How to: Seek Feedback
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

How to: Seek Feedback

Feedback is a key aspect of student learning and development; it both reflects and informs learning, if done right. It helps to clarify expectations, assess learning and encourage reflection.

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Navigating Clearing: Finding Your Place at University
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Navigating Clearing: Finding Your Place at University

Every year, thousands of students across the UK go through the Clearing process in order to find a place on a university course. In 2023, over 38,000 students secured places through UCAS Clearing. While Clearing can seem daunting, going into it with an understanding of how it works and being prepared can cut through any stress or anxiety you might be feeling and help you reach your goal of matching with a university course.

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Mature Students at University
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Mature Students at University

Attending university as a mature student can be a simultaneously exciting and daunting experience. Whether you’re attending as part of a career change, enhancing existing skills, or fulfilling a long-held ambition, stepping into a university environment can present some unique challenges and opportunities.

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Networking in University
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Networking in University

Beyond lectures, assignments, labs, and exams, networking is another key part of the university experience.

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Attending the Conference
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Attending the Conference

The stage is set. You’ve found a conference to attend, you submitted a paper proposal and had it accepted, you’ve registered and made all the arrangements to attend the conference. Now we’re going to go over what that experience is likely to be like when you actually get there.

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Conference Participation Options
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Conference Participation Options

You’ve now found out about some conferences that you’d like to attend. What comes next?

Once you’ve picked a conference, the next step is to decide how you want to participate in it.

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How to find academic conferences
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

How to find academic conferences

So you’ve decided you want to attend academic conferences – now what?

The first step is finding relevant academic conferences to attend.

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Self-care in University
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Self-care in University

We hear about the idea of ‘self-care’ in the media a lot, but very rarely does anyone go into what exactly self-care means and how we can engage in effective self-care in a practical way.

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Homesickness: Cultural
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Homesickness: Cultural

Cultural Homesickness is the third type of homesickness we are discussing this month, and may be more intense if you are living away from home or away from where you grew up for the first time.

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Homesickness: Social
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Homesickness: Social

Social homesickness is another type of homesickness you can experience, which again may be more intense when you are living away from home or away from where you grew up for the first time.

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Homesickness: Environmental
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Homesickness: Environmental

Environmental Homesickness is one of multiple types of homesickness you can experience, and may be more intense if you are living away from home or away from where you grew up for the first time.

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Planning an Effective Study Session: Part II
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Planning an Effective Study Session: Part II

Studying isn’t just about the hours you put in; it’s about how you use that time. So, whether you're a student striving for academic excellence or someone looking to enhance their learning skills, you've come to the right place.

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Planning an Effective Study Session: Part I
Carolyn McNamara Carolyn McNamara

Planning an Effective Study Session: Part I

As a student, you probably hear people around you talking about studying all the time. Very few people talk about what studying should look like or what you should think about when deciding what your study sessions should look like. This is the first in a two-part series with tips to help you prepare and plan an effective study session – for any topic you plan to study.

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