No images? Click here
University Updates
Welcome to your regular update
This week in University Updates...
The chance to hear from the Vice-Chancellor and President of the Students’ Guild, find out how to become your own life coach with Mind Over Natter and there’s still a chance to join some of the sessions within the Future of Work and Global Hackathon.
Get regular tests to stop the spread of COVID-19
A reminder that all students living in their term time accommodation should get a rapid LFD test twice a week, every week, to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep everyone safe.
Booking is simple and the tests are free, schedule your slots and book in advance:
For students currently on placements, please continue to use the testing facilities available to you through your placement, and utilise the campus testing facilities when on campus.
Further information about our rapid twice weekly COVID-19 tests can be found on our dedicated student COVID-19 testing webpages.
If you receive a positive LFD test result, we ask you inform the University via the form here.
IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 THE TEST YOU NEED IS DIFFERENT
Remember, if you develop COVID-19 symptoms, such as a high temperature, new continuous cough or a loss of taste/smell, you must self-isolate and request a HALO PCR test through our Rapid Response Hub.
University talk and Q&A
Join our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, and Students’ Guild President, Sunday Blake, for a live talk and Q&A via Teams from 6 - 7pm on Tuesday 23 February. As well as discussing our COVID-19 response and providing a Guild update, Lisa, Sunday and other senior members of staff will talk about; teaching and learning, our current operations and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and wellbeing. The panel will then spend the remaining time answering as many questions as possible.
If you’re not able to join live, you will be able to watch the talk by clicking on the event link afterwards.
Exam results
January exam results will be released by email, to your University email account, this Thursday. They will be released throughout the day but if you do not receive an email by 4pm, please contact your Hub Info Point. If you are concerned about your results, please contact your Academic Tutor to discuss it with them. You can also contact Wellbeing Services or Students' Guild Advice Service if you need further support and guidance.
This week at Mind Over Natter: Learn to be your own life coach
Got half an hour spare this Wednesday lunchtime? Why not use it to learn how asking yourself simple questions can help you to feel better and achieve your goals. Interested? Sign up on Eventbrite for your free ticket to Alison Sydenham’s Mind Over Natter life coaching session. The live Teams talk starts at 12.45 and will end with a Q&A.
Supporting you
We understand that the current situation is challenging for everyone, so please be aware that we are still here to support you – wherever you are. The wellbeing webpages contain useful resources which you can access at any time from home. Here are a few:
- Silvercloud - offers secure, immediate access to online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes, tailored to your specific needs such as anxiety, stress and many other areas.
- Togetherall - provides safe, anonymous online support with trained healthcare professionals 24/7. You can share your experiences anonymously with your peers at any time of the day or night and find support from those experiencing similar difficulties.
- The Fika app is available to students to download. Fika is an app designed to improve your mental fitness and you can access from your app store and register with your University email.
- Workshops & Webinars - Wellbeing Services offer a number of webinars that you can attend from home via your laptop or PC. Webinars are interactive online workshops that allow you to participate and learn new ways to approach different areas of your life. Some previous webinars have focused on dealing with exam stress and improving sleep.
Want to know what help is best for you? Please check out this summary leaflet.
Alcohol awareness
We understand that drinking alcohol is something many people enjoy but too much - or too often - can harm your physical and mental health. If you want to know how healthy (or not) your drinking is, you can use Drinkaware's self-assessment tool. Please check out these tips for how to cut down and consume alcohol more safely:
- Set a goal; write down the maximum you want to drink (per day, per week)
- Measure drinks; be accurate at counting how much alcohol you’re consuming. You can calculate units here.
- Space your drinks; consume non-alcoholic beverages between drinks. These help to slow alcohol consumption.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach; it causes alcohol to pass directly into your bloodstream, meaning you’re more likely to become intoxicated and hangovers are often worse.
- Avoid drinking near bedtime; give your body time to process the alcohol you’ve drunk before you sleep – on average it takes an hour to process one unit.
If you need support with cutting down on drinking, please contact our wellbeing services.
Remember to book your study space
If you're using a study space, please remember to use the booking system here to reserve your space in advance. This allows you to book flexible time slots and to self-check-in and check-out. You can do this by scanning the QR code at the space when you arrive and leave on your phone or by following the link on your booking confirmation.
It’s really important to book in advance so that we can maintain a safe capacity in our study spaces on campus. Your booked space will be reserved for 30 minutes after the start time of your reservation, meaning that if you don’t check-in during this period, the space can be released for others to book.
Remember to use the available wipes to wipe down your work area before you start and also when you finish, for the benefit of the next person to use it. Always wear your face covering, unless you have an exemption and keep two metres apart from others. You can find out more and book here.
Would you like to improve your academic writing skills?
This week, Study Zone is hosting a critical writing workshop designed to help all students understand the need for criticality and demonstrate it in their writing. In addition to this, you can find resources to support you in all areas of your writing on Study Zone Digital.
Online Module Fair Coming Soon
Are you interested in taking a module outside of your chosen degree? Many undergraduate students have the opportunity to take up to 30 credits, each year, outside their discipline. If this interests you, the Online Module Fair will launch in March with all of the available modules and information on how to select them as part of your degree. Take a look at the Online Module Fair to see the latest updates before the launch in March.
