Introduction
Hi, I’m
Sabah. I am a 23-year-old postgraduate university student studying a Master of
Enterprise with a passion for innovation and creativity. My Masters has
expressed a whole other side of creativity and exhibited how creativity is not
simply limited to arts and crafts. This blog piece will present 10 different
ways on being creative especially considering current times and how you can
combat a lack of creativity in your everyday life.
My Top Tips for Being Creative:
Building a creative atmosphere:
Often
we find ourselves stuck in a space that limits our creativity, the slightest
changes could make the biggest difference. Such as arranging décor and colours
to match who you are and what you need, lighting candles or playing music that
inspires you in order to build the best possible atmosphere.
Put down your device:
A tricky thing
to do especially now but that feeling when you don’t have to be dependent on
your phone or laptop providing a source of creativity is freeing! Going on
walks, getting ideas down to paper and having a chat with those in your proximity
will get your creative juices flowing without you even realising.
Inspire yourself:
Whether that be
music, family/friends or even listening to a stimulating podcast, never feel
like there are ever any limits as to what can inspire you.
Limit and stand clear of
distractions:
This isn’t to say watching Netflix and scrolling through Tik Tok
to lift your mood slightly and distract yourself should be completely avoided,
as sometimes it’s necessary, however too much of anything can make you sick and
one must definitely put a limit on activities that don’t really benefit your
mind and development in any way.
Enjoy being bored:
Sometimes being
bored is a blessing as it allows you to experiment with various methods of
creativity, thus you can then understand what you’re good at and what you
enjoy.
Stay healthy, stay happy:
Know that
you, your health and mental health should always come first. This will not only
allow you to give time to yourself but will allow your mind and body to be
energised and developed so that it’s quick in thinking of new ideas.
Generate more ideas than you think
you need:
It is always important to have a lot of ideas so that, when in front
of you, you can work through them and see what works. This could also be a way
to combine two and formulate better, stronger ideas.
Look in unlikely places:
Don’t ever
underestimate anything, an idea, a person, a place. Sometimes the unlikeliest
of places may be carrying the hidden gem you needed to succeed.
Finish what you’ve started:
Another
way of saying never give up, but it is important to see things through and not
leave a task half done as it may not seem to be worth your time. You may be
surprised of the benefits and feeling so satisfaction it can bring to you once
done.
Love what you do!:
Whatever way you
decide to be more creative, the passion and love for that creativity will
always be your motivation, your reason for never giving up and inspiration to
not make creative tasks feel like work.
Going Further...
May this
blog piece bring the creativity to the minds of the readers and allow you to
challenge yourself every day and come up with the thousand different routes to
reach that one important destination.
If you want to find out more about Business at Manchester, please visit https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/ !
by YPU Admin on June 10, 2020,
. Tags:
AMBS, business, Economics, finance, HUM, Humanities, HUMS, international business, and student view
Introduction
Hi, my name is Shamaila and I am a
first-year student at the University of Manchester, currently studying
International Business, Finance and Economics (IBFE). I chose
this degree course after having studied A-level Economics and Business Studies
in college and fell in love with the subjects, so much so that I decided
to study it further at university. Luckily for me, I knew that I always wanted
to go to university but the hard part was deciding which one was the right one
for me. ![]()
Choosing a University
To anyone
that is considering university and being bombarded by information, I highly
recommend attending as many open days and fairs (even if they’re virtual) as
possible. I'm pretty sure I attended at least half a dozen open days before
choosing Manchester. When it comes to picking a university, whether they offer
a degree programme that you are interested in, is very important, but just
as important is whether you can envision yourself there. The environment, the
people, the culture of that campus has got to excite you and make you feel
welcomed. I remember quite vividly my open day for the University of Manchester
because I was running very, very late (if you know me in person, you’d know
that I hate being late) and so by the time I got onto campus, I was wandering
around aimlessly, but I remember thinking how stunning the campus was and I
felt genuinely comfortable. Normally, I would find it quite daunting being in a
new environment especially somewhere like a busy campus but seeing the AMBS
building, the Main Library and the SU building (where I spend 70% of my time
now), on my campus tour I could see myself here.
