheer at all, we welcome everyone with open arms.

We have three teams; Main cheer, Pom and Jazz, all three teams are hardworking and fun.

We compete at national competitions against different universities and all of our teams have been highly successful in past competitions and we are looking forward to hopefully another successful year!

Throughout the year we get involved in many different fun activities. These include performing at Varsity, AU dinner, Beach Cleans and many different volunteering opportunities as well as our weekly socials.

Our weekly socials are great fun and are a brilliant opportunity to let your hair down and make friends in a chill environment. If you want to be involved in the Swans family but are not interested in the competitive aspect we welcome Social Swans who get involved in everything we do without partaking in training and competitions.

Moving to university can be scary but don’t worry our Swans family are here to help make your time at uni great. So come and join us and become a part of our great family!

BNU Netball

AU Awards winners!

BNU Netball is one of the most successful female clubs that the Students' Union has to offer. Over the past 3 years, we have received the award for ‘Club of the Year’ at the Athletic Union Awards and improving on this, the club and its members were short listed for 6 awards in 2020 and for all 3 of the awards in 2021, including Club of the Year, Captain of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Committee Member of the Year, and RAG Contributor of the Year. We are always looking for new members, whether you are looking to be a social member or play competitively. We are made up of two competitive teams that compete in BUCS leagues, as well as a third development squad which allows members to play in a more relaxed environment.

Starting university can be such a daunting thing; you are in a new environment with new people, but it is the start of a whole new chapter of your life. One of the best decisions I made when starting university was joining netball. By doing so, I met so many amazing new people who I have become such good friends with and can rely on. Netball consists of more than just training sessions and match days. You get the opportunity to be involved in fundraisers, day trips and hilarious nights out. I am so grateful for the girls from netball and they’ve all helped to make my first year memorable.

- Kyra Harding (Events Festival and Venue Management)

As a club, we understand that settling into university as a fresher can be very demanding and life changing – so why not join an enjoyable club that can help to relieve this stress? Our Netball Club has a variety of things to offer its members: • Weekly socials • Competitive league games • Varsity matches for all our teams • Regular skills and fitness sessions • Annual Tour: a chance to bring competitive and social members together for a week of socials in the sun!

We will be offering a taster and trial session to all new and returning members. This allows you to see if our club is for you as well as the chance to try out for one of our three teams. We train weekly on Tuesday evenings (7-9pm).

This is open to competitive and social members and is also supported by an enthusiastic coach to help push us towards success.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Bucks Netball soon!

Women's Hockey Hiya, my name is Emily, the new social secretary of the women’s hockey team here at BNU. I’m going into my second year in Policing Studies with Criminal Investigation.

Upon moving from Ireland, hockey has been a massive part of me making life long friends and settling into my university experience.

The hockey team here in Buckinghamshire New University, is a great way to make friends and stay fit. Whether you're a beginner or have played hockey for a while, we encourage everyone to play to the best of their ability and most importantly have fun. We usually train on Fridays, in High Wycombe and we are happy to say we have carried over our fantastic coach from last year for this season, Kali.

Kali is a professional hockey coach, who is also an exprofessional hockey player. His excellenct knowledge of the sport has helped us all grow as players.

Joining Netball in my first year was always a must. After not having played for a few years, I really wanted to improve my skills as well as meet new people at university who weren't on my course. From the first session, I felt welcomed and started to come out of my shell. The girls started to become life-long friends and my team became my family. I couldn't wait to travel to games with them each week knowing we would always have a laugh whether we won or lost. Netball is a great way to get involved in the Students' Union and I couldn't have asked for a better fresher experience.

- Hayley Sampson (Sports Therapy).

I always knew I was going to join Netball at university, but I did not know that I would have made the friends that I did.

Although our season was cut short, I have loved every minute of playing with these girls. We didn’t just have a friendship on court but off court as well, with socials every week that really brought us altogether. I know that no matter what these girls will have my back. I’m so fortunate to have made friends that are so supportive and accepting, as well as having the opportunity to play a sport that I love with them all.

- Anna Wright (Sports Therapy)

Follow us on social media: Facebook page: Bucks Ladies Hockey 21/22 Instagram page: @bucksladieshockey_

Wednesday is the day we do social events most of the time joined with the men’s hockey team, which are sometimes themed, pub crawls, fundraising and other events alike, something for everyone to enjoy! This allows us to get to know each other better, and from last year this has allowed me as a fresher to make lots of new friends, not only in hockey. This year I am the social secretary so I will be in charge of the social events in women’s hockey, I have plenty of things planned for the socials this year. We also as a club do volunteering, this gives us a range of opportunities to give back.

