April 2016 – Undergraduate Blog

Life in Sheffield

By Saad Khawaja

Flying away thousands of miles from my home country to study abroad seemed pretty nerve wrecking, but Sheffield as a city not only helped me overcome all my fears and distress, but it grew to be my home. Sheffield is considered as one of the most friendliest, safest and cheapest City’s in England. Living costs are 10% lower than the UK national average! To back it up by facts, Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2015 resulted in it being first for social life and community atmosphere!

The greenery throughout the City is breathtaking! Sheffield is known to be the greenest city in the UK, from the City Centre that has the Winter Garden, being the largest temperate Glass house in Europe all the way up to Peak District National park. Peak District is a stunning country side, with many magnificent sceneries all over the National Park. The best part, its only 10 minutes away from the City!

If you like shopping, Sheffield city centre has plenty of stores, with diverse brands that fulfil all your shopping needs. However, if you have trouble finding any store, just take a tram to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, that’s not more than 10 minutes away from the City Centre. Meadowhall is one of the UK’s largest Malls, with around 300 stores, that surely satisfy all your shopping preferences.

In relation to living, there’s a wide range of student accommodations present around the University. After their first year, students usually tend to live around the Broomhill and Crooksmore area, that are within 10 minutes on average from the University. In addition to that, the rent is quite cheap, which as a student I find quite feasible. Being a hilly city, some houses up on the hills have gorgeous views of Sheffield. There’s nothing better than just relaxing next to your window and looking at the scenery after a long day. However, if someone is looking for apartments, there’s a wide range of them available in the City Centre, within 10-15 minutes from the University, at very affordable prices!

People looking for some good music are surely in the right city. Sheffield’s Tram Lines Festival is Sheffield’s own 3 day music festival, which is not only attended by thousands of people, but is really cheap compared to other huge music festivals! A variety of musical genres and being cheap are what students are normally looking for! Sheffield is quite famous for its student night-life as well. Some clubs and pubs have been present for decades, and are well known all over the UK!
It seemed pretty scary moving so far away from my home, but Sheffield as a City has surely been a blessing! Being low in cost, friendly, a student city with two universities, and relatively small but with all the amenities you need, Sheffield is an ideal city for students and I’m glad I chose it.

Why should you do a placement?

Joe Carter, BA Business Management, Placement Year at SAP

Focus of Final Year
Being in a working environment for a year gives you a lot of invaluable experience that will help you when you return for your final year. The working environment is very different to being at university; it is often fast paced and you are often under a lot of pressure, which means you have to be disciplined and be able to work independently. Students on placement often receive a huge amount of responsibility and are expected to make a real impact on the business that they work for, which teaches you to be focussed and organised.
Students note that this experience helps them massively when they return to university for their final year studies, and Placement students often achieve better grades.
As well as being more disciplined, placement students also note that they have much more commercial knowledge and understanding of what is happening in the ‘business world’, which means they have more references to call upon and use in their final year modules.

Putting theory into Practice
Having now done two years of studying a specific discipline, you now have the opportunity to really leverage the knowledge and skills that you have picked up at uni. Being equipped with this knowledge and understanding allows you to integrate into any business very quickly and make a real impact. Employers are looking for students that will add a new perspective or a different way of seeing things to an organisation, and when you are armed to the teeth with concepts and theories you have a real chance to do this. Also, once you have graduated, if you can demonstrate to a graduate employer that you not only have strong business/accounting knowledge, but you have experience of applying this in a real business context, it will help to make you a really distinctive candidate.

To ask Joe or any of the other Placement Ambassadors about doing a placement year, email mgt.plambassadors@sheffield.ac.uk . You can also drop-in to the Employability Hub to speak to the Employability team.

Becoming part of a society

By Claudia Sorescu

Societies are a key part of life at our Union, and it’s pretty amazing how there’s a society for everything, from tea appreciation to board games. But why spend your entire experience in your favourite society as a regular member, when you can take control of it yourself and set its existence into legend?
For most societies, you have to be a regular member for one year until you can join its leading committee, and then you can run in an election for a number of positions, like President, Secretary, or Treasurer. Obviously, they all have their responsibilities, but are immensely fun, and being genuinely responsible for a society (that’s probably already doing something you’re already really interested in!) is a great feeling.

