#CardiffMet Magazine (Issue 3)

An inside look at student life at Cardiff Metropolitan University

KOREAN ADVENTURE Ceramics student Toni shares his field trip experience

Sportat CardiffMet Meg explains why she loves the sport scene at Cardiff Met

Mixingtech andteaching Primary Education Studies student Max talks about working with children

Guideto Cardiff Nutrition student Mel lists her favourite things to do in the city

CONTENTS 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

WELCOME TO YOUR #CARDIFFMETMAG MY SOUTH KOREA ADVENTURE Ceramics student Toni visited Seoul and Busan during a course trip to South Korea - find out what he got up to.

5 REASONS TO LOVE THE CARDIFF MET SPORTS SCENE Rugby-mad student Meg shares some of the reasons the sports scene at Cardiff Met is among the best in the UK.

6-7

STARTING OUR FURNITURE BUSINESS AT CARDIFF MET Tom started his own business at Cardiff Met with Product Design coursemates Josh and Nick. This is their story.

A LOCAL’S GUIDE TO CARDIFF Nutrition student Mel is a Cardiff native.

Check out her top picks for what to see and do in the Welsh capital.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT LIVING IN HALLS Sport Performance Analysis student Lucy had a great time living in halls in first year. Here are some of the reasons why.

8-9

MIXING TECH AND TEACHING Primary Education student Max loved working with a local school on a digital project. Find out how it helped him with his course.

EXPERIENCING ATHENS Psychology student Halyna talks about the new perspectives her course trip to Greece opened up.

MY GREEN MAN FESTIVAL SCIENCE EXPERIENCE

12 - 13

Andrew got the chance to work at Green Man Festival thanks to his Healthcare Science course.

MY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Business student Carly found that there’s a lot more to internships than making the tea!

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR UNI WORK AND YOUR SOCIAL LIFE Student life can be great fun but you need to find the right balance - English and Media student Ruby explains how she stays on track.

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

20 - 21

WELCOME TO #CARDIFFMETMAG You’ve read the prospectus, visited the website and watched the videos - maybe you’ve even been to an open day - but what’s it really like studying at Cardiff Met?

You can get even more in-depth and authentic views of Cardiff Met life on our student blogs website.

Our bloggers post about every aspect of their experience at the University, from study to sport to socialising.

We think the best people to tell you are our students.

In this third edition of #CardiffMetMag, we’ve asked students from a wide range of courses and backgrounds to write about life at Cardiff Met from their point of view.

Find out all about field trips at home and abroad, learn about life in halls, get insider tips and discover what it’s like to live and study in the Welsh capital.

Visit studentblogs.cardiffmet.ac.uk to read the latest posts.

#CARDIFFMET You can also follow #CardiffMet and #CardiffMetTakeover on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get even more of a feel for student life in and around Cardiff.

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

1

MYSOUTH KOREA ADVENTURE Toni De Jesus BA Ceramics Field modules are all about going beyond the boundaries of our discipline (for me it’s ceramics) and taking us outside of our usual environment to inspire us and give us a new perspective. In my case, I had the option to travel to India, Morocco or South Korea to experience art and design in a place where traditions are very different to the Western world.

2

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

I chose South Korea, as that felt like the biggest adventure - I didn’t know much about the country culturally, so I figured it would be an amazing opportunity to get firsthand experience of its cuisine, music, architecture, monuments, traditions, people and history.

We landed in Seoul in the middle of October. One of the first things on all our minds was food, so we headed straight to a traditional restaurant to eat the famous Korean BBQ and try some Soju; it’s a distilled beverage containing ethanol and water, made traditionally from rice, wheat or barley, and it’s strong enough to give you goosebumps! The BBQ was just amazing.

The following day we went on a tour to the beautiful Changdeokgung Palace, set within a beautiful park that contrasted with the skyscrapers peeking through the gaps in the walls. We also checked out the Insadong Shopping District to try different street foods, and explore the gift shops and art markets.

