The Guide by SUBU

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your one-stop shop for support at uni

welcome to

The Guide ade u’ve m o Y !

U s! e to B ulation t a r Welcom g n ur ni – co ant yo it to u w U B SU ey in We at y journ t t i s r e v s grea uni a e b o t at mouth now th k e Bourne w t u and sible b home m as pos o r f own g away e your g movin a n a to m an be nces c having a n i f s and d. studie py roa a bum

General

4

Wellbeing

5

Academic

8

Finance

Naomie

SUBU President

This guid e is des igned to be your go-to gu ide for any well being, a c a demic and fina ncial he lp you may nee d throug hout your stu dies, no matter if you a re a hom e, internat ional, dis a b le mature d or Student or have to look after yo ur kids or a depen dent.

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General askBU

Student Support and Engagement Team

The askBU team is trained to help you with any information, advice or guidance you

The Student Support and Engagement

may need during your time at BU. You can

Team has members embedded into each

easily drop in to see them on both Talbot or

of the university’s faculties. They are a

Lansdowne Campuses, or contact them via

point of contact within your faculty if you

phone or email with concerns and questions.

are having personal or academic issues, concerns or worries while you are study-

askBU@bournemouth.ac.uk

ing.

01202 969696

No matter the size of the issue, the team

askBU at The Base, Poole House, Talbot Campus Helpzone, Bournemouth Gateway Building, Lansdowne Campus

is there to discuss it confidentially and can help support directly or point you in the direction of help or support options.

Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm Friday: 9am-4.30pm

sset@bournemouth.ac.uk

SUBU Advice SUBU Advice provides advice on a number of issues relating to your studies and your life beyond the lecture theatre, including housing, money and employment. All advice and information given is free, independent, non-judgemental and confidential. The Students’ Union’s Advice Workers will support you with whatever your concerns are from start to finish.

The team is accredited by the Advice Quality Standard and audited every two years to ensure you are getting the highest quality advice possible. In person appointments are available Tuesdays-Thursdays on Talbot Campus and on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Bournemouth Gateway Building in Lansdowne. Appointments can be booked by contacting the team, or drop-in sessions are held from 2-4pm, Tuesdays-Thursdays on Talbot Campus. subuadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk

01202 965779

SC202, The Student Centre, Talbot Campus BG405, Bournemouth Gateway Building, Lansdowne Campus Talbot Campus: 10am-4pm, Tuesday-Thursday Lansdowne Campus: 9.30am-1pm, Tuesday-Thursday

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Wellbeing Your wellbeing can have a huge impact on your studies and how much you enjoy your time at BU. There are a number of services available to you during your time at university that can help you with your wellbeing, whether it is getting the endorphines and serotonin flowing through exercise at SportBU or taking time out of your day to reflect and relax in the Faith and Reflection Centre. Be sure to come back to these pages whenever you need some support with keeping your wellbeing the best it can be.

Student Wellbeing Team The Student Wellbeing Service is a free confidental service for all BU students to contact when they are feeling stressed, anxious or in a low mood. They offer a number of different services that might help: • Appointments - these are with the team’s trained Wellbeing Advisors and are for you to discuss anything surrounding your wellbeing, from stress and anxiety to homesickness and eating difficulties.

• Drop-In Sessions - these drop-in sessions are currently online and run during term time from Monday-Friday, 1-2pm. You’ll get to chat to a Wellbeing Advisor about whatever issues you are currently experiencing.

• Counselling - as well as appointments with the Wellbeing Advisors, the Student Wellbeing Team can also organise for you to talk to a counsellor. The counselling will provide you with a space to talk and reflect on what is troubling you and, with help from your counsellor, find solutions.

• Workshops - the Student Wellbeing Team runs a number of workshops throughout the year on various wellbeing topics, for example how to boost your mood, managing worry and anxiety, and relaxation.

