Hello, good evening, and welcome. Whatever time of day it is I’m sure that one of those statements fits perfect.

Introduction

So here I am and it’s the end of the Semester, or should I say Block 1? Ok it’s the end of the semester and the end of Block 1. It has really been a busy busy time. Work has been mega busy and I’ve been working really hard on my Masters. I have made a really good effort this time and stayed focused on what I wanted to do. Every Sunday my lecturer posts our new topic online to Pebble Pad, and like a true nerd, I’m logged in and eagerly reading the tasks before trawling through my selection of airpower books and starting to jot down some initial thoughts and feelings.

Pebble Pad

I like to try to make my first posting onto the Pebble Pad Blog by Tuesday at the latest, so I usually do this on a Monday evening after I’ve finished work. If you want a tip then stay focused and make sure you allocate at least an hour each day for reading and another hour for write-up and posting. One more tip, do your write-up in a word document and then cut and paste it into the Pebble Pad editor. Only one downside about Pebble Pad, I can’t use my Ipad to access it as “IT DOESN’T HAVE FLASH!!!!!” (sorry about the excessive use of exclamation marks)

Air Power Module

So a little more about this module I’ve been doing…… It’s Called Air Power and it’s about air power (obviously) so we have been looking at the definitions of it and the early uses and techniques, strategies, theories used in air power throughout mainly the twentieth century. I’ve had mixed pleasure with the weekly blogs as this time round the rest of the people haven’t been as active as last year’s group. But luckily for me there is one person on there who makes a good contribution and we are able to engage with each other’s posts and comments (so thank you). It really is about peer-to-peer engagement and I really value this as a learning tool. It’s really powerful to have this sort of interaction with the other students on your course as it’s good to see something from a different perspective and even have some of your ideas and thoughts challenged. Especially as this is a 100% online module. I really look forward to meeting the rest of the group on my future modules.

Putting It All Together

So here’s a little more about what I actually did…. The weekly blogs make up 25% of the total grade, I think it should be more, but hey. I made sure that I made regular contributions to this and tried to post at least three times. I only missed one week and that’s because I was a way and with my Ipad. The second component was a Source Analysis. I hate these, but in some ways I also love em. I think it’s because I prefer to write an essay and look at different sources and bring it all together. I guess the benefit of doing a source analysis is that it can be about my personal thoughts so I’m able to adopt a different writing style. Anyway, that was worth another 25%. Finally the last component was a 3000 word essay. I once again get to choose my question and once again I’m spoilt for choice. To cut a long story short, I finally got it done and submitted. I did well by writing a pretty comprehensive plan. I even stuck to it and gave myself plenty of time to start it and get it finished. I even managed to hit the word count exactly (allowing for my plus 10%) so, now all I have to do is wait for the final results I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a B overall. Let’s wait and see.

Thanks for reading and I will add a bit more personal info in the next instalment.

Bye for now

It’s a new year and it’s the start of the new semester. Welcome week has been and gone and wow! It has been a busy and exciting time. Not just because of the free stuff that the Students’ Union were giving out, or the variety of events that they put on, but for the sheer buzz and excitement of the new and returning students.

I think that we had around six thousand new starters this past week, and even thou I work in the Students’ Union, I was also one of those returning students. I managed to get myself enrolled onto evision and have now just got to select my modules. I know what I’m doing already cus I met with my module leader and discussed my options over the summer. The nerd in me is really excited about getting myself back into the library and ready to submerge myself under a pile of books for another year.

So, this will be my second and final year on my Masters course for Conflict Studies and then I will have the summer for my dissertation. If you want to see how I cope with the pressures of finding that balance between, Work. Social, Family, Leisure and Sleep, then keep reading. I will be delivering you a taste of all. I would very much like to make this an interactive blog, so I welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions.  Feel free to email me or come over and see me at the Students’ Union in MD building. 

For now I would like to welcome you to my blog, welcome to the university and welcome to my world.  Now I need to rest my weak legs and get some rest before my lectures start.

Bye for now.