We found time for some Makgeolli (rice wine) tasting, and went to Gogung to try what quickly became one of my favorite foods, Bibimbap - a kind of mixed rice complimented with a range of little dishes including the famous kimchi. Of course we had to have some soju to go with that too!

Next we visited Kookmin University to take in their student exhibition. They only do this once every 4 years, and the skill and determination that Korean students put into their work was inspiring. We attended a couple of lectures too, including one with Japanese ceramicist Yuhki Tanaka, which was interesting for me given my specialism.

Day 5 was all about exploring and museums and immersing myself in Korean art and design at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, followed by a visit to a folk museum and the beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace.

After a long day exploring we went to Hongdae, known for its urban art, indie music and club culture. Jongjin, an MA Ceramics student from CSAD currently doing his PhD at Kookmin University, took us out for dinner and drinks in the student district, which was a lot of fun.

The next day was a lot more serious. We went on our much-anticipated trip to the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Although we didn’t do the full experience, which would include visiting the Joint Security Area where technically we would be “stepping” in North Korea, we did see the North Korean propaganda village. Here you can feel the tension between the two countries, who are technically still at war, divided only by a strip of mined natural reserve.

We spent most of our stay in Seoul, but we also had a couple of days at Dong-A University in Busan where former Cardiff Met student Eifion Davies teaches product design.

This was a great opportunity to interact with students on a project - and make a bunch of new Korean Facebook friends! Later that day we had a massive feast with all the students and professors, before heading to a Korean Karaoke bar.

Our South Korean field module was so much more than just a holiday. It was all about questioning, comparing and contrasting; thinking and acting on cultural differences and similarities. It has opened up all sorts of opportunities and ideas for me within my subject area of ceramics.

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

3

5 REASONS TO LOVE THE CARDIFF MET SPORTS SCENE On Cyncoed Campus lives a rare breed: the sports student. I for one came to Cardiff Met because of the amazing university sports facilities and the fact that there are world leading researchers lecturing here.

However, there is always more to University life than just the academics - here’s why I love the whole sports scene at Cardiff Met.

1

The facilities

We take for granted the vast rugby pitches, Astro, Football 3G, SCRAM Gym, National Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC) and the brand new outdoor track and 3G rugby infield.

When you start to see international athletes taking a wander around the university after training, you get a feel for just how lucky we are. They are home to many of our incredibly successful Archers teams too – you can head to the Football 3G to watch Cardiff Met FC for just £1 with your student card. The team plays in the Welsh Premier League – not too bad to have on your own door step!

4

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

2

BUCS Wednesdays and Soda Socials

My favourite day of the week: BUCS Wednesday! Most of us get the day off lectures to play sport. Cyncoed Campus becomes a crowd of Archer stash as visiting teams head to our Uni for a day of competition. Most Wednesdays end in a rugby match down on Rugby 1, which is pretty much the place to be.

Following the match, you can find everyone in Centro, our SU. Its social time! Whether you’re drinking cider black or a pint of cola, after the fun and games, it’s time to grab the free bus to Soda in Cardiff city centre and spend the night celebrating being part of some incredible teams. With around 83% of Cardiff Met being sporty, it gets pretty busy!

The year finishes with the sports awards, a night of celebrating amazing performances/ team achievements!

3

For the brave life outside Cyncoed!

4

It’s not all about the Champions

It’s not just on Cyncoed where all the sporty fun happens.

Living in Cardiff we have Cardiff City Stadium, Principality Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park, the Swalec Stadium and the Welsh Institute of Sport all a small trip away, plus the Cardiff Devils’ ice hockey team. Cardiff Arms Park, home of Cardiff Blues, sells student tickets for home games (always a bonus if you want to see some world class teams on your doorstep for less than £10!).

