Student Enrichment Fund Reports

The Student Enrichment Fund is a College fund which students can apply to for financial assistance towards their wider student experience and personal development.

Drish Patel - Yr. 3 Business and Management with Placement

This summer, I was engaged in the realm of computer science, specifically self-paced, online courses that are presented on edX. My aim was to understand the fundamental concepts of computing through high-quality, skill-building courses to build my technological portfolio. My personal curated collection of two courses on topics such as computational thinking, Python and web programming was presented in easy-to-digest stages, which was beneficial for a beginner like me.

The predominant motive for partaking in this endeavour was to grasp the fundamental basics of computer science. As an undergraduate studying Business and Management, I strongly believe that my course lacks aspects of technical dexterity which is crucial in the competitive labour market. Embarking on this specialised IT course, provided me the first step to bridge my computer science literacy gap and develop high-tech aptitudes. As well as ascertaining how programme and digital data works, I apprehended how to apply my problem-solving skills and creativity to other subjects and real-life situations.

As the digital age continues to expand with the role of computing pervading throughout almost all industries, business departments and organisational processes. The exponential rate of the growth in computing, has meant the technological landscape will be rapidly transforming. Hence, I consider it vital for me to possess, at rudimentary level of proficiency, some perception of computer science. The scope for progression is substantial with a secure future and multiple career options, therefore a novice course such as the one I participated in, has the potential to open doors to more advanced avenues of study.

Striving to learn computer science has been a positive and distinctive change from Business and Management that has kept my workload fresh, while simultaneously developing new and solidifying existing skills and competencies. It has acted as an essential part of a well-rounded academic education as it will supplement my ongoing degree in increasing my skillset and serving as a competitive advantage in a crowded job market.

Yichen Zhuang - MA Education

I have always been interested in language learning. Chinese is my native language but before I came to study in the UK, I taught myself Korean as I am keen on Korean culture. As I was coming to the UK to study, I spent a lot of time learning English. When I found that I could learn Japanese with the help of funding from the College’s SEF I was delighted so many thanks for the SEF funding as it has allowed me to pursue my interest in the Japanese language and culture. The sessions were carried out online and delivered by one teacher. Student practice rooms were set up and visited by the teacher. We had the opportunity to practice our language skills with our classmates which was very beneficial and overall, the on-line learning experience was pleasant. Although there was only one session per week during the summer vacation, I got to know some very useful Japanese expressions that can be used in daily life. This will be of great help to me to further understand Japanese culture in the future and will encourage me to further study Japanese in the future. I am working towards a Certificated Japanese exam. Thank you so much for providing me with the opportunity!

James Float - Yr. 3 Economics with Placement

Despite the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19, John Snow College’s Student Enrichment Fund (SEF) offered valuable resources to ensure my personal development could continue over the summer. Disruptions to my plans, including the postponement of my placement year, meant I was facing a long summer under lockdown. Thanks to the SEF, I was able to enrol on a Spanish Beginners Progression Course ran by Durham University’s Centre for Foreign Language Study. This entailed a 9 week course involving online group tuition twice a week.

Whilst adjusting to Zoom-based tuition was a steep learning curve, the experience was definitely worthwhile as it provided a great complement to my ongoing independent learning of the Spanish language. I believe conversing with other members of the course was particularly important as it was good at testing whether I had memorised what I thought I knew. Learning from a native Spanish speaker was also enjoyable as it provided exposure to cultural aspects of the language that I would likely not have encountered when learning in other formats. However, the aspect that I believe benefitted me most was the grounding in grammar – something that can be a bit harder to comprehend when solely using app-based learning. I intend to build upon this base as I continue learning Spanish in the future. As I’m starting a placement year, I hope to get into a routine that incorporates regular Spanish learning and see how much I can achieve in a year. Language skills are universally useful and I aspire to be in a position to speak Spanish at an advanced level. Potential applications could include working in a globalised company, travelling to a Hispanic country or simply furthering my personal development and skillset. I would recommend the courses run by the Centre for Foreign Language Study to anyone who is interested. They are well structured, informative and were effective in improving my language competencies. A huge thank you to John Snow College for the opportunity, it really reinforced the fact that John Snow has a strong community focus – specifically on welfare and personal development which is increasingly important amidst these challenging times.

Bella Zhang - Alumni, Business and Management with Placement

I became interested in sign language when I learnt a little bit of it in the course of Special Needs Education, which I took during my exchange programme in Japan. From October 2019, I joined British Sign Language (BSL) society and started to take weekly BSL classes at university. There are so many things I have learnt and enjoyed in BSL classes. I got to know basic sign languages that allow me to have simple conversations with other students. In addition, it was an amazing way to interact with others, just by gestures and facial expressions without speaking. Moreover, I had a better understanding about deaf people’s lives and it taught me to appreciate what I have. Outside the classroom, I signed up an online BSL course to keep myself familiar with the language. I also searched for documentaries and videos that showed deaf people’s daily lives. Therefore, it was not only about learning sign language but also having the opportunity to communicate with the deaf community. The education of inclusiveness is important for individuals. I can see how it has benefited for my personal development, including the willingness to communicate, embrace the differences, and much more. In the future when I return to China, I would love to learn and promote Chinese sign language. Overall, the learning experience was very educative and enjoyable. I would like to thank John Snow College Student Development Fund for supporting me in attending this course.