Day one video

Day two video

Day three video

Day four video

Day five video

I’m a postgrad and I’m also working full time. That’s the case of many people isn’t it?  You gotta find a way to pay for your fees and the cost of living somehow. So the balance has been something of a task to get right. I find that as I have lectures only on the weekend it allows me to focus on my work Mon-Fri and ensure that I allocate the weekend to study. But there are pitfalls. Getting that social life balance right, keeping the family, friends and loved ones satisfied with the amount of time you give to them. Luckily for me a lot of my course is about self study and working online. So as long as I remember to log on to Pebble Pad daily, I hit my minimum requirements and meet all my assessment criteria and slowly make my way towards successfully completing my course. But of course the job takes up the bulk of my time.

Students' Union
As you know by now, I work in the Students’ Union. I’ve spent most of May working on different student issues, from attending NUS conferences like International Students Conference and NUS Black Students Conference.  These are amazing places where I can really influence positive change in the student movement. I get a chance to utilise the knowledge and skills that I have gained whilst studying in both my undergrad and current postgrad studies. So I’m proud to say that I’ve written a handful of policy motions ranging from combating cultural shock, increasing black representation in Higher Education, and improved funding for all students. It’s a win-win-win for students.

NUS Awards Dinner

We won!!! Time to celebrate

I really am honoured to be the President. Although I have no plans to run the country. But I’ve really had lots of opportunities to get involved in the wider workings of university and student life, whether that be in my role as a Governor, a Trustee of the Union, judging the winners of the upcoming Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Awards, or simply arranging an end of year party for all you lovely students. And the best thing is, I get another year to do it all again. Perfect.

SU Council together one last time!

The summer months
The course has been absolutely amazing. I have some really intelligent and compassionate lecturers who are all experts in their field. There really is no limit to their knowledge. (No I’m not sucking up to boost my grades.) So after many months of lectures and assignments and endless reading lists, I’m finally at the point where I have a big task ahead of me for the summer. It’s time to start the research side in preparation for my dissertation, just a few thousand words to write up.  It’s awfully quiet around here now that teaching has officially ended and exams are over. What’s that sound I hear? Oh it’s the library calling me!

The library calls me

So I’m spending most of the next few months preparing for the new academic year and Welcome Week which starts this September. If you really want to know what’s happening, check out our website www.wolvesunion.org or follow the usual social network sites on facebook and twitter.

I really must thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope it’s given you a little insight into the life of a postgrad student and has given you a chance to experience what is actually involved in it all.  You’ve also had the chance to learn a little bit about me and my personal and working life. Thank you to those of you who have contacted me personally and are now following me on twitter and facebook. I really hope that this has been entertaining for you.

Even though this blog is now drawing to a close, please feel free to ask me anything you want about student life at the university.

Take care and good luck in your future.

Thank you and goodbye

Wow, I finally surfaced after a packed month of this that and the other. 

THIS: Working on my assignments and exploring the world of Mass Media Propaganda, utilising Pebble Pad to the fullest.

Pebblepad

THAT: My work in the Students’ Union, every day different, new and exciting.
THE OTHER: Lots of fun, play and other exciting activities.  Read on for more details.

THE COURSE:

The course is going really well. I’m able to find just the right balance between work and study. It’s definitely about staying focused and strict to your schedule. My tip is allocate a set day over the weekend dedicated solely for study, reduce your T.V. intake (as in I don’t watch any soaps, so I save my sanity and I save around four hours a week.) The time you save not watching T.V. you can use this for valuable reading time. So I’m looking forward to my next assignment and will have an enjoyable (seriously) time doing my research for my final project.

Work, work, work!

The JOB:

The job is also going fine. It’s been a busy month. So busy I’ve not had a chance to stop and blog. My time as the president has been full of lots of exciting and different things. I will definitely miss this when my term is over.  The good news is (to cut a long story short) I’ve just re run in the elections and I won by a comfortable amount. So I’ve got another year to really cement things in.  This is perfect cus now I can really concentrate on the new Walsall Union project and get on with an International Audit for the NUS.

N.U.S. National Conference has also just passed by and again this was a very enjoyable time that I shared with others from the Union and University, Colin, Naveed and Claire. There was supposed to be six of us but that’s another story. Myself and two others (or me and two of the others- yeah that’s how I’d speak it) got up on stage and spoke out on some student policy motions.  I was very happy that Liam Burns was successfully elected as the new NUS President. I won’t bore you with all the results but everyone I voted for got in. I’m expecting a positive year ahead.