There’s something sporty for everyone at Cardiff Met. Whether you are part of a BUCS Squad taking promotion (it happens a lot!) or turning up on the Rugby 3G on a Friday at 7:30pm for social rugby… You will never get left out.

In 2015, Cardiff even hosted a leg of the Rugby World Cup and there’s nothing quite like watching the All Blacks on your door step! For football fans, one of the biggest sporting events in the World - the Champions League Final - was played here just a few months ago.

Being part of the Cardiff Met sports scene pretty much gives you a reason to ditch jeans for the year and rock about in leggings, stash and sliders without an ounce of judgement… what could be better!

5

Sliders

Getting back to rugby, the Principality Stadium hosts the Autumn Internationals and 6 Nations matches every year.

Don’t stress about the cost though - it’s not all about paying out for a ticket. Just grab some friends and head into town to the pub for huge TV screens and an incredible atmosphere.

Meg Cliff BSc Sport and Exercise Science

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

5

STARTING OUR FURNITURE BUSINESS AT CARDIFF MET Tom Smee BA Product Design Graduate

6

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

My name’s Tom, and I’m the co-founder and director at the Wonky Chair Design Studio. We’re a sustainably led furniture design studio based within the Incubation Space at Cardiff School of Art and Design.

I run Wonky Chair along with my two friends - and now business partners - Josh and Nick. We all studied the BA (Hons) Product Design course at Cardiff Metropolitan University. I remember quite well the day, over a year ago now, when Josh and Nick suggested to me that we should start our own design studio.

I initially laughed it off, thinking they we’re joking, it wasn’t until the next week when Josh told me that they weren’t that I really started to consider it. We looked at each other’s design work and design philosophies and they were really similar. That’s when we decided to give it a go.

Now we work with anybody from an individual looking for that special piece of bespoke furniture, to designing and manufacturing furniture for bars, restaurants and office spaces, right through to designing our own furniture ranges.

Sustainability is really important to us, and we think about every aspect - whether it be longevity, carbon footprint or making sure our materials are ethically and sustainability sourced. For us, it has to be sustainable.

We all took a huge step into the complete unknown when we decided to start Wonky Chair, bearing in mind none of us really had any real business acumen, just a love of designing and making lovely, pretty furniture.

If this blog was about what I’ve learned, and what we’ve learned as a partnership along the way, I’d be here all day.

The step up between our degree course in Product Design to managing a design studio has been huge, and would probably have been completely unachievable had we not had each other to bounce off.

For us, whenever we tell somebody that we run our own business they often make assumptions that we’re doing really well and making loads of money. This isn’t the reality of most start-up businesses. But just because we’re not turning over huge amounts of money a month doesn’t make us any less of a success than any other business sometimes these things take time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring a business’ success by looking at the accounts, but, for us at least, that’s really not the way to do it.

The reality is that we’re building something much bigger than a load of figures on a spreadsheet - we’ve been building our brand, our reputation and our business skills.

We’re starting to get noticed by bigger, more well-known people and businesses.

Starting a business is not for the faint hearted - it is by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, and it would probably have been an impossible dream without my business partners, the uni’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and the Incubation Space scheme at Cardiff School of Art and Design. It is however the most rewarding, exciting and thrilling thing I have ever done.

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

7

A LOCAL’S G CARDIFF FO

8

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

UIDE TO R STUDENTS Cardiff is a beautiful place, especially the gorgeous rose gardens of Bute Park and the grounds of the city’s castle.

But natural beauty is just one reason why Cardiff is such a cool place to study - there are many more, and as a local, I get to enjoy it all year round. So I’ve done my best to compile a list of my favourite things to do throughout the year in this awesome city.

Cardiff is really lucky to have an abundance of parks to enjoy, whether you prefer sitting around chilling with friends or throwing a Frisbee around. My favourite is Roath park.

Located between the two Cardiff Met campuses, it’s got a huge lake containing a lighthouse and you can choose to sail on the pleasure boats or just wander around the lake popular amongst duck feeders and runners alike!

