In this issue POSTGRAD POST ISSUE THREE
On the cover We talk to Olivia Wakeford who has added to Bath Spa’s ever growing list of award-winning authors. 03-0401-0205-1011-1213-14 In this issue Postgrad Profle on ... MA Writing for Young People student, Olivia Wakeford Postgrad Pets Meet Ameythst Biggs and her cat, Ninja Study, Support, Succeed Keeping you in the loop with all things Student Wellbeing Services, Careers and Employability and Library and Learning Services Preparing for my Master’s We talk to Jake Hodges as he takes the leap from undergrad to postgrad study Ask an Alum Catching up with Postgraduate in Professional Studies (Counselling) alum, Angie Clarke EDITOR Shannon Barrett-Clayton DESIGNER Helen Bollen Say hello! Bath Spa bathspauni@BathSpaUniUniversity | CONTENTS
WELCOME |
Hello Postgrads!
Welcome to the third edition of the Postgrad Post, and the fnal edition for the academic year 2021/22. Inside you will fnd a profle on one of your fellow students, another interview with an alum and a wonderful article written by a soon-to-be postgraduate student! If you would like to be featured in the next edition of the Postgrad Post then email us at studentcomms@ bathspa.ac.uk. Maybe you think you’d be the perfect ft for one of our features or perhaps you have an idea for a new article. We are always happy to listen!
| POSTGRAD POST POSTGRAD PROFILE ON ...Olivia Wakeford Every issue, we’ll bring you an interview with a postgraduate student or member of staff who are making a positive impact on the postgrad community. In this edition we talk to Olivia Wakeford, a MA Writing for Young People student whose wonderful writing has already won an award and been nominated for many more. Fancy being interviewed for the next Postgrad Profle? Email us at studentcomms@bathspa.ac.uk1
IF YOU WENT ON MASTERMIND, WHAT WOULD YOUR SPECIALIST SUBJECT BE? I don’t feel like I know enough about anything to have a specialist subject! But if I had to choose I’d probably say dogs. I love them - you can probably tell!
WHAT COURSE DO YOU STUDY AND AT WHAT LEVEL? I’m in my second year studying for an MA in Writing for Children. IF YOU WERE EXPLAINING YOUR COURSE TO A CHILD, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? The course is teaching me to write stories for people like you! Stories that will keep you up reading way past bedtime hopefully…(don’t tell your parents).
I’D LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FIRST PAGE OF MY BOOK ‘MY DOG, WORTHINGTON’. There’s a dog under Mam’s bed. I know lots about dogs because I’m going to be a vet like Dr Jimmy MacKenzie on The Dog Rescuers.This one is different.
FINALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO APPLY FOR A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE?
Dogs are supposed to have a really strong sense of smell and sensitive ears, but he doesn’t seem bothered by the beeping machines or stink of disinfectant. It’s not the frst time I’ve seen him.Three weeks ago, I spotted the tip of his tail beneath the plasticky brown chair in the corner.A few days later,there was a mound of his fur near the sink.A fortnight after that,his nose nudged the door open, but when I jumped up to let him in,the corridor was empty. I don’t know where he came from, but today he’s a proper dog, my favourite kind;a black Labrador with ears like triangles of velvet.
HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON ANYTHING EXCITING? For my fnal module, I’m working on a middle-grade novel called My Dog, Worthington.It’s about a 10-year-old boy, Rhys,who fnds an unusual dog, Worthington, under his mam’s hospital bed on the eve of her death. Unable to fnd the owner,Rhys smuggles the dog to London,where he has to move in with his dog-hating dad.Struggling to settle into his new life, Rhys fnds comfort in Worthington. But when it becomes increasingly diffcult to keep Worthington a secret, Rhys is forced to confront whether or not the dog is real and, at the same time,learn that accepting the present doesn’t mean forgetting the past. Being on the course has really helped with my confdence and as a result, I started entering writing competitions. This led to My Dog,Worthington winning the Skylark Literary Marvellous MiddleGrade Competition,and being longlisted for the Searchlight Best Novel Opening Competition and the Firefy Press Children’s Fiction Competition. I also won the Writers and Artists Short Story Competition 2022 with a story that I wrote as an exercise in the frst year. I still can’t believe it!