Why I Chose Business
I chose my degree course as I was
interested in the business sector, but I didn't have a dream job that I could
aspire towards. This led me to choose IBFE, as it enabled me to cover a range
of content. I was able to continue studying business and economics and gain a
whole new set of skills in finance. For a lot of people, including myself at
one point, if you studied a business- based degree, it was because you wanted
to start your own business. But I quickly realised that there is so much more
to the business sector. Often the words, finance, business and economics are
used interchangeably which is understandable as there is some crossover between
the three subjects, but they are also completely separate from each other. In
my economic modules, we assess ever-changing economic contexts and debate
different theories. In my finance modules, we produce and analyse financial
reports, with the mindset of maximising shareholder profits as accountants
whereas in business we aim to view the company with a more board stakeholder
outlook and study various topics, such as corporate social
responsibility.
Another feature of my degree programme
is that it offers an industrial placement year, which basically means I am able
to work in a company that I am interested in, during my 3rd year. This is
something that I am very excited about, as even though the content we have
learnt in class is important, I think being able to apply that knowledge and
see the mechanisms of the real world and how companies operate is more
important. Currently, I am aspiring to go into the accounting sector and work
my way up to becoming a chartered accountant. This is something that I had
never even considered before, with no previous background in accounting but I
realised through some of the modules I have taken this year, such as Financial
Reporting and Financial Decision Making, I really enjoy creating and analysing
business reports. As a result, I am currently applying for internships at firms
such as Deloitte, Grant Thornton, KPMG, and EY.
Going Further...
To anyone right now, that is struggling
to find a career that interests them, my advice would be to not panic. A lot of
people do degrees in subjects that they know they like and are good at, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to go into that field. Especially now
more than ever with the amount of information available on the internet it is
much easier to develop a wide range of skills that are suitable for a variety
of jobs rather than just focusing on one career pathway.
If you are interested
in anything that I have talked about, below are some links for further
information:
Introduction
My name is Joe Duquenoy-Taylor and I am a
second-year Politics and International Relations student at the University of
Manchester. I am originally from Brighton so moving to Manchester was both a
big move and a big change, but I chose it because I love the city and I loved
the course that was on offer here. Unlike many other universities, Manchester
offers Politics and International Relations as a singular degree. This means
that the course focuses on a wider range of political topics and issues and
looks at the effects of these all over the globe.
What Does Studying Politics Involve?
The first thing that I think is important to say is
that people should not be put off studying Politics. It can seem quite daunting
causing some people to think ‘it’s not for them.’ This blog should dispel the
myth that politics is all about parliament and Westminster. Politics impacts
our everyday lives in ways we may not even realise. Issues you may have seen in
the news or even discussed with friends or family, such as Black Lives Matter, the climate emergency or the MeToo movement are all political. Breaking
down the myth that politics is the business of old men in suits in London is
important. Politics affects everyone and therefore people from all walks of
life should be involved in the political process. If you have opinions on the
climate emergency, on woman’s rights, on the rights of minority groups, if you
take issue with rising poverty at home and overseas or the impact of war on
refugees, then you too are political.
We may not realise it but a lot of our
opinions about the world boil down to politics and it is this part of Politics,
not Westminster or the Whitehouse, that fascinates me and many others too. I
didn’t take Politics at A level because I had a preconception that studying Politics would be learning the ins and outs of parliament and learning about
partisan politics. However, when I started researching Politics degrees in my
second year of A-levels, I realised politics was so much more than that. I saw
that Politics degrees cover everything from nuclear weapons to chlorinated
chicken. The more I researched politics the more I began to realise that
everything, down to the food I had for dinner last night, is political. It was
this realisation, that made me choose Politics and International Relations. In
my degree so far, I have studied modules that focus on war and security, ‘third-world’
development, poverty and inequality, political philosophy and questions of
social justice. The topics and issues discussed and debated in politics are
infinite.
Politics Today
Just a year ago we thought we were in the most
uncertain times in generations following the election of Donald Trump in the US
and the Brexit vote in the UK – it seemed politics as we knew was changing.
However, the coronavirus outbreak means we are now living in more uncertain
times than ever. Living in a rapidly changing world where news is being
bombarded at you 24 hours a day can be very confusing and cutting through the
noise is important. Most of us nowadays, get our news through social media,
whether it be on Snapchat, Instagram or messaging apps like WhatsApp. Whilst it
is positive that we are all now able to access news in seconds, the spread of
fake news is becoming increasingly common.
