BU media success over Clearing 2014

Staff and students from Bournemouth University gave advice and information in a variety of media appearances around Clearing.

BU was featured by several national newspapers, including mentions in:

  • The Guardian newspaper and online five times.
  • The Telegraph newspaper and online five times.
  • The i newspaper four times.
  • The Independent

Interviews with BU’s Head of Admissions Karen Pichlmann – who gave top tips and advice for anyone going through Clearing – were also featured on several regional radio stations.

David Stock, SUBU Advice manager, was interviewed in The Telegraph’s article ‘Strike a healthy bank balance’. He advised parents on how to help their children with their finances..

He said: “It’s best to set the foundations from a young age by getting them used to bank cards and budgets. Once they’re at university, they won’t have anyone nagging them to stick to their weekly budget, so instilling a good attitude beforehand is vital.”

Nicola Murray-Fagan, Head of UK Student Recruitment & Outreach, was quoted throughout The i’s article about how students should prepare for results day.

She advised: “Take the time to research your options and speak to your school or college careers adviser for advice on courses that will still keep you on the same career path.”

askBU’s Helen Elsey and UK Recuitment Manager Matthew Usher gave advice in The Guardian and The Telegraph on what students should say while making Clearing phone calls, while BU students and alumni shared their experiences of the Clearing and Adjustment process.

BU student Alex Curwen-Reed was quoted in The i, giving her tips on the Clearing process.

She spoke about how helpful the askBU team was during her Clearing process and said: “Don’t feel embarrassed about having to come through Clearing. I’m getting better grades than some of the people who got accepted in the first place, so don’t doubt yourself!”

Other articles featuring BU focused on applying for postgraduate courses, with advice from Framework Leader for Postgraduate Accounting, Finance and Economics Dermot McCarthy, and making the most of placement opportunities.

Placement Development Adviser Felicity Robinson said in The Guardian’s article: “I’d advise students to do their own objective setting, so they’re not saying ‘help, give me something to do,’ but being more collaborative in the process.”

By Harriet Gilbraith

Harriet is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. She joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from the college with work experience for four weeks over the summer.

 

 

Postgraduate support at BU featured in The i newspaper

The wide variety of help and support available to postgraduate students at BU was featured in The i newspaper.

The feature, which appeared in the newspaper’s postgraduate supplement, looked at how postgraduate students can get support if they feel they are struggling with their studies or are under a lot of pressure.

It listed the wide-ranging services on offer at Bournemouth University – including study skills workshops, counselling and financial advice.

Mandi Barron, Head of Student Support Services at BU, was quoted in the article.

“We can provide practical advice and signpost more specialist services depending on the students’ need,” she said, adding that students should also look to their friends and family for support.

“Some students find that joining a club or society and meeting others with similar interests really helps.”

The article also featured advice from Kyle Michael Williamson, an MSc Enterprise Information Systems student at BU.

He suggested breaking tasks up and using technology to make work more manageable.

He said: “Having access to specialist software off campus helps the ability to work from anywhere and fit your studies around the rest of your life.”

The most important thing for any student who is struggling, Mandi added, was to remember that you are not alone.

“Talk to someone,” she said. “Your problems might seem insurmountable, but universities have a lot of experience and can offer a huge range of support.”

 

Bournemouth University’s media success with this year’s Clearing campaign

This year’s Clearing campaign has been a huge success with a number of media appearances.

Bournemouth University was mentioned in the following media outlets:

  • Two Mentions on the Telegraph online
  • Coverage on the Guardian online
  • Five Mentions in the Guardian
  • Coverage in the Independent
  • Two mentions in the i paper
  • Two reports on BBC Radio Solent
  • A report on Wave FM
  • A report on Fire
  • TES coverage

Second year Law student Diana Dimofte explained her clearing experience and coming to Bournemouth University through the clearing system in the Telegraph online video that really showed off Bournemouth University and the local area.

“University Clearing was the best thing that happened to me,” said Diana Dimofte.

Team leader for askBU enquiry service, Helen Elsey, gave advice on what to say on the phone during clearing on the Guardian online website, adding; “We [the clearing team or person taking the clearing phone call] will look at your grades and talk about the subject you enjoyed and the career you have in mind.”

TES  shared multi-media journalism undergraduate, Emily Reason’s clearing experience.

“After almost having a breakdown, I noticed that Bournemouth University were advertising opportunities to get in through clearing. I rang the clearing helpline and was put through to a woman who was very helpful.” Emily added. “I went from crying my eyes out to screaming with joy, all because of clearing.”

Mark Ridolfo, Associate Dean of student experience at Bournemouth University, added comment to an article in The Guardian about balancing time. “Students have to balance work time, study time, social time and time for eating and sleeping; which is difficult.” He added, “Sometimes they [university students] sacrifice the sleeping and eating, and sometimes they sacrifice their studies”.