This year the committee is as follows, we’re here to help you in any way we can, don’t hesitate to contact us via social media above if you have any questions;

Varsity is a big day in our calendar, held annually, where most of the sports teams play our rival university, Roehampton University. The university with the most games won will win the Roebuck cup, and we take it in turns to host Varsity. This year (2022) it's our turn to host, which will be exciting for players and spectators alike.

Welfare: Georgia Reeve

Chair: Mariliis Vain Captain: Emily Macintosh Vice captain and treasurer: Liv Ross Secretary: Georgi Boyle Social Secretary: Emily Keogh

Freshers' special

By Katie Jedrek | Emily Keogh

29

BNU Netball | Women's Hockey

30 Freshers' special

BNU Dance Club

By BNU Dance Club

BNU Dance Club

We are excited to announce that BNU dance club are back, and we can’t wait for the exciting year ahead!

We hope that each of our members has had a well-deserved break after the year we have had as you all truly deserve it!

This year has been a struggle for us all, but the club continued each week to hold fitness classes, masterclasses and all competition team rehearsals whether they were in person or online.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, we didn’t manage to compete this year like we usually have but instead managed to hold our own online show which showcased all the hard work our dancers put in throughout the different teams.

The day was a huge success for each one of our competitive members and the final performance for each team looked amazing!

This year we will be holding auditions for 8 competition teams which are:

• • • • • • • •

Novice Ballet Advanced Tap Advanced Contemporary Novice Contemporary Advanced Jazz Novice Street Commercial Latin

Each year BNU dance club holds their very own dance competition in our events hall. Universities from all over the country come along and compete against our own teams. So much talent is seen throughout these competitions each year within each performance.

We as a club make sure we are inclusive to all our members whether they are competitive or not. Each week we hold fitness classes, technique classes and masterclasses in all different styles which we encourage all members to come along and have fun learning new things.

On top of this, every week we hold socials to give all our members a chance to socialise and meet each other.

In addition to this all, the club also hold an annual award night at the end of each competitive year to congratulate our members in all the hard work they have put in throughout the year. This is a great night to socialise with everyone and to recognise people’s successes.

If you are interested in joining the club, please come along to our stall at Freshers' Fair. This will be a great opportunity to talk to your new committee for the year and ask any questions you have. You can also contact us through our social media pages where we will keep everyone up to date with events throughout the year!

We can’t wait to see all our returning members and meet all the new members who join our club.

BNU Dance Club x

Bucks Men's Rugby

Firstly, Bucks Men’s Rugby would like to offer a big warm welcome and congratulations to those who have begun their journey with Buckinghamshire New University! This upcoming year is going to be a year (fingers, legs and everything else crossed) where Bucks Men’s Rugby essentially rise from the ashes and face the challenges put in front of us. Last year we fell short in the race to win Club of the Year, with netball smashing it up front, we do not just hope but expect this year for that title to come to us.

We as a committee, a team and a family would love for you, yes.. you! To join us in playing University Rugby. There are many perks with joining us, such as: making friends for life within the rugby team, memories that will last a lifetime, able to compete yet enjoy playing rugby, to name a few. There are also many opportunities with volunteering and taking part in student-led campaigns which allow us as students to broaden our experiences and life skills!

There are many other perks too so why not come down and check us out?

It’s been two long years since we’ve been able to take part in competitive matches, we have missed two Varsity’s (Only the biggest sporting day of the year) and this year we are hopeful that it will go ahead so we can smash Roehampton in an immense clash as we have done in previous years! We train Mondays and Fridays in the evening and play Wednesdays in a league that sees us travelling around the London areas and to other universities! Adding on to this, we have access to a brilliant rugby facility brought to us by Marlow Rugby Club. This club has helped us massively over the past couple of years and we have an excellent relationship with the Club, with some of our players even playing for them outside of University!

The biggest surprise is that all this is free due to the Big Deal offered by Bucks Students' Union! Brilliant right?

We also host socials on Wednesday after games, this is a time where we are able to reflect on the game prior and enjoy a good drink or two in the Students' Union, sometimes we get to dress up too. Sober socials are also hosted, as we are athletes too!

All information about Bucks Men's Rugby can be found on the Bucks Students' Union website under Get involved and Sport - we hope to see you on the pitch soon!

Freshers' special

By Bucks Men's Rugby

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Pole Fitness Society

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