Electons Team

Conferences, conferences, conferences!!! It’s conference season so pretty much most of my weeks are filled with conferences. You can get your ‘learn on’, catch up with other union officers, do the networking thing and really get the latest info on what’s happening nationally. Plus at certain ones you get a stack load of freebies. I’m really looking forward to NUS Black Students’ Conference and NUS International Students’ Conference. I’ve been working on some new policy motions to go to both NUS Campaigns and they will bring positive change for all students. Good Times.

University of Wolverhampton attending the NUS National Confrence

Dissertation period for most students now so the Activities Centre is always buzzing with activities. 

SU Activity Centre

THE PLAY:

The Kenny does sometimes get the play.  After Ken Harris is finished with talking about himself in the third person, I like to do my usual workout in the gym and get my sweat on. Not had much time for it lately, but I’ve been trying to get to know my motorbike a bit better. Save money and learn a few useful things at the same time. Brought myself some new brake pads, well not for me but for the bike. Also had to buy a new fuel hose cus it turns out the one on there is the wrong type.  I am now the mechanic of my own motorcycle, job done. Well I’ve still gotta do the brake pads, but I did the first part. 

Bike work

I’m still sifting through my leisure activities but I have to say that cooking, is still up there in my top four. Why a top four and not a top three? I hear you ask. Well I’ll give you the full run down in the next blog, but for now I will leave you with the thought of.........

My new bike!

UAE (Norwich) Student Union

Stourbridge College

February has blown over and we have now entered into March. It’s getting nearer and nearer to the end of another semester. Time goes so fast. I’m glad that I don’t watch TV, I’d never be able to keep up with the soaps, work and study. Talking of which, my studies have unfortunately been taking a bit of a back seat recently. Been so busy at work, and my family life has been a little neglected to. Somehow you have to try to get the balance right, I sometimes get it right, but then other times I finish work, get home and then cook dinner and I just can’t be bothered. I haven’t been to the gym in two weeks! Shocking I know. But hey, not to worry. My motto is “it’s never all that bad; you can always find a positive in any negative”. On a positive note, I managed to get myself a motorbike like I’ve been saying. Excellent, I can now start saving money on my commute to work. I need to get used to the chilled weather again though!

VISITS & TOURS

I spent most of last month on different tours and visits to other students’ unions and colleges. I enjoyed a visit to UEA Students’ Union and coupled this with a touch of mentoring at a local event co-organised by an organisation called Reach and a group called Future Projects. They mentor and inspire your people to achieve more and break out of the restraints of their stereotyped roles. (I think I summed that up well in that little sentence) I think I’d definitely like to get more involved in this area of work, but I’d like to utilise my knowledge and experience in deafness and put my British Sign Language to use. So in the essence of all this, I’ve been over to Stourbridge College (they are partnership linked with this university) to check out their Student Council. I will be mentoring their president and helping to shape their council so it works better for the future.

WORK IT OUT

Things are looking up, I’ve booked a couple of days off work and right now I’m sat at home with a pile of books around me, internet logged on to Pebble Pad and I’m spending the next five hours  to do my uni work. Sometimes this is what it takes to get it done. So I really need to get off here and get stuck into it.

Hi and welcome back once again, we really should stop meeting like this. So here I am writing away and about to give you my latest update. I’ve been working on a little secret just for you, my favourite reader! I can’t tell you what it is just yet, but I promise that you will be impressed when I finally unveil it. For now though what I can say is that after a weekend full of lectures I haven’t really been able to get much study done. I contacted my lecturer about my assignments for this week, I have a reading task to complete so I need to jump on it asap. But the reality is I’m not gonna be able to get this done until the end of the week, due to work commitments. It’s been a busy week back after having two weeks off.

I spent most of Tuesday catching up with everything, emails, meetings etc. Had a chance to catch up with the rest of the team briefly, before we had to go to Student Affairs Committee. I realised in this meeting that as a team we are really working well together and achieving some positive results. So yeah I don’t mind singing our praises, there’s plenty more to come. So after the meeting I had another meeting with some students. We are trying to get a mini campaign together to help ensure we get as many students registered to vote as possible, before the local elections in May. We should be able to get some funding from Wolverhampton City Council, which is pretty good, It’s a good cause and equally important that the message is put out. Wow! That’s only half my day, I’m in need of coffee!!