I refuse to look at him and stride over to Mam. My school shoes squeak on the lino. I feel his eyes on me like they’ve been for weeks. Always watching. The door clicks and I let out a sigh of relief. Just Mam and me again. And the dog under the bed. Her eyes are shut, long eyelashes futtering on pale cheeks. I squeeze her hand; it’s cold and clammy. ‘Hiya Mam.’
She looks small and not Mam-like.White sheets come right up to her chin and her hair,which is usually bright red and spiky like mine, is fat and stuck to her forehead. But when she opens her eyes and smiles, she looks like she always does. Like fzzy pop and chocolate-covered doughnuts.That’s Mam.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR COURSE? One of the key elements of the course is critiquing,which has been invaluable to help me assess my writing with a more critical eye. But the best bit about it is that I get to read my coursemates’ amazing stories every week and see how they develop.There are so many talented writers on the MA course, I can’t wait to see where their stories go.
Think about what you want to get from the course from the off and go for it. For me, it was developing my portfolio of work,fnishing another novel, and making new friends and I’m very grateful that all those things have happened.If you want to immerse yourself in a subject that you are passionate about,it doesn’t get much better than surrounding yourself with like-minded people, in an inspiring environment,and learning from the best, so do it!
Me and Dad stand in the doorway of Mam’s room.The sounds of the nurses’ slappy feet and wails from Moany Gwen, the old woman in the room next door,foat down the corridor behind us. Dad doesn’t say anything about the dog.He says,‘Your mum needs rest, so only a few minutes,okay Champ?’ His voice is wobbly, like he’s upset, even though he has no right to be. I’m the one who should be upset because he’s calling me that stupid name again.‘‘Kay.’
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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF
WHAT IS NINJA’S CHARACTER LIKE? I think she’s probably an introvert. She spends a lot of time out in the garden and has a very select list of people that she likes to be around (everyone else she just hides from). She doesn’t like to be picked up or held,and she won’t sit in your lap, but she loves to curl up on the sofa between me and my husband (it has to be in the middle; she won’t sit anywhere else) and watch TV with us.
HOW OLD IS NINJA AND HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN PART OF THE FAMILY? Ninja is 10 years old (which I can’t quite believe),and we’ve had her since she was a kitten. HAVE YOU HAD HER FROM A KITTEN OR DID YOU RESCUE HER? We got her from someone local in Bath whose cat had had kittens. He brought her along with one of her siblings, and she was the frst out of the cat carrier and started exploring our living room. So she actually chose us. HOW HAS NINJA HELPED YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC? It was nice having her around to keep me company during the day, especially when we were frst working from home and I felt a bit lonely and isolated.
AND FINALLY, ARE YOU NINJA’S FAVOURITE HUMAN? I am when she’s hungry at 4am!
WHAT BREED IS NINJA? She lost her tail in a fght a few years ago, so some people think she’s a Manx, but she’s actually a moggie -which is a great word that we don’t have in America.
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My name is Amethyst Biggs, I came to Bath Spa from America to do an MA in Creative Writing (graduated in 2006),and basically decided to stay. My cat is called Ninja; she has a PhD in eating, lounging around and mouse hunting.
HAS NINJA EVER MADE AN APPEARANCE IN A LECTURE OR SEMINAR? She has occasionally stuck her head (or her bum) into a virtual team meeting.
HAS NINJA EVER PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR ANY OF YOUR WORK? For a long time I’ve thought about writing a children’s book series about a timid cat who has an alter ego called Mighty Paws. She is brave and adventurous and has a spider sidekick (Ninja has a toy spider she likes to play with) who goes on adventures with her. I really should start writing it… IS NINJA HELPFUL OR A HINDRANCE TO YOU WHILST YOU’RE WORKING? Usually she just kind of hangs out in the room while I’m working,or she’ll pop in and say hello,then wander off. It’s a nice little diversion so I guess it’s helpful! She probably thinks she’s helping.
| POSTGRAD POST POSTGRAD PETSMeet Amethyst and Ninja Do you have a furry buddy that keeps you company while you work? Let us know at studentcomms@bathspa.ac.uk and you and your pet may be featured in the next issue!