If competitive sport is more your thing then Cardiff is the place to be. This autumn I enjoyed going to some of the home rugby international games, watching Wales take on some of the biggest and best teams in the world - and of course it’s traditional to dress up for the occasion! Local matches like the annual Judgement Day event are really good value for money too. I also went to my very first ice hockey game when I went to see the Cardiff Devilsin a league match at the Cardiff Ice House, where students can even receive a discounted rate on tickets.

the Summer, Cardiff also plays host to a number of festivals from the International Food and Drink Festival in Cardiff Bay, to The Big Cheese in Caerphilly. These are a great way to get together with friends and sample different foods from all around Wales and beyond.

Finally, one of my absolute favourite things to do in Cardiff is to go and see a show with the girls. We’ve got three theatres located in the city - the Sherman, The New Theatre and the Wales Millennium Centre, which play host to productions including big West-End shows and musicals. We’ve enjoyed so many nights out watching everything from modern dance, to ballet and musicals.

Along with enjoying a meal before the show, this has been our ultimate exam de-stresser!

Melanie Gray BSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics

For those who prefer a more chilled pace to the high energy of rugby internationals, the beach at Barry Island is only 20 minutes away. Made famous by the TV show Gavin and Stacey, I love sitting on the sand, playing in the arcades and enjoying an ice cream at Barry Island. Throughout

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

9

WHAT I LOV ABOU LIVIN IN HA

Lucy Wilde Sport Perfo

10

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

T VED UT NG ALLS

e BSc ormance Analysis

Moving from a family home into university halls is a hugely memorable time for anyone.

I remember a mixture of emotions all at the same time. I was apprehensive, anxious and overwhelmed - but most of all excited. Any feelings of worry didn’t last long thanks to the welcoming team that greeted me at my halls of residence, Liberty House. Knowing that my new flatmates were all experiencing the same thing also made things less nerve-wracking.

Moving all my belongings which had travelled with me from Bath into my room was uncomplicated and didn’t take much time at all. I brought up some cushions and blankets from my old bedroom to make it cosy, which helped the settling in process.

The best part of the bedrooms in halls is the pin board, which is great for putting up photos of family and friends. The desk meant that I could escape to my room to study if I needed to, but to be honest I spent most of my waking hours in the shared living area. Here there was always something going on, and there was never a lonely moment. This is probably the most beneficial aspect of halls- it was so easy to make friends even if you didn’t share same interests.

The location of the accommodation was ideal. Although campus and town were walking distance, there was a bus stop right outside too. The shops were also local, and we could do our bread/milk run in roughly 15 minutes!

Another bonus of communal living is that the chores have to be shared too! We alternated each week on who was on bin duty - probably the most unpleasant job out of them all, but needs to be done right?!

Cleaning the kitchen and living area was also a team effort when everyone is responsible for doing a little bit it makes it just that little bit simpler. Some nights we would buddy up and cook dinners together too, saving time, effort and money!

Occasionally when we were feeling lazy we had flat takeaway nights, which was my favourite thing to do - especially when the weather wasn’t so great.

Even though when you start university you gain a lot more independence, the maintenance and reception team on campus are incredibly attentive and helpful for any issues you may encounter. There is also a security team who work 24/7 to ensure that everything is safe.

My year in halls was undoubtedly one of the best of my life, and I would recommend it to anyone! It is a big part of the university experience which cannot be missed.

Your first year will fly by so enjoy it while you can!

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

11

When you’re studying Primary Education there are lots of opportunities to have new experiences.

One of my favourite ones so far involved working with a year 6 class from a school in Llantwit Major to make a song and a music video.

It was a digital competency project - where we learn to take a subject or two and incorporate the use of technology within them. We’ve learned through our course that this is becoming more and more important in the curriculum for primary schools.

