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I AM HOME: Lillie Hall

When setting off for uni, many are finding themselves living away from home, and having to find their own way in a strange city. Here at BCU, we try and ensure that students are provided with enough help to adjust to this new city life and its surroundings, to make Birmingham a home from home.

Birmingham - 

The city of Birmingham is the second biggest city in England, after London, and is one of Britain’s most important cities after playing a major role in our industrial evolution, henceforth making Birmingham a hub of trading and life.  We have infamous tourist attractions, including our beloved shopping centre, the Bull Ring. Being based in the Midlands, Birmingham lies central to the UK, so attracts tourism from all around the nation. 

What does Birmingham have to offer?

Birmingham is a thriving hub for excited students like us, and like yourselves, looking for things to keep them busy and ways to spend their free time. At BCU, we want to make sure you know Birmingham's best destinations and what the city has to offer.

Night life - 

Clubs :

Pryzm

Rosies

Nightingales

Players

Snobs

Event Venues :

Lab 11

Amusment 13

Boxxed

The Mill

Spotlight

Daytime atractions - 

Cadbury world

The Bullring

Sea life centre

Cannon Hill Wildlife centre

Local parks

Museums

Birmingham art gallery (Though we must advise you that this is being closed for renovations, and will reopen in time for the Commonwealth games.

Concert venues and arenas - Genting, Arena Birmingham, o2, The Institute...

A variety of restaurants and cafes

The Library of Birmingham

Staying safe

When arriving in a new city, there are certain things you need to remember to stay safe and ensure that your new environment can feel as homely as possible, as quick as possible. Birmingham is, however, no exception to the classic trends of a large city and therefore we have included a few tips to ensure you stay safe whilst your travelling to classes and enjoying university life.

TOP TIPS

Be Aware - Some of you may be coming from small towns and villages, a very different way of life to life in the city, I myself was one of these people and one of the main ways of adjusting is to be aware of your surroundings. If you are on a night out, ensure to keep your belongings and drink in a safe place close you, NEVER leave a drink unattended, and try not to be left on your own.

Be sensible - Don't wander into areas of the city that you know are slightly less safe than others, ensure you know where you are and ideally are always with someone else.

Be Respectful - Whilst enjoying your university life to the full, do not let the city hustle and bustle get you too carried away, remember to not approach strangers, trespass, or make too much noise when exploring the city late at night!  

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I AM ADJUSTING: Sophie Hunt

Transitioning from college to university is a big step; though it expands your knowledge and makes you truly feel like an adult, it is also a big change emotionally and physically.  

The emotional aspect of adjusting to university life is different for every student. Feelings of stress, worry and anxiety are completely normal. Nerves are also a good sign, it means that you care about the influence you have on the university and what the university means to you.  

A big emotional worry that all students face is the worry of making new friends or feeling isolated. Making the first step in initiating a friendship can again be worrying and can make you feel like you are back in the first day of school. The difference is, that you come from a range of backgrounds and areas and will likely find something in common with everyone. At BCU I believe that “acceptance” is an important part of the university profile.  

To support this emotional journey Birmingham City University have many facilities to ease the transition. For example, the Ask desk. The Ask desk is run by current students at the university. This is a place where you can ask them anything about the university or locations of staff members and they will be able to help. For example, if you wanted the contact information or the location of onsite counsellor the Ask desk would be able to help you and either contact them on your behalf or give the necessary information for you to contact them in your own time. On a related note, the onsite counsellor may be a good person to speak to, should you feel overwhelmed during your university journey.

Similarly, the Student Union is also there to help you with any needs you may have, and they can be your representative for any changes or additions to the universities current facilities to help you during this transition.  

The final help facility that is available is the Library Support Team. The library is a great space to quietly work on your own or in a group. The library is open 24 hours and has 24 hour live chat with the librarians- even if they aren't currently in the library itself.  

Author to “I AM ADJUSTING” is Sophie Hunt. Aged, 18 and is currently studying Event, Venue and Experience Management at Birmingham City University.

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Hello , I went to the BCU welcome fair today but did not find a society that I wanted to take part in because they were not tailored to MY interests. I want to join a society that's more appealing to me. What do I do?

Hello Anon,

We’re also new students that attended the Welcome Fair today, and we understand that it can be overwhelming when actively trying to seek out a society that suits you and your needs. If you would like to take a second look at which societies are currently available at BCU, you can view this on the BCUSU website HERE: https://www.bcusu.com/get-involved/student-groups/We’ve had a similar issue, where because we’re on a brand-new course, there isn’t an academic society aimed towards Events Management. If this is the case with yourself, and you don’t see the kind of society that you have in mind, don’t be afraid to speak to your Student Union and create your own society instead! The requirement for creating a new society is to have a President, Secretary, and Treasurer as your first three members, then another seven people to round the group up to ten. (Ten members is the minimum, for a new society to get up and running!)We hope that this helps, good luck!--We Are BCU.

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It’s 17:52 and the BCU Welcome Fair has officially CLOSED. We’ve definitely bagged a few freebies and ate a little too much food! How did you find it? Did it raise any questions for you? Feel free to get in touch!

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I AM SAVING: Laura May Williamson

Adjusting to student life can be tricky, especially when it means that you may have to put budgets into place that you didn’t necessarily have to live by before. I’ve written up a quick guide on something that every student ought to know about: saving money.

Tip #1: Get online and register with NUS.

Being a part of your university’s student union has a range of benefits; from the freebies at the Welcome Fair, to the invaluable skills that you can obtain through joining a society of your choice, to the student discounts that will be on offer to you – when you know where to look. First up, is the National Union of Students (NUS) and the TOTUM card.