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| POSTGRAD POST • •STUDY SUPPORT SUCCEED Welcome to ‘Study,Support,Succeed’, the section of the Postgrad Post that keeps you in the loop with allthingsStudentWellbeingServices,Careers and Employability, andthe Library and LearningServices. STUDY LIBRARY SERVICESLEARNINGAND We understand it is important for you, as a postgraduate student, to engage deeply with academic literature. The Library is here to support you throughout your academic journey and can offer advice and guidance should you need it. We have gathered together the following information which will be of interest to you as postgraduate students. Find out more about the Library and its services in our online Library Brochure. 5
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Did you know that if we don’t hold the book or article you need then we can get books and journal articles through our extensive network of major academic and research libraries in the UK including the British Library? This video shows you how to make a request to borrow books, as well as how to request digital copies of chapters and journal articles using thisAlthoughservice. It is diffcult to predict precisely how long it will take for these to come through, it is a fairly speedy and effcient service. Digital articles will arrive directly to your bathspa.ac.uk email address and you can pick up book from Library’s
loans
us. YOUR SUBJECT LIBRARIANS Our subject librarians work to support your studies and aid you with your research. You can book 1:1 tutorials and they will also provide in-person group sessions in collaboration with your lecturers. If you would like to contact them or book an online appointment, you will fnd their details on the
subject pages.
ISSUE TWO | WRITING (WLC)LEARNINGANDCENTRE You can book an appointment slot with an advisor to discuss and fnd ways to improve your work. Find a time that suits you from our available appointments. You can also fnd information about our workshops through the link. These are available to all students and cover a wide range of academic and digital literacy skills. If you have any queries about your work then please email us at: wlc@bathspa.ac.uk. INTER-LIBRARY LOANS
Louise Judge Lis Elliott Melissa Hamdani Helen Rayner Katie Rickard
| POSTGRAD POST • •STUDY SUPPORT SUCCEED SUPPORT Student Wellbeing Services understand how important it is to look after yourself, alongside your academic studies. Here’s how we can help you and enable you to thrive during your time at the University. • Money Advice • Support to Study • Medical Service • Mental Health • Wellbeing • The Chaplaincy • Young Adult Carers • Care Leavers • Estranged Students • Accessibility and Disability Alongside this, we also offer a range of out-of-hours services and you can access our 24/7 digital services here. From 01 September 2022 the way that you access Student Wellbeing Services (SWS) will change! We will soon be launching a new online platform called ‘MyWellbeing’ - a single place to ask SWS queries, book appointments and register for events and workshops! You will be able to access the new platform via ‘MyServices’ from 01 September 2022. STUDENT PROGRAMMEASSISTANCE The Student Assistance Programme enables 24/7 access to ‘in the moment’ support and advice from qualifed mental health practitioners who are experienced in personal and university-related issues, and can support students struggling with depression, anxiety or stress, as well as provide guidance on addiction, relationships, grief and much more. You can request to speak with a female or male practitioner, someone from a diverse community or someone with specifc LGBTQ+ knowledge.Theservice is available to all Bath Spa University students; it’s free, confdential, and available 24/7 by telephone, online chat function and WhatsApp. Find further information on how to access the services. How to access the Student Assistance Programme • UK Freephone: 0800 0318227 • Download the Spectrum.Life app in your app store • Online: https://app.spectrum.life/login • Organisation code: bathspa If you have any questions on this new student wellbeing service, please get in touch via MyWellbeing from 1st September. studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk 7
ISSUE TWO | BATH SPA’S CARE DOGS Did you know you can book to meet one of our Bath Spa care dogs? Meeting one of the dogs can be a big help if you’re having a particularly stressful day, or if you feel like you just need a cuddle from a four-legged friend. These accredited care dogs have adopted members of Bath Spa University staff and when they are able, come to campus to hang out with students. You can book 15-minute slots to meet the care dogs outdoors on the Newton Park Campus by choosing a slot that suits you. This is Bath Spa care dog, Georgie 8