Even if you aren’t sure if the service can help, they are more than happy to help you find the best support for your situation. You can self-refer using the online form found on the Student Wellbeing section of the BU website, or email them with any questions or concerns you have. studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/health-wellbeing/student-wellbeing

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SportBU

BU Faith and Reflection Whether or not you follow a faith, the Faith

Getting exercise is a proven mood

and Reflection Centre is a welcoming

booster and can help lower stress levels

sanctuary from the busy student life. The

so why not join SportBU? SportBU is the

chaplaincy and faith advisor team are

university’s centre for sports and fitness

predominantly based in the Faith and

with various team sports, group classes

Reflection Centre, on the first floor of Talbot

and gym equipment to help you get

House (the same building as the Student

moving.

Medical Centre) and exist to listen to, support and encourage you in whichever

They also have a Wellbeing Hub full of

way you need.

content about keeping yourself well through eating and moving, which is

Within the Faith and Reflection Centre, you

currently available to all BU students. You

can find a communal area, a quiet room for

can join online or by talking to the

individual prayer, meditation or just sitting,

SportBU team on campus. You can find

an Islamic prayer room, a Kosher kitchen

them next door to the Student Centre!

and an open kitchen for anyone in the centre to use.

Contact the team any questions or to see what facilities are on offer in person.

The team also runs events throughout the year, including celebrating faith-related

sportbu@bournemouth.ac.uk

festivals or holidays, helping facilitate acts

01202 965012

of remembrance and vigils and events specifically for the international student

SportBU, Talbot Campus

community, such as the weekly Global

Monday-Friday: 7.15am-8pm Saturday-Sunday: 9am-5pm

Cafe, and postgraduate students, such as monthly PGR lunches. faithandreflection@bournemouth.ac.uk

TIP #1: TAKE TIME FOR YOU

07928 129767

Sometimes coming to uni, studying and

Faith and Reflection Centre, 1st Floor, Talbot House, Talbot Campus

going out can be overwhelming. Make sure you take time to look after yourself in your

Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm

daily routine with whatever self-care looks like for you.

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ResLifeBU Moving into halls of residence with strangers can be a daunting experience andcan lead to feeling homesick or heightened anxiety. ResLifeBU is designed to help you if you live in BU halls or UniLet at any point during your studies. They run a number of events around their core principles of social (such as movie nights and trips to Durdle Door), wellbeing (such as beach yoga and journaling workshops) and skills (such as cooking classes). As well as their team of Resident Assistants (who are current BU students) they also have a team of four Welfare Coordinators who are a friendly point of contact for you can get in touch with if you need further wellbeing help.

To find out about ResLife events, like their page on Facebook, join your halls’ official Facebook group and follow them on Instagram.

ResLifeBU

ResLifeBU

Contact your halls’ Welfare Coordinator: • Cranborne House (Sam Honnoraty): cranborne@bournemouth.ac.uk • Bailey Point (Sam Honnoraty): baileypoint@bournemouth.ac.uk • Lyme Regis House (Francis Hawkhead): lymeregis@bournemouth.ac.uk • Chesil House (Francis Hawkhead): chesil@bournemouth.ac.uk • Student Village (Rehan Zia): studentvillage@bournemouth.ac.uk • Okeford House (Rehan Zia): okeford@bournemouth.ac.uk • Corfe House (Robert Collier): corfe@bournemouth.ac.uk • Dorchester House (Robert Collier): dorchester@bournemouth.ac.uk • Purbeck House (Robert Collier): purbeck@bournemouth.ac.uk • Unilet: unilet@bournemouth.ac.uk

Togetherall Togetherall is an anonymouse online mental health support service which is free for all BU students. This online community, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allows members to support each other while there are trained professionals monitoring activity to provide extra help and support where needed. They also provide a bank of useful information such as self-help programess for anxiety, sleep, depression and more. You’ll need to register the first time you use the website but it’s quick and easy to do. www.togetherall.com

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Academic Whether you’ve come to uni straight from

Student Reps

college or after being in the working world getting to grips with the expected work

The Student Rep program run by SUBU is

level can be difficult. But don’t worry - there

hugely important for getting student

are plenty of things to help you through!

voices heard at BU. Reps will collect feedback from their fellow students, present it at relevant meetings with SUBU

PAL Leaders

and BU and report back to students what was disussed in relation o their feedback.

