SUCCESS December 2015
Issue #1
www.northamptonstudentsuccess.co.uk
Only
Northampton’s STUDENT £2
OVERCOME ANXIETY AND STRESS
Tim Foot
PROFILE AND STUDY TIPS
9
essential apps for productivity
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CONTENTS On the cover: Pictures courtesy of Tim Foot
Editor’s letter
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here’s a stigma attached to students: we’re generally associated with drinking and skipping lectures. If you’re a sixth former, people probably assume you can’t wait to start partying if you’re under 18. Not all students want to waste their time, money and eduation. That being said, you can still have fun and go to lessons. This magazine is all about what you can do as a dedicated student who wants success! It’s all about organising your time to fit in the social stuff later. It’s about saving money so you can get everything you need for productivity. Prioritising your education. You will be introduced to ways of organising your life that don’t take much effort and will make your life easier. If you’re a sixth former or university student, this magazine is for you. It won’t be all about your education. You can find fun things to read about life as a student that don’t involve partying your life away. To those of you who want to focus on your education and not just your social life: you’re not alone!
Christy Houghton
Editor
Page 4 News: Maintenance grants for students are being replaced with more loans Red and processed meats can cause cancer, says World Health Organisation
editor@studentsuccess.com
@Christyy94
Page 5 Feature: 9 essential apps for productivity Page 6 Interview: Tim Foot Study skills and profile Page 8 Features: Overcoming stress and anxiety Page 10 Reviews: Best tech in Northampton for study and productivity Page 11 Listings: Events in Northampton
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STUDENT Success NEWS
Red and processed meats can cause cancer, says World Health Organisation T
HE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed, in October of this year, that red and processed meats contain the same carcinogens as found in cigarettes, which can lead to cancer if too much is consumed. A previous statement by Cancer Research UK said that sausages have the potential to cause cancer, back in 2013. The statement came from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the WHO. Processed meat refers to meat that has been treated in a way to preserve it such as salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking. Examples include ham, sausage, bacon, hot dogs
and some deli meats. Red meats include beef, lamb goat and pork and are defined as mammalian muscle meat. A market stall vendor in Northampton says his business hasn’t been effected and he would “rather get cancer from a nice stake than from cigarettes. It’s common sense that they know meat is bad for them already” He doesn’t believe the government should need to label their meat products with warnings. Northampton nutritionist Faye Baxter says even though bowel cancer is linked to diet, there are other factors that can cause cancer including stress. People need to read beyond the headlines. The study did say that it can increase your
risk of cancer by seven to ten per cent. She recommends a balanced diet of meat, fruit, vegetables and whole-grains. A Tesco butcher in Northampton says his customers have never been concerned or affected by his meat in any way linked to cancer. He says they’ve heard stories about it before but there’s never been any medical research to back it up. The government and authorities decide whether it’s enough of a risk to put warning labels regarding cancer on packaged meat. The conclusion was reached after 22 experts, worldwide, reviewed over 800 studies. The result is that eating 50 grams of processed meat daily can increase the risk of cancer.
Maintenance grants for students will be replaced with more loans
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HIS YEAR, those of you going to university in September will have more loans to pay back than ever before, and no maintenance grants. This will not effect anyone already at university, only students starting courses in 2016.
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Students will only have to pay this back when they earn over £21,000. The maintenance loan available will increase to £8,200, “the highest amount of support ever provided” says George Osborne (pictured left) to prevent students from being unable to get into university. The current system allows students from household incomes of under £25,000 up to £42,620, a maintenance grant of up to £3,387 a year. The new system will see this abolished. In the first allConservative budget since 1996, Chancellor of the Exchecquer has decided it is “unfair” and “unaffordable” for the taxpayer to fund the education of students who choose to go to university and will one day earn more than most people. The debate has begun among the public of the UK,
including Northampton. Many people disagree with this decision - especially prospective university students. People from lower-income families are more likely to not go to university at all. Some parents have more than one child at university and could be unable to support both or all their children’s living costs, as well as their own. This could potentially cause a decrease in the number of people attending university and with that the number of citizens getting these higher paying jobs. Others agree that it’s fair because the money could be spent on more important issues in the UK. Sally Keeble has previously said that Labour had planned to increase maintenance loans “in response to the real problem that a lot of students face in meeting living costs.” This new budget is criticised as it only benefits those aged 25 and over.
Images: https://www.flickr.com, www.un.org.mk
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FEATURE Northampton
essential apps for productivity
Productivity is all about getting things done that need to get done. It’s about being organised and staying on top of your workload. Many apps are designed to help you make the most of your time.