In politics, much like in normal
life, we analyse and gather information from a variety of sources, ranging from
academic journals to Donald Trump’s tweets. What is important though, for everyone
when learning about currents affairs and political issues, is to make sure we
can trust our sources of information. For people who are new to learning about Politics and current affairs and want information in an accessible manner I
recommend ‘Simple Politics.’ They can be found on Facebook and on Instagram
‘@simplepolitics.’ They break down political jargon and explain things you may
have heard in the news. This is reliable and impartial information that will
help keep you informed about politics and allow you to develop your own
political opinions. On Snapchat you can subscribe to ‘Outside of Westminster’,
‘Pod Save America’ and ‘Good Luck America.’ These are three short snap podcasts
that give a summary of current British and American political affairs and both
are targeted at younger audiences. If you feel you already have a basic grasp
of current affairs and you want to learn more or start to look at political
issues in different countries, then I recommend googling the Guardian politics
articles where you will find in-depth articles on anything you have found
interesting in the news. The guardian
podcast ‘Today in Focus’ which is available to stream and download on Spotify
covers a whole range of issues, political and otherwise and is a great way of
keeping up to date with current affairs and hearing a range of opinions on a
range of topics.
Exposing yourself to views that might contradict your own is
necessary when studying Politics. If you don’t understand the other sides
opinion then how can you argue your case? If you feel you have an interest in some
of the big global issues discussed above then Politics and International
Relations may be an ideal degree path for you to explore these further and
starting by reading and listening to different reliable news sources now is a
great start on that path.
Going Further...
Introduction
Hi, my name is Rodaba and I am a final year student studying
Criminology at The University of Manchester. I decided to study Criminology because
the course includes aspects of all of my favourite subjects, Psychology,
Sociology and Law, two of which I studied at A-Level. I chose Manchester
because I really love the campus and how close it is to the city centre, as I
grew up in Greater Manchester I was already very familiar with the city and all
of the great aspects to it. I am also a Student Ambassador which is one of my
favourite aspects of being a student at the University.
What is it like studying Criminology?
Most of you may have heard of Criminology before, or may
even study this at college. For those who may not know what the degree entails,
it is basically the study of crime and how different processes could mean that someone
is more likely to commit a crime. You study aspects of Psychology, so the
chemical processes that may increase the likelihood of someone committing a
crime. Sociology, how society plays a role, and also the Law. Although this
may differ depending on the university, Criminology will involve a mix of the
three as well as some coding. As my degree is coming to an end, my favourite
part has definitely been the law aspect of it, I was able to pick all of my own
modules in final year and as a result of the law modules that I picked, I was really
able to gain insight into very current issues. Miscarriages of Justice was
definitely my favourite module, learning about how someone innocent could be
found guilty of a crime was very insightful, especially with the many guest
speakers sharing their experiences. With most humanity degrees, you have a lot
of time where you’re not at university so what I found has been really useful is
to get involved in different things. Whilst at university, I have been able to
get involved in different societies both Criminology and non-Criminology
related, as well as being a Student Ambassador. If there is anything that
interests you, whether it is sports, languages or culture, I would highly
recommend you doing so!
![]()
Career Prospects
A lot of questions that people ask is ‘what can you do with
a Criminology degree?’. The good thing with most careers is that it doesn’t
matter what the degree is, it’s about the skills you gain whilst completing it.
With Criminology, a popular career choice is working in probation, policing and
social work. For me personally, I am actually going to hopefully start my PGCE
this year and train to become a teacher. As you can see there are so many
options and possibilities with most degrees, and I can use the skills gained
during my Criminology degree to complete the PGCE and train to become a
teacher. So, if you’re still unsure as to what career you want in the future
it’s okay to not know, I definitely didn’t until last year. I also tutor part-time which is where my passion for teaching started.
Going Further...
For some more information on the different topics mentioned,
click on the links below:
Introduction
Hi. I’m
Eve. I’m 20, a third-year Law student at UoM, and I have a mental health
condition. There’s so much I wish I could tell my first-year self about
managing my condition around University, so I thought I’d share some tips with
you! Here’s how to manage your wellbeing at Uni.