Matt Usher, student recruitment officer at BU, explained student funding in The Guardian during the clearing period; “The most important thing to say is that there’s lots of support available and students don’t have to pay anything up front”.

“Regardless of how much you’ve borrowed, your repayment is based on your graduate income. You’ll be charged 9% of all income over £21,000 – so if you get a £25k job, you’ll expect to be repaying around £30 a month”

Patricia Obawole, a law student at Bournemouth University and David Stock, manager of Bournemouth University’s Student Union advice service featured in both The Independent and the i Paper, adding comment about the essential skill of budgeting and finance. “We do all get a bit excited when the first loan instalment is in your bank account”, she added.

“For the typical 18-year-old fresher, it’s the largest amount of money they’ve ever had, and they’ve never had to think about setting a budget,” Stock tells the papers. The report claimed that he has encountered the odd student who’s blown several hundred pounds at a casino in their first night and students in £25,000 debt. “Even then there are some things we can do at that stage. It’s never too late to get help”.

Anastasia Stankovsky also featured in The Independent explaining her adjustment experience after adjusting her course to a BA (Hons) in Television Production at Bournemouth University.

“My predicted grades were not good, I really wanted to go to Bournemouth University because it is one of the best in the country for TV production, and was so upset when I found out my grades weren’t going to be good enough”, Stankovsky explained. “Opening the results was a strange feeling, because I had got such good grades, but I was going to a university I really didn’t want to go to. But on my results it actually said I was eligible for adjustment and then I was so excited.”

“I checked my points and called Bournemouth University and said my grades were higher than predicted. They checked my UCAS profile and then I had a ten minute interview on the phone with the TV production department. It was nerve-racking, but it was really much easier for me than for people who had actually had to go and attend interviews. It was all over surprisingly quickly. I thought I was going to be living at home and going to Middlesex University, but within a few days of getting my results I was on my dream course and getting ready to move to Bournemouth”.

Many thanks to everyone who featured in the papers and on the radio during clearing week.

By Dean Eastmond

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

Dr Mark Readman on part time and distance learning in The i newspaper

By Dean Eastmond

Senior lecturer in media education, Dr Mark Readman, highlighted to The i newspaper how accessible part time and distance learning postgraduate courses are becoming in today’s world for people in work.

“It’s harder and harder for people to take a year or two out of a career in order to study fill time”, he told the newspaper. “Therefore we launched a suite of postgraduate part-time distance learning courses to cater for this market”

Readman then goes onto explain how distance learning courses are not just face-to-computer courses and that long distance students at Bournemouth University receive a lot of face-to-face interaction with staff.

Whether this is on Skype, email, phone or in person, these postgraduate courses are far more interactive and personal than what people may think.

“Whether they’re studying for career reasons or personal development, distance learning lets them fit study into their often already busy lives”.

The report explains how at Bournemouth University MA courses such as creative and media education and screenwriting begin with residential trips to create and fortify bonds and interaction with students and teachers.

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

BU Postgraduate student shares her experience with The i newspaper

By Dean Eastmond

Bournemouth University featured in The i newspaper, with student Francesca Savy talking about her experience on the MSc Business Management course.

Francesca, from the Seychelles, said she enjoys the diversity of her course.

“My options in future are wide open. I could go into marketing”, she explained. “I could go into finance – this course could take me in a number of different directions in any country”.

Francesca told The i that there is only one UK student on her course, adding:

“I was keen to take an international business programme, because I wanted to look into different areas of business”

She continued by telling the newspaper that her postgraduate study at Bournemouth University is based on the high reputation the university has and how there are many accessible opportunities for international students in Bournemouth.

“The Student Union, as well as the teaching faculty, is there to support you and look after you. They take time to know your name. Little things like that really help you feel comfortable.”

Francesca is currently working on her dissertation and is due to graduate in November of this year and cannot wait to enter the world of business.

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

Master’s Law courses at BU in The i newspaper

Master’s Law courses offered by Bournemouth University were featured in an article in The i about career options opened up by doing postgraduate training in law.

The article, by Russ Thorne, argues that postgraduate training in law can provide students with many different opportunities.

While some students may pursue the Master’s to move into a legal career having done a different undergraduate degree, BU’s Sally Weston says that existing lawyers can also benefit.

Sally, who is head of the Law department, said that a Master of laws (LLM) course provides in-depth training.

“The LLM curriculum is designed to develop critical evaluation and analysis,” she says in the article, which appeared in a postgraduate study supplement.

She continues: “LLM students interpret the meaning of words and abstract concept skills which are useful for law and other careers that require analysis of complex qualitative data.”

You can read the full article here

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