1. Pocket This app and website allows you to bookmark articles for later viewing. This is helpful for academic referencing in your essays throughout the year as well as any others you might enjoy reading. The more you use it the more accurate it is in recommending other articles to you.
Images: www.flickr.com
2. Evernote Taking notes has never been so easy. Not only can you type a few notes quickly from your phone, you can also record lectures, take pictures and videos. You can also make lists and set reminders, which are important for organising your time. You can keep all these files in one place and access them on several places. www.flickr.com
3. Unidays
The main student discounts app is unidays. Most stores online and in-store are signed up with unidays to give students discounts. It’s easy. Just copy the code and search online throught the app or show your Unidays ID to the cashier. www.myunidays.com
4. RefME
If you don’t know or understand how to Harvard reference or do any other type of academic referencing, you can use RefMe to find out how. You can scan a book with your phone or manually tell the app what you know about the book: publisher, publication date, author etc. and it will show you how to put references into your academic essays. srhs.sau17.libguides.com
5. Gmail/Outlook Emails are increasingly important when you have assignment notifications or need to contact teachers. Having your teacher’s email address is key for asking for help when you need it. Most industries require email addresses for everything: send documents to people if need be and most importantly, contact! www.othelloschools.org
6. Google docs/OneDrive
Having a word processor is essential in any course. Cloud documents are the most convenient. You can access your documents on the websites and apps on any device. Anywhere you go you can add to your work. You can also get presentation and number software.
7. Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn
www.maketecheasier.com app.grovo.com
Social networking is very important nowadays. You have to be on some sort of social media. LinkedIn helps you get jobs, it’s the online version of a CV and employers look at all of these when you come in for an interview to find out more about you. Keep them clean, they commons.wikimedia.org, will find you! www.seeklogo.net, about.twitter.com 8. Quidco Every time you shop at stores featured on this app, quidco gives you cashback when you spend a certain amount. Who doesn’t like free money? It’s only selected stores but if you have a big buy, use this app to get money back on top of any discounts you might get from these stores. www.quidco.com
9. Amazon www.flickr.com
Having an NUS card allows you 5% discount on Amazon, on top of a cheaper Amazon Prime for all students. Prime gives you free TV shows and movies to watch and free next-day delivery on products you need such as books, technology and stationery. Six month free trial and £39 after. 5
Northampton INTERVIEW
Tim Foot profile and study tips for students The key to success is education and developing your skills. Working hard is the most important way to do this, but it doesn’t have to be a chore!
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im Foot has been an education consultant for the past twenty years. He started off with a civil engineering degree but he didn’t want that to be his career. His career in education started by responding to an advert to be a temporary physics teacher in a local secondary school at GCSE and A-level.
“the most successful people put the hours in” Foot did a three year secondment to the training department of a major electronics company. He soon became aware that training is provided when
Tim Foot at a marathon 6
timfootstudyskills.co.uk anyone starts a new job, but students don’t get that same vocational training from schools. The key to achieving your full potential is to put in a lot of hard work. The most successful people are the ones who have put a lot of hours into what they do. Tim Foot uses the example of his experience training for a marathon. He realised that it was not just about running. It was about splitting up the effort into smaller aspects like diet, liquid intake and where your feet land. Students can use this advice in studying and productivity by dividing their workload into smaller and more manageable tasks. Foot shares several tips on how students can organise their time and space. It’s important to set aside a time when you can study and
tips. They can easily use this advice to help with their work. “I even say to them ‘I know you have better things to do than sit here listening to me tell you how to study.” He makes it fun as well. There are activities and games for memory skills and time management skills. He says: “Memory ‘tricks’ have a limited use, understand a topic before you revise it.” He says to make it smaller by using flashcards and testing yourself regularly. sticking to it as part of your If you have a routine. semantic understanding of the “Making lists knowledge you’ve already and working learned you can repeat it in consistently is key” your own ways. If you only have a structural knowledge Work in an environment of the words you’ve read, you where you can avoid all won’t remember what you’ve distractions. Remove phones learned. and other things caption: inside You can from your Surviving your workload! also gain immediate confidence environment from the if you’re small studying things you or trying do that to get work for work done. you as you Don’t let gradually yourself gain more get distracted skills. Success and don’t distract brings confidence and yourself. confidence can bring Making lists of what you need to get done and working success. “the future is a consistently from day one booklet for parents is the key. Work in an environment where you can of students” avoid all distractions. Students who are still at Most students who attend sixth form or college can his seminars are sceptical use past papers to practise to begin with. However, he for exams. Module guides doesn’t “bombard them with and assessment criteria can learning theory” he gives the replace this when you get to students practical real-world
university, as well as further reading. Further reading is encouraged in sixth form in study time. People who are good at things practise because they enjoy it. They don’t need to be told. Foot says most students talk during their study periods and do work at home later. It’s more useful to spend study time doing something productive in the allocated time, then when you get home, that’s your time to do whatever you want. Students often forget to use module guides and do outside reading. The most important thing they forget is that teachers are their biggest resource! Tim Foot’s plans for the future are to start his own booklet for parents of students. He is a parent himself, of two students in
year 11 and 13. As a parent he has noticed a lack of information for parents on how to help their kids with homework or coursework. He has written books for KS3 students and GCSE booklets. He says that the parents don’t have any kind of training for how to do this. It’s the little things that parents can do to help. When a student comes home, they are probably stressed. Parents don’t need to be teachers, it’s the little things that can really help them. Just talking to them about their day or making them dinner or a sandwich - any way that will help them de-stress - can help in their education more than most people realise. This is often forgotten and taken for granted. Happy studying!