Ruth Hardy - Yr. 3 Engineering (Electrical)

From the SEF, I was awarded money to go on a course to gain qualifications towards being a climbing instructor. The qualification is called ‘Rock Climber Instructor’ and covers taking groups of novices and more experienced climbers out to either an indoor climbing centre or easily accessible outdoor crag. The course itself was three days long, each day having a different focus. On the first morning we headed out to a nearby limestone quarry and looked at inspecting personal equipment, as well as fixed protection in the rock, and the different methods to retrieve any gear after completing a climb. In the afternoon, we set our sights on Stanage (arguably the best crag in the UK) and led a few climbs, focussing on setting up a strong anchor at the top in order to safely bring up a second climber. Abseiling was the next thing on the agenda and we learnt how to adapt the anchor we built for this purpose.

Day 2 rolled around quickly and was held at a huge climbing centre in Sheffield. Today’s focus was on teaching novices the skills they need to climb independently indoors and strategies for managing large groups safely in a potentially dangerous environment. After the course finished for the day, we all stayed for a ‘short’ climb which turned into a long climb which I partially regretted the next day when I could barely move my shoulders and arms.

The final day brought everything together in an outdoor environment – we covered rigging up top ropes and abseils for groups of novices and how it differs from working with experienced climbers, problem solving if a client gets stuck, scared or injured (especially in scenarios where it may be 30 minutes or so back to a road and there may be no phone signal). We also discussed the legal side of instructing, and the insurance, licenses and other paperwork you might need, perhaps not the most fun part, but incredibly important. Overall, I really enjoyed the course, and I’m hoping to do my assessment in the next few months. As well as this course helping me progress as an instructor, it’s also incredibly useful at Uni for teaching climbing to freshers when they join the mountaineering club.

Emily Binns - Yr. 3 History

谢谢 John Snow 学院！ In February of this year, I had a trip booked to visit Shanghai. I have never been to China and I was super excited. I have been studying the Chinese language on and off since 2011, although my skill level does not necessarily equate to almost a decade of learning, (let’s just say, I didn’t give Year 7 Chinese my absolute all). About 10 days before I was scheduled to fly, I was informed by family friends that there was a concerning virus going round and I was convinced into making a lastminute cancellation. This, on reflection, was probably a good decision! Since I had anticipated practicing my language on this cancelled trip, I jumped at the opportunity to get some free tuition, funded by John Snow’s Student Enrichment Fund, during lockdown. I was lucky enough to receive a grant and have been doing weekly lessons over the summer. It has been fantastic to spend some time consolidating my vocabulary with a native speaker. I have already completed stages one and two of the CFLS Chinese courses in Durham and will be studying for Stage 3 in this, my final year. The lessons I have taken, thanks to the SEF, have given me a great boost in confidence and will put me in good stead for Stage 3. I am also endeavouring to secure an internship in China for next summer, so my improved language will be a tremendous advantage in this pursuit.

To say that 2020 has been a year of surprises would be an understatement. Being able to take advantage of this great opportunity from John Snow, however, was one of the more positive ones! Thank you John Snow!

Lottie Keyse - Yr. 2 Biological Sciences

During July and August, I was fortunate enough to secure a place on a virtual internship with the environmental charity NatureFiji. My project was entitled ‘Create Social Media Content for the Launch of the Great Fiji Migratory Birds Count’. This required me to assemble the foundations of a publicity campaign, which encouraged citizens on the Pacific islands of Fiji to record their sightings of seven wetland bird species. By engaging locals in citizen science, it is hoped that their environmental awareness will increase, and they will be more likely to implement sustainable practices.

The first week consisted of exploring the organisation and appreciating Fiji’s unique culture, politics, and the environment. There were many interesting workshops on a plethora of topics: ranging from national mental health attitudes to small innovative businesses trying to go global. During one of the most inspiring talks, Dr. Bowden-Kerby explored the novel concept of coral gardening. His research has recently been the centre of a short BBC film and could improve the lives of millions of people, from helping to cure diabetes to ensuring food security. This particularly resonated with me as I study biology and wish to pursue a career in a similar area.

Over the next few weeks, I worked hard on my project. This began with researching the campaign itself and its aims, then applying and communicating this newly-acquired knowledge. Grappling with the infamous Canva and establishing Twitter and Instagram accounts were some of my first tasks. As the foundations of my project took shape, I developed detailed plans for some campaign series: how competitions could be run and designs for children's’ games. Another aspect of my project involved navigating analytics and establishing how NatureFiji staff could be trained to understand and maximise these tools. Finally, I had to ensure that my project overcame some of the barriers to NatureFiji’s growth. For example, they had no proper organisational system for their research – findings were often lost instantly without any database. I created simple solutions to this, such as GoogleDocs forms, so that all data could be submitted to one place, without requiring complex programmes or staff training.

My internship concluded with a presentation, where I had to pitch my project to NatureFiji. I promoted all of my hard work over the previous weeks and demonstrated how my ideas could be implemented. Despite being intimidating, I was well-supported by presentation skills workshops in the lead-up. During these, we discussed what characterises the best public speaking. The TED Talk ‘Richard Turere: My Invention that made Peace with Lions’ was a particularly moving example of how powerful, emotive techniques can be developed.

I am hugely grateful for the SEF award, which covered my programme fee. The experience was beneficial in developing my communication skills (across multiple time-zones!) and independent research skills. I also thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with some incredible people, all facilitated by Zoom. It was astounding what myself and the other interns managed to achieve, despite working remotely thousands of miles away from Fiji!