Most of my committee work this year goes into one called One World. Though it’s not entirely your typical society, it works in a similar way, and our passion is all about the massive international community at our university. We open our events to all students who wish to come, rather than keep track of memberships like most societies, and let everyone celebrate different cultures and languages with us. We hold big celebrations for all the major cultures at the university, from Hannukah to the Chinese New Year, as well as other kinds of socialising and cultural events, or just silly stuff like treasure hunts, Easter Egg hunts and our infamous Global Food Crawl (yes, like pub crawling, but with food- your mum would be proud)

My official role within One World is Social Secretary, which is one of the core roles any society must have. A Social Sec has to make sure the committee members are happy, work well together, and attend team-building events (anything from proper training to nights out together or just grabbing a pizza in one of the Union’s restaurants).
Our weekly Café event is all about socialising and meeting people from other cultures-great way to make friends. Every once in a while a nat ional society takes over and we theme the event to showcase their country’s culture.

The coolest part about being in a committee though, in my opinion, is going from simply joining events to organizing them. I really enjoy event management – brainstorming ideas, seeing your plans come to reality as your team puts everything together, the whole atmosphere that’s special to a team with a goal in mind – and there’s nothing as rewarding as a successful event and a bunch of happy guests at the end of a day of hard work- and the whole experience is great for our CVs too!
I learn something new from around the world all the time – a custom, a proverb, small phrases or habits, anything goes – and that is something that really defined my time at university and made it special, so it makes me happy to get other students to experience that feeling through One World. You should give it a try!

Why should you do a placement?

By James Morris, BA Business Management, Teeofftimes.co.uk

GAINING INDEPENDENCE
You may have successfully moved away from home and settled into your new surroundings in Sheffield, but a placement asks for much more than living the university lifestyle. A typical placement will require you to move location again, and work Monday-Friday. Although this sounds daunting on paper, in reality the transition was relatively straight forward, as you quickly make friends with other placement students that are in an identical situation to yourself. Furthermore, as you’ll have a consistent income, you will always be able to afford a visit back to see how your friends are getting on back at uni!

THE APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process for placement roles is often a long, drawn out procedure that students dislike. However, having undertaken a placement year I cannot stress enough how important the experience of going through the application process is, especially when applying for graduate schemes in your final year!
The process usually begins with an online application, which requires you to attach your CV, as well as asking you to answer 3 or 4 questions about your skill set. Once you have passed this stage, it is likely that you will be asked to complete some form of online test (situational or numerical reasoning). If you pass this it is probable that you will then undertake a telephone/skype interview, before attending an assessment centre.
It is unlikely that many students will have experience of assessment centres, telephone interviews and online tests. So why not use your placement year applications as a trial run, to see what works and what doesn’t, before you apply for graduate/full time roles in your final year?

To ask James or any of the other Placement Ambassadors about doing a placement year, email mgt.plambassadors@sheffield.ac.uk . You can also drop-in to the Employability Hub to speak to the Employability team.

Joining a society

By Saad Khawaja

One of the best things on offer at The University of Sheffield is the most prized Student’s Union, which has been voted number 1 in the UK on numerous occasions. The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union is home to well over 300 societies and committees, so I hope that you’re able to find one (or a few!) that suit the way you want to spend your free time. Societies are groups of students who enjoy a common interest. Most Sheffield students are involved in societies or sports teams because they’re the best way to make friends, try new things (or carry on your passions) and guarantee a worthwhile expe rience. You can join societies or sports teams at any time throughout the year, so all you need to do is get in touch with the concerned authorities and get on board!
There is also a chance to start a new society if something which interests you is not on offer at the Students’ Union. The Students’ Union has excellent support and facilities to help students see their ideas come alive and be as successful as possible! There is also a chance to join a committee of your interest and get involved in actually running a society. Committee members are the core team of people who run a society or working/representative committee. You lead, you decide, you publicise, you stress (occasionally), you have fun (always), and of course you make Sheffield Students’ Union ‘number one’ in the UK! As a committee member you may also be able to get your role recognized in the extra-curricular section of your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). Such experiences give you a good chance to write something about in your CV, and also show to prospective employers when applying for graduate jobs and summer internships that you have actually managed a group of people and decided upon things whilst being part of an executive committee.
I have personally been involved as a Events Officer for Pakistan Society at The University of Sheffield. This experience was very worthwhile and taught me how to effectively deal with a group of people whilst maintaining consideration of the culture and beliefs of the society, catering to different interests that the society members may have. I was also involved with constantly updating the members of the society’s events via newsletters, ensuring that they stay interested in the society.

