As part of #StudyHappyWeek, we asked our Student Advisors Lauren and Charlotte to introduce themselves and share their experiences of blended learning so far here at Edge Hill. Here’s what they had to say…
Hi, I’m Lauren. I’m currently doing an MA in English after having done my undergraduate degree here too, so I’ve been an Edge Hill student for five years.
I’m also a Student Advisor so it’s my job to provide peer-to-peer support and help other students develop their academic skills. I write posts for the Learning Services blog which is full of useful advice and updates (and which, coincidentally, I ended up on the banner image of!). I also help with the UniSkills webinars; online seminars that provide guidance for all things academic.
There’re sessions for everything from referencing to academic resilience, so they’re a great place to develop the skills you’ll need throughout your time as a student. Student Advisors are available all year to help make university life more manageable and fun.
I’m really enjoying the move to online learning, it’s nice to be able to work through study materials at my own pace and direct myself more. If I’m reading through presentation slides and there’s something that really interests me or something I don’t fully understand, I can go and research and come back to the presentation when I’m ready. It gives me a lot more control and responsibility over my studies. My tutors have also been amazing with providing support over e-mail and through online meetings, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. There were a few teething problems at first with getting used to new technology but now that everything is settled, I’m happy with my new study arrangements.
I prefer to do most of my studying at home and with online learning I’ve been spending even more time here, so I made myself a little study nook to work in. It’s got everything I need to stay comfy and relaxed so I can be as productive as possible: scented candle, fluffy blanket, a bit of nerdy decoration and a cuddly Pokémon to keep me company!
Hi! I am Charlotte, one of your Student Advisors working with the Library and Learning Services Team. I am a third year History with Politics student!
As a Student Advisor, I am here to provide support for issues with a range of academic skills, such as how to use the Library Catalogue and how to work TurnitIn and any other questions you may have! At the minute this support is provided virtually through varying different means including Webinars! The Webinars are a really big part of Uniskills this year, I help with these by being a chat buddy to help with any questions you may have! I will also be co-delivering a Webinar which will help you to move forward with your academic skills! The ‘Moving Forward’ webinar will specialise in referencing and proofreading, which will help you to ace your assignments!
Myself and my colleagues in the Library and Learning Services are here to help you! Use the UniSkills webpage to see all the services we offer! Make sure to sign up to webinars and we can’t wait to see you soon!
I love blended learning! At first, I really struggled to adapt from working from home, with a new puppy and so many distractions it was a really big step away from what I was used to. I was quite overwhelmed over having to go through lectures myself however, I find it so much easier! It allows me to go through these lectures in my own time, which helps for topics I find more difficult.
I usually commuted to University, so only being in one day a week makes so much more time to do more research for my modules and start to plan my assignments! Using weekly planners has really helped me to adapt to blended learning, as I provide myself a plan of what to do throughout the week and what goals I want to achieve! This has provided me some stability to ensure I am working throughout the day without getting distracted and also allows me to plan some ‘downtime’, whether this is walking my dog or catching up on Bake Off, which really helps to keep me motivated because I know when I get my next break!
My biggest struggle with blended learning was finding a space to do my studying, I tried to work from bed, but this left me unmotivated, but I moved away from my bed and onto a desk and it has improved my motivation to work! One of the best pieces of advice I could give for blended learning, is separate your sleep space from your workspace, getting out of bed and to a desk or table will make it a lot easier to concentrate on the task at hand! Adding my own personality to the space, with photos and decorations, makes me enjoy getting up and getting to my desk and I would advise everyone to do the same to make it more homely!
Keep an eye out later in the week for Lauren and Charlotte’s top tips for staying on top of your studies. Plus – don’t forget to enter our Study Happy Week Competition!
#MyEHUStudyHappySpace Prize Draw Terms & Conditions
- The prize draw is open to all EHU students and staff (except Learning Services staff).
- The winner will be picked at random from a prize draw at 12pm on Monday 9th November 2020.
- The prizes are non-transferable.
- The winner will be contacted through their Twitter or Instagram account and asked to confirm their EHU student/staff number.
- The prize will be emailed to the Edge Hill student/staff email address corresponding with the student/staff number given.
- If the winner cannot be contacted or does not respond before 23rd November 2020, the entry will become null and void and a re-draw will take place.