caption: a final message from his booklet, Surviving your workload!
Profile: Author and Education Consultant
Three students explain their approach to studying and give their own advice:
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My motivation to study is that if you don’t revise, you won’t achieve the maximum grades possible for your own potential. Also, don’t be the person who asks the teacher: “when am I ever going to use this in life?” it just wastes time. If you pay attention in lessons now, revision won’t be that hard. I also went to all the revision sessions offered.
Sophie, 17
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Student: Northampton School for Boys, Sixth Form
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For studying, I basically have to know exactly what I’m doing and have everything I need. I like condensing textbook notes and listening to japanese music. I feel like that helps me concentrate and not get distracted. Try not to leave work until the last minute or you’ll get stressed out and possibly fail.
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Owen, 17 Student: Thomas Becket Catholic School, Sixth Form
Tim is the author of three study skills guides: • • •
Surviving your workload! for Sixth Form students Revision cracked! for GCSE students Smart Study Skills! for KS3 students 500,000 copies have been sold in the UK. He also leads seminars at over 100 schools, to over 100,000 students.
Contact: timfootsem@aol.com timfootpub@aol.com
Images: Facebook
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Attend all lectures, make notes that you’ll understand and read through them afterwards. Record lectures if you’re allowed to and ask questions. When I study, I have to keep hydtrated and have food with me. I like my subject and I think you have to find it interesting. At the end you can look at all your work and be proud of how it turned out.
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Matt, 20
1 Lyster Avenue Chelmsford CM2 7DF
Student: University of Northampton studying Business Computing
Tel: 01245 477891 Tim Foot’s study skills guides
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Northampton FEATURE
Overcome stress and anxiety Most students experience stress at least once during the year from a looming deadline - or several. Here’s what you can do to relax a bit if you feel you might panic. Stress is physically bad for your health.
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Caption: Laggan Dam, Scottish Highlands
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tress and anxiety are common among students. It can increase as you get older, with an increasing amount of work to do. Everyone experiences this! Some more than others. To deal with it you should listen to others when they give advice. There are apps and books you can get, as well as watching youtube videos and reading online articles. Many of these articles are written by people who have experienced this type of stress or anxiety and have either overcome it, or helped others overcome it and are working on it themselves and improving. If you can find someone else with anxiety, you can help them and, in turn, helping them will help you. Stress is a major symptom of having too much to do! If you stay on top of everything you need to get done and organise your time, you will feel more calm and confident that you can finish everything on time, even if you’re behind other people. Don’t think about what other people are doing and focus on what you can reasonably achieve in a certain time. It’s also very detrimental to your health. It increases the heart-rate and can lead to chronic conditions like headaches and hypertension, as well as anxiety and even depression. In extreme cases it can increase your risk of cancer (only with other factors contributing, of course.) There are so many people who have overcome stress and anxiety. It is hard to break these habbits but it is worth trying, the result can be very freeing. If you suffer from anxiety, you have a million different thoughts telling you “but what if...?” or “oh no.” The key is managing to let yourself think about other things that relax you - not too much or you’ll leave everything to the last minute and the stress will snowball! Psychologists say that the best way to gain confidence is to write lists of positive things in your life. This will help you focus on things you enjoy rather than things that stress you out. It might be that the course you’re on is not right for you at all if it is making you miserable. It might be that negative comments from others are getting you down and you should surround yourself with people and things that bring you joy. You should use your power of overthinking and turn it into a positive experience. If you are struggling to keep up, you can always talk to someone in your school or university. There are always people there whose job it is to help you cope. Teachers are there to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes it’s essential for your work or to get the grade you’re hoping for.