Disabled and Chronically Ill Staff and Student Network
The Disabled and Chronically Ill Staff and Student Network exists to provide support and representation to staff and students who identify as disabled or chronically ill. They meet monthly on Microsoft Teams to share updates, experiences and to provide advocacy and representation to senior management. For the Spring term, the meetings will be the last Wednesday of the month at noon. This means the next meetings for Spring 2021 will be:
• Wednesday 24 February
• Wednesday 31 March
For accessibility information and the meeting links, please email disabilitynetwork@exeter.ac.uk. All are welcome to attend, including allies, and it will be an open discussion. Please also email if you would like to join the network mailing list or the Teams chat group.
COVID-19: Where are we now? Variants, vaccines and the future webinar
Dr Bharat Pankhania, Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Exeter returns to address the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and provides an update and review on how to keep well and safe.
Join us for our third Coronavirus Pandemic update session, where we will discuss vaccines, variants, and the future. The future is very important as unless we change and seriously consider preventative measures, we can expect continued problems with emerging viruses. You can find more details and register for the event here.
Virtual Accommodation Fair
From today until Sunday 21 February, your Students' Guild virtual accommodation fair will be live. The fair is your chance to see all the types of housing on offer for next year. If you don't know who you're living with yet, why not go along to their flatmate finder event tomorrow at 4pm.
Students' Guild Election Nominations
Have you thought about standing for one of our College Officer or Subject Chair roles? They are the perfect opportunity to gain valuable leadership skills while improving your course mates' student experience. Find out more about the positions here.
Press Pause Launch
Press Pause is GO. The Athletic Union has launched its Press Pause campaign which is focused on encouraging you to take the time to “press pause”, enjoy the moment and try to make the most of the current circumstances. The aim is to collectively run or walk 2,021 miles to help provide mental wellbeing and physical health benefits throughout lockdown. There are other activities to get involved in, including cooking up a different Exeter-themed food each week. The three great causes being supported are Devon Rape Crisis, Mind Devon, and Exeter Food Bank. You can find more information on the student sport Instagram.
Sign Up for Challenges Online
Challenges Online returns this year between 7-11 June 2021. This is a brilliant opportunity to engage with a topic that you are passionate about while gaining digital team-working experience, an increasingly important employability skill.
Across Challenges week, you will collaborate in interdisciplinary groups to tackle real-world challenges, guided by postgraduate facilitators and academics at the forefront of their fields.
This year, we are excited to offer the following Challenges:
· Climate and Environment Emergency
Sign up now via the Challenges Online website. Available to all undergraduate students.
Sustainability Week
Shifting towards more sustainable ways of thinking and acting is easier than you think, and we’ve got a host of events to help you do so. Sustainability Week will feature a series of events set to enable you to realise your personal impacts, inspire you to want to adopt sustainable changes in your life, and empower you with the knowledge & skills you need.
Centre for Social Mobility research project
Are you a first-generation university student, or do you identify as someone from a low-income household, or working-class background? Are you keen to share your ideas about creating a more equal and inclusive education experience? Do you also want to discuss how students can be helped during the COVID-19 pandemic?
If so, then please join this research workgroup. As a participant, you will receive an £80 Amazon voucher for your participation in the four sessions. The activity will be online via Zoom. You can find out more about this project here.
Digital and Coding Week
Join us for the Digital and Coding Week to find out more about the variety of roles available in the IT sector. Jobs in the IT sector are available to all graduates who have an interest in technology and who are prepared to up-skill themselves.
Throughout the week we will be running a range of sessions to help you decide whether this is a sector you wish to explore further. Sessions include How to Design a Mobile App, a Q&A Panel, as well as some special episodes of the Career Zone podcast. For more information visit our website.
Introducing the Future of Work and Global Hackathon
Running throughout the Spring Term and into the start of the Easter holiday, the Future of Work and Global Hackathon will provide you with the unique opportunity to engage in a range of interdisciplinary, global and experiential learning experiences. Hear from industry experts on how the world of work is changing, find out how to prepare for new and emerging digitised recruitment methods used by top employers, and understand how globalisation impacts the way you’ll be working in your future career. There is still a chance to join some of the bespoke virtual Exeter experiential learning programmes.
All of the following events will be held online:
Monday 15 February - Sunday 21 February, Students' Guild virtual accommodation fair.
Tuesday 16 February, 4pm, Move Smart Flatmate Finder.
Thursday 18 February, 9 - 10am, The Future of Work 'Industry Experts Forum'. You can find more details and register for the event here.
Tuesday 23 February, 6 - 7pm, University talk and Q&A for students in Exeter co-hosted by the Students' Guild. Please join this event here.
Thursday 25 February, 12:30 – 2pm, Where are we now? Variants, vaccines and the future webinar. You can find more details and register for the event here.
Friday 5 March, 7 – 8:55pm, we mark St Piran's Day by looking at the global, outward facing aspect of Cornish past and present in a Cornish World. For further details, please visit the Cornish World/Bys Kernow event webpage. To attend please register here.
Don't forget to also keep your eye out on events and activities run by your Students’ Guild.
Tell us what you think of this newsletter:
Get in touch with your feedback or news stories at: studentcomms@exeter.ac.uk
 |  |  |  |  |