Social
life
Don’t
worry about being ‘cool’
- I spent
lots of time in my first year of University trying to seem cool. I felt the pressure to socialise rather than spending some much-needed time alone, because
I didn’t want to miss out on anything or lose potential friends. As much as
socialising is great fun, don’t worry so much about constantly being around others especially if you’re an introvert
who likes time alone. Good friends will understand the need to balance
socialising and resting, and won’t make you feel bad about it, either!
Do what
you want to do
- A healthy
social life will look more active for some, and less active for others. It
might involve sports, or chess, or computer games – no two people are the same!
If you prefer watching a film to playing football, choose accordingly. There is
a society for everything at Uni, so take advantage of this opportunity to meet
like-minded people and make good friends. If you love classic films, go to film
society and skip football. And, don’t make apologies for it!
Try new
things
- If you’ve
never tried needlework before, or photography, or creative writing – but you’ve
always wanted to give it a go, now is the time! University is about dipping
your toe into the water of adult life; and making your own choices. Trying new
stuff is great fun, and you might develop a new interest you’d never have
experienced if you hadn’t tried.
Look
after yourself
- Eat a
balanced diet, exercise, and get enough sleep. Have a routine you follow each
day and make looking after yourself part of it. This will help promote a stable
mood, which is so important especially in Uni. You’ll enjoy social interactions
so much more when you feel good. Something I’ve learned is that skipping an
event to re-charge and rest will make the next event you do attend even more
enjoyable.
Give it
time
- Uni is a
huge transition. It is often the first time in your life you’ve lived away from
home, not seen your friends’ every-day, and this first taste of independence
can be very hard to swallow. It’s normal to feel awkward at first. Just
remember – everyone feels the same way, and this alien territory will be your
new normal before you know it.
Academics
Take it
slow
- Assessments
and deadlines can be very scary. Days at sixth form are much more structured
and controlled than at University, and sometimes independent learning can feel
so overwhelming and can trigger anxiety. You will get better as you progress on
your programme, and you don’t need to ace your degree in your first semester or
even your first year. Your academic performance isn’t a measure of character or
intelligence. You got onto your course for a reason – remind yourself of this
in moments of doubt.
Schedule
- In first
year, I worked excessively and I burnt myself out, which had a really negative
impact on my mental health. If you plan your deadlines, assignments and exam
dates onto a calendar and work for a specific amount of time a day over a
longer period, you’ll be doing more than enough. This will also leave plenty of
time for self-care.
Speak
to someone
- When I
first started my degree, I didn’t even consider informing the School of Law of
my mental health condition – that felt like asking for special treatment. It
was only in my second year that I reached out for support; informing the
Disability Advisory Support Service (DASS) of my diagnosis and difficulties. I
wish I’d done it sooner. UoM wants to support you. DASS offers confidential
advice, additional learning resources and can put measures in place to help you
perform to the best of your ability such as podcasts, deadline extensions, and
exam support. If I could go back, I would have been upfront about my condition
from the start. UoM don’t consider mental health conditions to be weaknesses,
and neither should you.
Most
importantly...
Be kind
to yourself!
- UoM
doesn’t consider diagnosis as a part of your identity. Mental illness is
something they work with you to manage to maintain a normal, happy life. So,
don’t be ashamed. Prioritise your mental wellbeing when applying to a
University in the same way you would other factors such as course modules,
accommodation costs, and campus facilities. Ask questions - do you have a
counselling service, a DASS department, what’s your view on mental health in
the student population? And, when you get to Uni, be open and honest and they
will support you. Remember - you deserve to enjoy and fully participate in
University just the same as any other student, and with patience and
self-awareness, you will lead a happy ‘student life’.
Below
are some resources that help me maintain good mental wellbeing during Uni:
- https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/my-possible-self/ - This app allows you to track
your mood, then collates the data and provides insight on any patterns in your
moods (helps identify triggers). Also lets you focus on different topics which
might be helpful to you, such as overload, low mood, etc.
- https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/student-health-app/- Student Health App. Includes
tips and resources for physical and mental health support, actions to take,
self-care tips, and resources for emergencies. Turn to this in a crisis or to
inform you about the link between lifestyle and mental wellbeing.
- https://moodspace.org/ - A great app designed to change
your thought patterns and improve your mood based on CBT strategies. Includes
small tasks to be done once a day to improve wellbeing.
- https://www.elefriends.org.uk/ - A lovely platform where you can
share stories and experiences and connect with others who have mental health
conditions. Helpful for when you’re feeling lonely.