I was very nervous going into the school at the start of the project, but as time went on I built up a lot more confidence from talking to new people every day.

For the video I decided to use the song Happy, by Pharrell Williams - everyone loves that song! Once I’d figured out the song that I was going to use, it was time to work out what the children would like to do in the music video.

We had the idea that for every couple of lines, the children would decide on a new backdrop for the video which we would create using green screen.

This was pretty daunting as I had to figure out how to use the green screen when editing (I could do a whole other blog post about that!). It was also daunting having to lead the whole of the year 6 class through the project!

It helped me learn so many skills, and not just how to use tech in teaching. For example, I had to really nail my timings. I had to plan carefully to make sure there would be enough time to deliver the full lessons. I also needed to manage the timing of the project as a whole so that I didn’t run out of time before I finished my first year.

It also helped me develop my creative thinking I had to think of what the project was going to involve from the music piece to the different types of backgrounds, even how long the video would be.

I took part in this project because I knew it would be great for my CV. I’m studying on my course because I want to go into teaching and I’m hoping this project will help me secure a place on the PGCE course afterwards. It’s competitive, so getting as much experience as possible is important, whether it’s voluntary work or uni projects - it shows that you have initiative.

Even better, this project turned out to be lots of fun as well!

12

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

Max Baron BA Primary Education Studies

MIXING TECH AND TEACHING #CardiffMet Magazine 2018

13

I’ve just had the pleasure of embarking on a cultural exchange to Athens, Greece, along with a group of 10 other Psychology students ranging between Foundation Year and 2nd Year.

Upon arrival we had the opportunity to explore what the city had to offer at night. The main street called “Ermou” houses many well-known shops worldwide such as ZARA and Marks & Spencer.

There was a very homely atmosphere with Christmas decorations and lights hanging over the cobbled streets, yet the city had a constant electric buzz. Whilst wandering down the side streets, we found a typical Greek restaurant where we indulged in some fabulous kebabs and refreshing salads, the typical delicacy of Greece.

During the first day in Athens, we met at the City Unity College (CUC) Einstein café and bar to meet the Psychology students studying there. They took us on a guided tour around the city, focusing on the the “Plaka” which lies in the shadows of the acropolis. This area screams history with churches on every other corner and old family run shops and restaurants selling homemade goods.

That evening, we returned to CUC which is partnered with Cardiff Met. It mirrors the 3 year BSc Psychology course that Cardiff Met provides. It was mind-boggling to think that students living all the way in Greece were studying exactly the same things as we are in Cardiff!

We had had a lecture on ethics in Psychology, such as the importance of informed consent and protection from harm in research. We followed this with a presentation and discussion about drinking culture in the UK, especially during university, and how this differs from attitudes towards drinking in Greece.

The Acropolis contains several historically and culturally significant buildings, the most famous being the Parthenon. Views from here stretch out all over the city, reaching as far as the coast and the mountains. It was truly breathtaking to be stood surrounded by thousands of years of history.

Many Greek students were surprised by the events that take place during Freshers Week at British universities, and they considered the drinking to get drunk as an odd behaviour. It was extremely interesting to discuss the differences between UK and Greek students and how their expectations of university life contrasted because of cultural differences.

This cultural exchange trip was a great experience that I would recommend to everybody! Immersing yourself into another culture by learning and understanding their way of life is so valuable personally, educationally and professionally.

The next day, we ate breakfast overlooking wonderful views of the city at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. The amazing views continued as we zig-zagged our ways through the small streets to conquer The Acropolis.

14

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

Halyna Soltys BSc Psychology

EXPERIENCING ATHENS #CardiffMet Magazine 2018

15

It all began in a Biomedical Science lecture, when my lecturer, Dr Andrew Thomas, asked for volunteers to help him present an interactive science stand at the Green Man music festival 2017. Little did I know that I'd be explaining science to children of all ages as well as adults, be interviewed by Welsh TV channel, S4C and listen to some very cool live music!