Second Part of the Day
Ahhhhh, the coffee has gone down well. (wipes mouth). No time for lunch, again! I need to get more work done, I have to write an order for some signage I’m having designed for the S.U. I’m a stickler for detail, I need to get this order and quote re-done because it turns out we are being charged for some signage that should be charged to the University. It might only be £40, but I wouldn’t be a responsible Trustee if I didn’t scrutinise every single order that comes across my desk. SO I’ve sent it back for a re-quote. Tick tock tick tock, time flies by and its now gone 5pm, mostly everyone else has left but I’m still at my desk. I have an important meeting that I’ve set up in order to look at working better with International Students, I need to get the PowerPoint done, images sourced and info collated and presentable, then practiced before 12pm tomorrow. Go super Ken you can do it. 7:45pm I’m ready to leave. I have the bulk of it done and I will add the animations to it in bed before getting some Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.

Presentations and shortlistings
I’m so grateful for flexi-time. Today I’ve had an extra hour in bed. I really needed it! Traffic doesn’t seen as bad leaving a bit later, I’m in for ten o’clock and head straight down stairs in the SU and get stuck straight into the short listing for the position of Deputy CEO. Something about being busy, I love it! It’s been a while since I’ve had to short list applications for job, it’s satisfying, but at the same time it reminds me why when I used to manage a sales team I would use an employment agency, it takes away all the pressure of time constraints. In between this I managed to get my important meeting done and my presentation went down well. Another successful day, but of course it’s not over yet. I can’t really give you the full story just yet, because that will spoil the special surprise I have install for you. So for now I will leave you with this closing thought, “If a tree fell down in the middle of the wood, and there was no one round for miles and miles, would anyone care?” I look forward to seeing you again soon! Maybe I can get some reading done?

Welcome back, though it seems like I’ve not left. Stuck here in cyberspace on the world wide inter-blog. So for those of you still interested, and still enjoying a vision of my minds thoughts, this blog entry continues on from the last one where I promised a few revelations. My claim to fame perhaps?  Hmmm maybe save that for the next paragraph. I was car hunting, oh the joys! I love my focus, but what with these petrol prices, it’s getting expensive filling the tank, £70 it’s costing me now! I need a diesel or better still, I should go back to two wheels and get me a motorbike. That will ease my journey to and from work It’s been years since mine got stolen. I need a replacement. Nudge nudge, I’m happy to receive offers. Anyway I’ve decided to keep this entry strictly personal and the next one will be work related.  But it’s no fun if you don’t have a little moan about something, right?

My journey to work

Harrison Learning Centre

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I had to make a special journey into university, just to get a particular book needed for completion of my online assignment. 1:30pm it opened on a Saturday! Now I’m sorry but I know students are famed for being lazy layabouts, but the reality is the majority are not. We don’t even live a nine-2-five life. We want to be able to get at our resources when we want to! So it is within my power to address this issue. And guess what, I have! A couple of weeks ago I submitted a petition from the Students’ Union  asking for revised opening hours that are more in line with the needs of students. I’m talking about 10am opening on a Saturday and Sunday. It’s looking positive from the early response I have received. So in all fairness, myself and Dave Anson (Academic VP) hope to have a resolve in place by the start of the next academic year.  It was in my manifesto last year and I can boldly and confidently say that I aim to deliver on this and everything else. Including a new Students’ Union building on Walsall Campus. 


Me and Dave Anson (Academic VP)

In need of a date?

Well after that little rant and declaration, I feel I need to revert back to my regular blog. So here I am, shazam! Where was I? Oh yeah I mentioned a little gem of information about me, well here it is. Not sure if you can find it on you tube, but your little blogger and SU President was once on a popular Saturday evening TV programme. Can you guess what it is chuck?  I was one of three contestants, had to answer three questions, and there was a surprise surprise at the end. No I’m not embarrassed, I had an awesome time, I got to meet “Our Graham” and the funniest Scouser on television, Cilla Black!