| POSTGRAD POST grants through Bath Sparks • Access to graduate internships Signing up takes a few seconds and can be accessed here. STUDY•SUPPORT•SUCCEED SUCCEED THE GRAD SUPPORT UNIT IS HERE TO HELP! Can you believe that this academic year is almost at an end? We wanted to remind you that you can continue to receive dedicated support long after you graduate through the Grad Support Unit in the Careers and Employability team. If you sign up for graduate support, you get: • One-to-one career coaching appointments to help you with your future plans • Exclusive careers events and graduate webinars • Tailored resources and help guides • Graduate jobs and opportunities • Freelance and enterprise support and start-up EXTRA FUNDING FOR YOU DURING YOUR STUDIES You may be eligible for a grant and bursary funding from charitable trusts and foundations to support your postgraduate study, whether you’re undertaking a PhD, PGCE, PGT, PGR…or another exciting acronym. This is often an unexplored avenue that The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding can help take you through! The guide provides relevant advice and a searchable database of charitable trusts and foundations where you can check eligibility criteria and apply for funding.Whatever you do, don’t discount yourself based on the amount of time remaining on your course, as generally speaking applications for funding can be made at any time and can be very helpful for quick Accessfundraising.toall of this advice is currently available for free for Bath Spa students using an @bathspa.ac.uk email address. 9
Some of the best have been mentored by the best. Mark Zuckerberg was mentored by Steve Jobs, Yves Saint-Laurent was mentored by Christian Dior, and J.J. Abrams was mentored by Steven…WhilstSpielberg.theCareers team don’t have Spielberg on the books, through the mentoring scheme, MentorMe, they do have hundreds of industry professionals from all sectors who are ready to help convert your aspirations into practical steps towards the world of work.Inorder to get in touch with one of the mentors and form a vital professional relationship, simply head over to the MentorMe Pathway on MyCareer to apply.
Creative enterprise is at the heart of all we do at Bath Spa, and we want to encourage our students to innovate and develop sustainable, scalable enterprises for the future. If you’ve ever considered joining the growing number of Bath Spa University students and graduates that decide to work freelance or selfemployed, then the Careers and Employability’s Bath Sparks team can assist you with specialist one-to-one advice and funding opportunities, all accessible through MyCareer. They can provide dedicated support for your idea no matter the stage that it’s at.
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If you’re a researcher who’s looking to continue and develop your academic career, we highly recommend Vitae as a very useful resource that provides advice and guidance on pursuing that route. Vitae hosts a database of career story case studies and provides an insight into what researchers do to support your career management.
Following on from that, Jobs.ac.uk is an international higher education recruitment website for those wishing to work in academia. Their PhD Careers Advice section includes useful career development tools as well as practical advice on applying for academic opportunities, such as how to give a great sample lecture during an interview.10
RESOURCES THAT AREN’T ACADEMICMERELY
GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE WITH A MENTOR
GOT THE SPARK OF AN IDEA? THEN BATH SPARKS CAN HELP YOU!
It has always seemed to me that education was the course life took in its infancy. Beginning my undergraduate degree was a daunting task, with the diffcult balance of social and academic life ahead of me. Traversing those three years, especially when one considers the global catastrophe sandwiched between them, was a treacherous journey that I am proud to have completed. As a result, I now feel fully equipped to take another step forward. My undergraduate degree has provided me with the inspiration to look further into education which, when looking retrospectively at my academic career, was something, even up to a year ago, I never saw myself doing.
I have written many scripts and have attempted a plethora of side projects that relate to media-based pop culture, but now I can actually envision myself using this passion in a setting that feels professional. I am hoping that this course will fully prepare me for life after education. In order to prepare for the course, I feel that, despite researching the course itself and familiarising myself with its specifcation, my greatest help has been to write; simply stopping myself from assuming my latest idea is worthless and trying it anyway. I have also been applying for as many freelance writing jobs as possible which, even when unsuccessful, give me valuable experience during the interview process and feedback that will beneft me greatly on my course.
Jake Hodges
The pandemic affected many people’s university experiences, myself included, and it is a testament to the unwavering effort Bath Spa put into making this experience as rewarding as possible that I still want to continue on my journey here. Also, my course has made me aware of the competitiveness in the career path I have chosen, so a Master’s course is sure to provide me with both knowledge and merit that I can use to my advantage in the future. I was initially unsure whether I should apply for a Master’s degree, but having read the course specifcation and spoken to Robin Mukherjee (MA Scriptwriting course leader), I was enthused and reassured about what may lay ahead of me. I have always put pen to paper (or I suppose fnger to keyboard) as a hobby when it comes to scriptwriting, and it only became clear to me as I was faced with the abyss of leaving education that it was a path I could take seriously.