PAL or Peer-Assisted Learning is a scheme

In addition to Student Reps, SUBU also has

where trained second year students (PAL

a team of Department Reps and Faculty

Leaders) who are on the same course as

Reps to ensure that students’ feedback is

you provide support during your first year

heard at every level of the university.

of studying. As a fellow student your PAL

www.subu.org.uk/studentvoice

Leader will directly understand your experiences as a first year, especially when it comes to specific course content and

Academic Advisors

teaching. PAL sessions are timetabled into your studies and can be a useful space for

As well as being able to go to your

discussion and learning from someone

lecturers for academic support you will

else’s experiences.

also be assigned an Academic Advisor

www.libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/ palcentral/home

towards the start of the academic year.

This Advisor will be a lecturer from within your course who you can talk to should you have any issues with your academic

TIP #2: FEEDBACK

work.

Although feedback you get on assignments can feel a little deflating, your lecturers

If you aren’t sure who yours is, then

atrying re to help you improve your work. If

contact your programme leader.

you aren’t sure what they mean then talk to them, they want to help.

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Library Support Team The university libraries are great resources of information especially when doing assignments. Its website also provides information on academic skills you may need while at BU. As well as a general library support team, each faculty has a team of librarians who can assist you in finding the academic resources you might be looking for and help you book study areas for group work.

• General: librarysupport@bournemouth.ac.uk • Business School Library Team: bubslibteam@bournemouth.ac.uk • Science and Technology Library Team: SciTechLibTeam@bournemouth.ac.uk • Health and Social Sciences Library Team: hsslibteam@bournemouth.ac.uk • Media and Communication Library Team: fmclibteam@bournemouth.ac.uk Talbot Campus: The Sir Michael Cobham Library Lansdowne Campus: Weston Library, Bournemouth Gateway Building Talbot Campus: 9am-5pm Lansdowne Campus: 9am-5pm

Study Skills Workshops Run by the Library team, Study Skills, workshops are all about teaching you vital skills you will need during your studies from how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism to learning how to think critically or plan your essays - tere are loads on offer. Sessions take place throughout the year and can all be found via the website below. www.libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/study_skills_workshops

Additional Learning Support Team If you have a disability, medical condition, mental health issue or temporary injury, then the ALS team are designed to support you throughout your studies. They can help arrange exam adjustments, arrange screenings for dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADD, help with Disabled Students’ Allowance applications and provide support to ensure you are not disadvantaged during your studies. als@bournemouth.ac.uk

Talbot Campus: 01202 965663 Lansdowne Campus: 01202 961581

DLG17, Sir Michael Cobham Library, Talbot Campus Monday-Tuesday & Thursday-Friday: 9am-4pm Wednesday: 9am-12pm

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Finance Going to uni can sometimes be the first time that you manage your own money and there are lots of additional costs to living away from home. If you need financial help there are plenty of funds and grants in place to help. SUBU Advice can also help with advice on how to manage your money.

BU Financial Support Fund We all experience financial difficulties at some point in our lives and the BU Financial Support Fund is designed to help you should you experience them during your degree. This is non-repayable and can help with living costs as well as academic ones such as childcare, travel, accommodation, course books and equipment. The amount awarded depends on your circumstances. To apply contact askBU for the details of how.

Please note that EU, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and international students cannot apply for this fund. www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/help-advice/financial-support/ bu-financial-support-fund

BU Covid-19 Impact Support Fund This fund is to support BU students who are being financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and who have lost income due to Covid-19. Any student enrolled at BU can apply for this fund however to qualify you must either show evidence that you have had to self-isolate* or lost your job as a result of the pandemic since 20 September 2021 and provide evidence that this has affected you financially. If you are successful, you will receive a one-time payment of £200. This funding is limited and therefore awards are not guaranteed even to those that meet the criteria. www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/help-advice/financial-support/bu-covid-19impact-support-fund *this self-isolation must be because of a positive Covid test or because you have in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

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Small Emergency Grant

TIP #3: BUDGET

This grant provides short-term assistance

Budgeting is key for keeping track of your

for students who have no or very little

finances every month. It can really help

funds available to them. Usually paid in

avoid your overdraft!

denominations of £20, the grant is often paid in supermarket vouchers. Your request will only be considered if you are enrolled on a BU course and are able to show that

BU Laptop Support Fund

you have very little or no funds remaining.