The TOTUM card unlocks over 200 UK discounts for students; this ranges from discounts on fashion and beauty items, to dinner and drinks! The NUS website lists popular discounts, such as 10% off your Co-op shop or ASOS order, or even up to 25% off Odeon cinema tickets so you can see the latest blockbusters without busting the bank. There’s a small price to pay in order to show off your official TOTUM card however, and it’s up to you whether you choose to pay this annually or in one brave, fell swoop. Here are the prices as of September 2018:

• 1 year – £12 • 2 years – £22 • 3 years - £32

If you want access to the discounts and benefits during your entire time at university, we would certainly recommend just buying the 3-year card outright.  it works out much cheaper in the long run, and with all the discounts on offer to you, the card will pay for itself eventually!

Tip #2: Shop savvy with UNiDAYS.

UNiDAYS is a gem of a website, and best for those of us that want all the discounts, but without the fees involved with owning a TOTUM card. Similar to NUS, UNiDAYS offers discounts of a wide variety; fashion, health and fitness, technology and food to name the least. Students register on UNiDAYS using only their university email address. Through this, the website validates that you are indeed a student at your chosen university, then prompts you to create an account in order to access the latest discounts, free of charge. Most of the discounts are online, though some retailers accept the offers in-store. Each individual offer has their own terms and conditions, so be sure to check before going shopping.

The best part about UNiDAYS is undeniably their “Limited Time Only” section, where retailers up the ante and gift students with even better offers than usual. For example, students can enjoy receiving 15% off any online product from retailer Converse. However, in August 2018 there was a limited time offer where Converse were offering students a whopping 25% off all products! Current offers include 20% off popular brands River Island and Superdry.

The LTOs change frequently, and brands dip in and out of providing student discounts on a regular basis. Luckily for us, UNiDAYS also have an app available, so that we can stay updated and grab all our deals on the go.

Tip #3: Get what you pay for with your university!

This short but sweet tip is probably one of the most useful; Microsoft Office software is FREE for most university students. Visit the MS Office website and register with your academic email in order to take advantage of this fabulous freebie – it will help immensely with your assignments too! If there are any BCU students reading this, you can find more information about our MS Office download on the university’s iCity page.

About the Author: Hi! I’m Laura May and I’m 23 years old. I’m currently studying Events, Venue and Experience Management at BCU’s Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences. Ideally I would like to explore all events types with an open mind before settling on a niche. I have ambitions to be self-employed within the Events industry, and manage my own company.

#bcu #events #business #wearebcu #iambcu #birmingham #student #studentlife #ukstudent #savings #deals #money #advice #NUS #UNiDAYS

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I AM NEW: Amelia Wood

When beginning your first year of university there are a whole range of different events and places which you can go to within the first week, designed to help slot you into university student life. This week is commonly known as ‘Freshers Week’. This is usually when the nightlife in Birmingham is at its peak and there are events which are taking place every night at different bars, clubs, and other local venues. The main designated party area within the city centre of Birmingham is Broad Street; where the main night life is and where the majority of the clubs are.

There are many different tips which fresher students will need to know before heading out into the city for the first time. First of all, when starting university it is very daunting and the feeling of not knowing anyone around you can be really scary. All you need to make sure of, is that you get yourself out there and start making friends as soon as possible: the more friends you make, the better your experience at university will be. Making friends is key because they will be your support guide throughout your journey in university and they will also be the people that you spend nights out with. We understand that if you are extremely shy then it will be hard to make yourself known to people- but just remember to breathe, and remind yourself that everybody is in the same boat that you are in, no one knows anybody else yet either!

When taking part in freshers activities you will need to make sure that you are being safe! This is essential when it is your first week because this newfound responsibility now falls entirely to you. You will need to make sure that you are safely getting home through your own actions and those of the people that you trust. The best way to get back to either your accommodation, or your home, would be to order an Uber; they are usually the cheapest form of transport late at night, all drivers are officially licensed, and will make you feel safe and secure during your journey back home.

Throughout the entire week of Freshers, there are a range of different hosts available for the events, most of whom will offer you wristbands for discounted drinks and access to these events. These are usually over the course of the full seven days, and they can get you into seven different clubs or bars for a set, student-discounted price. Freshers Fest is one of the fastest-selling wristbands which is active during this week and is popular with students because they are attracted to the events and the venues and therefore buy the wristband which gets them into all of the clubs on the days specified. Wrist bands can currently range in price from £12-£22. (2018 prices)

At BCU they host a Welcome Fair; organised by the BCU Student Union, a variety of different businesses drop into the university and set up stalls to promote their wristbands and events on offer. This encourages the students to look at all of the events that they know they would enjoy and like to go to, so they can buy a wristband there and then with no hassle. They also have stalls with advice on how to stay safe and emergency contact details of people who you can get in touch with, if you are feeling isolated or you feel like you are not safe. The staff at BCU are always there to support you with anything and they offer so many different support groups to suit your needs.

Getting to know your surroundings is such an important thing to do when coming into a big city like Birmingham if it is new to you. In order to get a flavour for Brum and its nightlife, you should make sure that you go out during Freshers week to get a feel for all of the clubs and bars which are scattered throughout Birmingham. This is a crucial part in making sure that you know which clubs you enjoy and also ones you don’t feel so comfortable in, and aren’t your cup of tea. By doing this in the first week it allows you to know where you belong and know that you don’t need to go to that club or bar again if it isn’t for you!

Just remember everyone at university is in the exact same position as you and will also be nervous, just know that YOU ARE NEW! Article ‘I AM NEW’ was written by Amelia Wood aged 18. The course that I am studying at BCU is Events, Venue and Experience Management. Once I have graduated I would like to work in huge events including Music, Sport and Weddings.

#BCU #WELCOMEWEEK #UNIVERSITYLIFE #FRESHERS #STAYSAFE #IAMNEW #WEAREBCU #IAMBCU