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PREPARING FOR MY MASTER’S THE JUMP FROM UNDERGRADUATE TO POSTGRADUATE
In the style of X Factor judge Simon Cowell asking me “where do I see myself in fve years?”, my answer would be just as ambitious as those who dared respond on the show.
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I would love to be writing for a TV show, or better still have my writing turned into a TV show. Dreams are important no matter how big, but on a more realistic level, the possibility of simply working in the industry would feel like a massive achievement for me. It’s funny really, some people, myself included, often tried to avoid writing in school. It consisted of our detentions in the form of lines and our horror in the form of exams. Despite that, it must have ingrained itself within me because here I am, years later, writing to you about how an MA in writing could make me a writer.
MASTER’S: TE
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In this edition of ‘Ask and Alum’ we chat with Angie, a former Postgraduate in Professional Studies (Counselling) student who has gone on to found their own charity and help the lives of hundreds of people over these years. Angie’s story is an amazing one and truly inspiring to all postgraduate students.
Angie C larke
The course consolidated my knowledge and life experience into a theoretical model of practice, bringing me into a professional Iposition.learned so much about myself,the world and the library. I could not believe that I could achieve this.
WHAT COURSE DID YOU STUDY AT BATH SPA AND WHAT YEAR DID YOU GRADUATE? Postgraduate in Professional Studies (Counselling) and was awarded my certifcate in 2000 WHAT IS YOUR JOB NOW? I am currently CEO of Somewhere House, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre for addiction.We offer housing and support to vulnerable adults in the local community. I have a small, but fantastic,team who work alongside me doing an amazing job. We provide a safe place for people to heal, supervision and support for the team and family interventions.We have a person centred programme which is seen as one of the most successful rehabs in the country. Alongside this, I founded a small mental health charity that sees around 135 people per week for counselling.We have a community football team with a counsellor available for support, school talks for young people and interested adults around addiction and mental health. We hold a monthly coffee and chats for the local community with a qualifed counsellor on hand if required. I chair all the meetings,support the team and do whatever I need to do to help raise up to and beyond £97k per year to keep the charity going (like taking on a skydive!). I mentor those who have a business and have helped many elevate their businesses. And I am also a published author!
HOW DID YOUR COURSE HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS?
ISSUE TWO | ASK AN ALUM
Hang in there. It will be worth it! Keep on top of your work and you’ll fnd the time if you put your mind to it.Ask for help when you need it. The feeling I had when I graduated was like no other I’ve had before or after. Whilst tallking about it, I can feel the pride bubbling away! My children and husband did, and still do,hold a level of pride too. When my son graduated, I remember experiencing the other side and as a mum it’s amazing.
The window of education was opened, and I embrace not only educating myself but also sharing my knowledge which I have had the privilege to do in many ways. If anyone had said to me I’d be doing the things I have, from talking someone down from jumping off a cliff,being a trustee, founding a very successful charity, managing a team of people and running my own business for many years, I wouldn’t have believed it. But I have and we all have the potential to do it if we put the foundations in. My education has done this for me.
FINALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER ARE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE GRADUATING?
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CURRENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS?
Being the person I am.Giving to both my local community and the wider world. Helping thousands of people change their lives and creating a safe and secure environment to do this. Believing in myself and giving other people opportunities to do the same,encouraging them to educate themselves. Last but not least - being a good parent, grandparent, friend,and boss.
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A massive thank you to all our contributors for this issue of the Postgrad Post. We hope you’ve found it a fun read and that you’ll stick around for the next issue. Want to give us some feedback? We’d love to know what you thought about the Postgrad Post and if you would like to be featured in the next issue, either in one of the current features or maybe you have an idea for a new one, then drop us a line at studentcomms@bathspa. ac.uk Would you like to include your short story, poem, or any other creative work in the next issue? Let us know, we’d be happy to consider your work! See you soon! The POSTGRAD POST team www.bathspa.ac.uk