To give you a bit of background, Green Man Festival is a music, arts and science festival held annually at Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons.

I was one of the 7-member Cardiff Met Science public engagement team presenting an interactive science exhibition stand called 'The Pollination Station". This took place in the dedicated science area called "Einstein's Garden".

We were there amongst 15 other universities including University College London and the Universities of Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Manchester and Liverpool.

The science activities were designed to engage people in natural science, particularly the process of plant pollination. It was also our intention to raise awareness about the importance of insects, especially bees, in the process of pollination and what we can do, as humans, to protect our native bee species. Being a Healthcare Science student and a nature enthusiast, this was something very close to my heart.

We wanted to make science as accessible as possible for everyone and festival goers of all ages, had the opportunity to use the microscopes to examine slides of plant and insect parts. They also created their very own microscope slides to observe pollen grains obtained from different native plants found at the festival. I got a real buzz out of teaching people how to use the microscope to identify a variety of different pollen types and was amazed at the level of interest this generated amongst young and old. Even children as young as three years old were fascinated by the incredible images they saw down the microscope. We were able to convey the aesthetic form of different pollens using 3D printed pollen grains (made by

16

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

The Fab Lab) and also discuss the science of pollination with teenagers and undergraduates from other universities.

As well as looking at pollen some unexpected observation were made whist looking at the natural biological samples.

For example, I remember one little boy, aged 7, being utterly fascinated by the discovery of a "water bear", or Tardigrade (a small worm-like creature) on his slide. When asked what his favourite part of the festival was - he excitedly announced “Water Bears!” It was moments like those that made the whole experience one to remember for a long time to come.

Another highlight was being interviewed live by S4C and appearing on the Heno TV programme the same evening.

I was completely out of my comfort zone and it was a pretty nerve-racking experience but looking back I realised what a valuable opportunity it was.

After a full day of teaching hundreds of festival goers I am glad to report that it wasn’t all work and no play.

We had some time out at end of the day to chill, have some beers and watch some great bands.

The festival itself is pretty amazing with over 20,000 people attending. There’s a great vibe to the place being set in the grounds of a country house, surrounded by the welsh mountains and full of people in weird and wonderful costumes. It’s like being transported to a fantasy world for four days where everything is good in the world - well apart from the odd spot of rain and a bit of festival mud.

I am grateful to my lecturer, Dr Andrew Thomas, for giving me the opportunity to be part of such an enthusiastic team.

Science can be serious, but we laughed a lot over the four days. As an undergraduate, a lot of time is spent in lecture theatres and laboratories but this was something completely different and unique. Seeing little faces light up when you showed them something new was pretty inspiring.

For me personally, I am even considering a career in teaching, something I had never previously thought about.

So would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY!

Can you imagine music, art and science all happening together in the same place?

Well it did, this summer, at the incredible Green Man Festival and I played a part in it.

MYGREEN MAN FESTIVAL SCIENCE EXPERIENCE

Andrew Barratt BSc Healthcare Science #CardiffMet Magazine 2018

17

Carly Rogers BA Business and Management Studies with Finance I always wanted to pursue a career in the big wide world of business when studying my A-Levels, so I decided studying Business Management with Finance would suit me down to the ground. In order to differentiate myself from other people who will be graduating from such a popular course it was a no-brainer for me to spend a year in industry. Cardiff Met were able to facilitate this through an optional sandwich year.

After copious amounts of applications and interviews (a very long process, but so worth it!) I accepted a 13-month internship in Sales Strategy & Planning (SSP) at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) who are ranked as 12th in the top undergraduate employers in the UK. I was keen to gain experience in the technology sector in particular; it’s ever-changing, in high demand, growing, and an innovative industry. HPE are an IT company who provide servers, storage, networking, consulting and support, so this was not an opportunity I could turn down.