The BU Laptop Support Fund is designed to support students who do not have

Application forms can be obtained from

access to their own laptop. To be eligible

SUBU Advice. You are not required to pay

you must:

this grant back but if you have the ability

Be classed as a ‘home’ student for fees

to do so later it will mean that BU can assist

purposes.

other students in the same way.

Have a household income of £16,000 or below (undergraduate students only) as

www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/ help-advice/financial-support/ small-emergency-grant

determined by your funding provider (SFE, SFW, SFNI, SAAS).

Be fully enrolled on a BU course.

Be without a working laptop/computer for

TIP #4: FREE STUFF

study purposes.

Be able to confirm that you do not have

One of the perks of being a student is

the funds to buy a laptop.

getting stuff for free or cheaper. Did you know you might be entitled to a number of

Successful applicants will receive a £250

NHS services such as eye tests, dental care

voucher to use with BU’s IT supplier,

and prescriptions, which you need to pay

Getech. The fund is limited and awarded

for once you’re over 18, for free if you fill in a

on a first come first serve basis.

HC1 form. Also at BU, you can get all Microsoft Office programmes for free.

www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/ help-advice/financial-support/ bu-laptop-support-fund

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NHS Learning Support Fund

Placement Opportunity Fund

If you are on an NHS course you may be

Taking on a work placement as part of your

eligible for additional support from the NHS via their Learning Support Fund. This

studies is a great way to get real world

money is available to students studying

experience wihle still a university but it can

Midwifery, Nursing (adult, child and

be costly. This fund can help eligible

mental health), Occupational Therapy,

students with these additional costs such

Operating Department Practice or

as travel and clothing for interviews,

Physiotheraphy. The fund includes a

essential uniforms, DBS checks and visas.

Training Grant, a Parental Support Fund,

www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/ help-advice/financial-support/ placement-opportunity-fund

Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses Fund and Exeptional Support Fund. nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learningsupport-fund

Unite Foundation Scholarship students who are under 25 and are a care

NHS Learning Support Fund

leaver or estranged from their families. The

This grant is for full-time higher education

scholarship provides a rent-free university

students who have an adult that depends

home for up to three years of your degree,

on them financially. The maximum grant

which at BU would be at Purbeck House in

for the 21/22 academic year is £3,190, does

Lansdowne. This means that students

not have to be paid back and is on top of

won’t have to worry about where they are

your other student finance. It is based on

living while studying and during the

a number of criteria and is paid in three

holidays. Applications for September 2022

instalments across the academic year.

The Unite Foundation Scholarship is for

open in January. www.gov.uk/adult-dependants-grant www.thisisusatuni.org/unitefoundation-scholarship

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Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) These are provided by UK government to UK students who have a disability that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. It is non-repayable and is in addition to any other student finance you are eligible for. Support types and how much you receive is based on your individual needs, which is assessed via a needs assessment. This can help with the costs of specialist equipment, non-medical helpers (eg a specialist note-taker) and any other disability-related study support you need. www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa

BU DSA Support Fund This funding is designed to help disabled students further with getting what they need to study unhindered. This non-repayable support is spefically to help those in financial difficulty with getting an Educational Psychologist Assessment/Evaluation of Needs or a contribution towards approved DSA equipment. BU can provide up to £200 for the Educational Psychologist Assessment/Evaluation of Needs and up to £200 for DSA-approved equipment.

This is only available to students from mainland UK and Northern Ireland. www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/help-advice/financial-support/bu-dsa-support-fund

Childcare Grant

Parents’ Learning Allowance

This non-repayable grant is for full-time higher education students who have

This allowance is for full-time students with

children under 15 or under 17 if they have

children. What you are awarded is

SENs. This is available on top of other

dependent on your household income can

student finance and the amount is based

be up to £1,821 a year paid in three

on household income and number of

instalments directly into your bank account

dependent children. This money will go

across the year. It is on top of your other

straight to your childcare provider via a

student finance and is non-repayable.

Childcare Grant Payment Service. www.gov.uk/childcare-grant

www.gov.uk/parents-learning-allowance

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Notes

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15

We Know Students