www.magforwomen.com
If you aren’t feeling confident, just act like you are. You will become more confident. Most people are in the same situation, they just hide it. It’s the same if you are stuck on a piece of work or worried about meeting someone for the first time: if you look smart you can think smart. It’s like acting, you’re dressing the part. Although, the result will be that you are more confident next time, maybe even without the ‘costume.’ It’s usually helpful to do exercises to relieve stress. It’s the healthiest thing you can do for yourself. Just going for a walk to clear your head is a lot better than sitting at home worrying about deadlines. It also gives you time to think about your assignment while not in a position to do anything about it. Although if you have ideas to note down, just put it on your phone for later and don’t worry about it until you get back to your workspace. If you are sitting at your desk and panicking about what you can’t do, give yourself a break. There is nothing useful about wasting time staring at your screen and stressing out. You should go and relax and come back to what you’re stuck on with fresh eyes and a clearer mind. Even if you just make yourself some food then go back to it. Be careful not to leave things to the last minute, give yourself time to breath but organise your time properly so you don’t fall behind! It’s important to make lists of everything you might do the next day. Even if you’re not sure what will happen, have an idea and of what to do with your day. It’s key to having time to fit everything in that you need to do. The visual cues are also helpful to remember everything, if you know you have a lot to do. It seems like a small and insignificant thing but most business men and women say that making a list every day before you go to sleep is the best way to keep track of time. Music is something that most people take for granted. Everyone listens to music when they are trying to work, but songs you love not only help you concentrate but they give you peace of mind. Scientifically speaking, you don’t just need to listen to classical music like Beethoven or Mozart to relax - as everyone thinks - all you need is what makes YOU feel relaxed. Other things like laughter are one of those things. Even if you’re laughing for no reason, you are becoming happier and healthier. Chewing gum is generally bad for your body, but not your mental health. It makes you more aware and is recommended for revision. Also, any repetitive motion is a useful relaxation tip. Things that don’t take much concentration and you can stop whenever. The most important thing is stay off of phones. Worrying about replying to several people at once is a main cause of stress in today’s busy world. Finally, anything you can do to calm down naturally, do it.
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Northampton REVIEWS
Best Northampton tech for study and productivity
We all know phones do everything nowadays, but here’s some products you need for when phones don’t cut it. Technology being connected can make everyday essentials that much easier to manage.
Livescribe pen with compatible notebooks available. Argos: £110.99-£125.99 CurrysPCWorld: £129.99-169.99 Amazon: £98.99-£400.41
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his allows you to write up your notes as you normally would, and without typing, you can upload your work directly to your computer. However, the memory isn’t the best, 2GB, but that’s to be expected from a pen! As long as you regularly move your data it could be a really helpful way to conneect all you devices with a notebook. You don’t have to retype your notes, you will have your own handwritten notes on all devices. Notepads are designed to control and connect the pen and your computer or devices. Images: pcworld.com, winsupersite.com, https:// c1.staticflickr.com
HP Pavillion convertible laptop/tablet Argos: £249.99 CurrysPCWorld: £499.99 Amazon: £189.59-£375.23
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very student needs a laptop, preferably one that can fit in your bag to bring to class with you. Even at sixth form or college this can really help you do work on the move. This particular laptop converts into a tablet. It makes it even easier to use. An Apple iPads can only do so much, you can only use app store apps and can’t necessarily get all the programs. It has a 1TB hard drive and 8GB memory. This means that you can save a lot on it and open a fair amount of programs at once. It also has a 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-6200U processor, which is one of the latest and fastest processors you can get. You can choose different colours and the design makes it light and easy to carry. It looks good and it has all the ports you need: USB, HDMI, SD and headphones.
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Northampton LISTINGS
Northampton events EVENT German market opening and Northampton town’s Christmas lights to be turned on. Frost Fair, Victorian Christmas market and Magic Bean Emporium’s Fairytale Christmas market.
Beauty and the Beast
OPEN DAYS
DATES
VENUE
DESCRIPTION
19 November 2015 5:30am
Northampton Market square and Abington street
With performances from the cast of the Cinderella panto, and a chance to meet Santa.
6 December 2015 11am-5pm
Northampton Market square square
Three events in one. More than 70 stalls of local traders, reindeer and fairytale characters. With music from the Salvation Army band.
25 November 2015 - 03 January 2016
Royal and Derngate
Based on the fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen
11 December 2015 - 03 January 2016
Royal and Derngate
Panto starring John Partridge (EastEnders)
11 December 2015 - 29 December 2015
The Deco theatre
Panto of the classic fairytale.
9 January 2015
University of Northampton
Prospective students can find out more about their courses and have a campus tour
Caption: Victorian Christmas market Caption: Mulan at the Magic Bean Emporiums’s Fairytale Christmas market Images: www.royalandderngate.co.uk, lovenorthampton.co.uk, www.theatresonline.com, 11
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