I really feel like the work I produce on a day-to-day basis is valued and don’t feel regarded as the stereotypical ‘intern’ - we’re not expected to just make coffee all day and photocopy everything!

I have been able to produce worthy reporting, provide analytical reports and even been able to get involved in the forecasting process for my department. I have gained more skills than I would have ever imagined through the placement. I have learnt to conduct myself professionally, been challenged and pushed outside of my comfort zone, shown a willingness to learn, and become a more confident individual within the work place.

Through networking and showing professionalism outside of SSP I was also given the chance to support the internal talent management programme at the company. This enabled me to get an insight into other parts of the

18

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

business and see what life is like for the people on the other side of my emails.

I was able to help organise the allocation of tickets to Discover, a sought after event that showcases technology for current and prospectus customers. They say hard work pays off, and it really did - for my work on this I was rewarded a ticket to the event at the ExCel in London, which was an invaluable and unique opportunity that I will never forget.

Thirteen months in an office might sound dull to some, but interning at HPE is much more than that. Throughout the year I have been able to get involved in charity events such as Race For Life and Colour Run as well as Children in Need fundraisers. And as HPE employs 50+ interns in their UK headquarters alone, it has meant that social events are never sparse. From an intern ball to Royal Ascot, you name it we’ve had the opportunity to do it, and this has allowed me to find some of my forever friends.

I cannot recommend a year in industry more. Working at HPE has allowed me to apply what I have learnt at university so far as well as preparing me for my final year and the ‘real’ world in a way no lecture ever could.

Not only have I made some friends for life and created some unforgettable memories, but this experience has put me in good stead for when I am applying for graduate roles.

Hopefully it’ll be the gateway to my dream future job!

MY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

19

20

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR UNI WORK AND YOUR SOCIAL LIFE

Ruby Harrison BA English and Media

1

Use your free periods

I know, I know, you will have heard this so many times throughout school or college. However, now you are old enough (and cool enough) to enjoy brilliant days and nights out in an exciting new city, so, this advice will benefit you in two ways. One - getting your work done in the day time can free your night up to spend with friends, drinking, laughing and having fun. Two - you won’t be worrying about rushing to get your work done before going out. One of my friends in first year decided to write his essay during pre-drinks in our kitchen, on our kitchen table… whilst we played beer pong! I admire his commitment, but I wouldn’t recommend it!

2 The social side of uni does contribute a lot to how much fun you have. The cheap student-priced drinks and new places to explore make it SO much fun, and of course, you want to make new friends. But let’s not forget that going to Uni is really about achieving academically and passing your course. So, you, the worrying school/college student, need to know exactly how to balance Uni work and social life! Here we go:

Read little and often

At Uni, there is undoubtedly a lot of reading to do. One way to cope with this, along with all the other work, is to do it little and often. If you have one huge chapter of a textbook to read, don’t leave it all until the night before. I know, I know - cliché - but seriously, just do two or three pages a day. It makes life so much more stress free and allows guilt-free time to go and explore the shops, clubs and bars of your new favourite city.

3

Work on weekends when you can

An important thing to note is that the weekend is a brilliant time to get your work done. For those who are interested in spending as much time as possible going out that’s great and all, but I would seriously avoid Saturday nights as they are much too expensive! So, if you are deciding between fun with flatmates, or writing an essay. Always remember, you do have the whole weekend to get it done. Just make sure that you DO the work when the weekend comes.

4

Make the most of the library

A quick tip to ensure that you truly do get your work done: make yourself work in the library instead of your bedroom.

This way, there are less distractions and you are more likely to be motivated to work with lots of other students working all around you!

5

Remember to take a break

Lastly, being a successful student doesn’t mean all work and no play. Even during your exam or essay writing times, remember to destress. A brilliant way to do this, especially in beautiful Cardiff, is to go to one of the parks, such as Bute Park, where you can soak up the sun in the summer or go on a scenic walk in the winter.

#CardiffMet Magazine 2018

21