Such experiences with societies and sports teams provide you with a chance to not just work on real-life things, but also make new friends and meet new people from around the world in the process. I think societies and sports teams are definitely one of the most fun things I’ve been involved with since coming to Sheffield, and I would highly encourage you to do so as well if you do decide to come to Sheffield!

What will you study in your second year of BA Accounting and Financial Management?

By Robbie Bailey

The second year of the BA Accounting and Financial Management programme aims to build on core knowledge gained during year one whilst allowing students to tailor their degree by choosing two optional modules. After the fun and excitement of first year, I found starting second year quite daunting as I realised that my grades from this point onwards actually count towards my final degree classification so it was important to get off to a good start. However, it hasn’t meant that I have had to stop having fun and enjoying the student life completely!
There are four core modules and two optional modules in the second year of this programme, with all six being twenty credit modules. ‘Intermediate Financial Accounting’, ‘Intermediate Management Accounting’ and ‘Financial Management’ are all continuations of modules studied in the first year of the degree and are designed to build on this foundation knowledge. In Financial Accounting, you are introduced to a range of accounting standards and key areas of debate in real-world accountancy. Part of the assessment for this module is an essay discussing the arguments surrounding these issues. In Financial Management, you will be introduced to bond pricing and advanced investment appraisal amongst various topics. Personally, the Financial Management has been my favourite module I have studied since arriving in Sheffield and this has led me to pursue a career in finance after graduation. I have also been successful in getting a finance internship at Santander this summer and this module helped me a lot during the application process.
Second year students also study ‘Introduction to Corporate Governance and Asset Pricing’, a module designed to help students develop their finance knowledge further. This course covers topics such as risk/return pay offs and portfolio theory and is significantly important for anyone aiming to go into the finance field. I am currently in the process of studying this module and I am really enjoying it so far as it is quite mathematical and this is an area of strength for me personally.
Students have a choice of two optional modules, from a list of eight, covering a variety of topics from strategy to equity analysis. Personally, I chose ‘Quantitative Methods for Accounting and Finance’ and ‘Law for Management’. I enjoyed the analysis module in year one so I chose to study quantitative methods as it was a natural progression from that module. Topics covered include Multiple Regression Analysis and Probability. The management law module appealed to me as I wanted to study something slightly different and I also felt that the areas covered would give me important knowledge for my future career. I am studying the module currently and have so far been introduced to UK and European law making and will soon be studying areas such as Contract Law and Negligence.
I am really enjoying my second year so far and I am definitely starting to feel like I have a very good knowledge of a number of key areas in accounting and finance. Many students say that second year is the best year. I would agree with this as, although the work is hard and requires a lot of effort, it has made me appreciate my free time and my student life a lot more.

My placement experience at Nationwide Building Society

By Becky Altria, BA Accounting and Financial Management with Employment Experience

I am a final year student, with a confirmed place on Nationwide Building Society’s Graduate Programme. I can focus entirely on my studies, without worrying about securing a graduate position. All because I took a placement year.
If you are driven to succeed, keen to get in to work or unsure about what exactly you’d like to do in future – taking a placement year may be perfect for you.
I spent a year working in Nationwide’s Treasury. I worked on reports for regulatory and decision making. I was given a real job, with real tasks and responsibilities. It was tough at times, but ultimately an exciting and engaging experience – I’m not sure that I will ever learn so much in such a short period of time again. I made so many great friends and I was exposed to an array of opportunities. I also got involved in Nationwide’s citizenship agenda, including teaching maths to disadvantaged children. I loved the culture and had no doubts about returning there for a graduate position. This is one of the many fantastic benefits taking a placement year provides; I got to experience the job and the organisation I could be working for in future. This helped massively when making the life changing decision as to what graduate role to choose.
The university offer a huge amount of support for students looking to take a placement year. The Management School’s dedicated Employability Hub advertise opportunities to students, as well as providing skills workshops and interview & application support. You get a designated mentor, who has been on placement the previous year, just like myself, to support you through the whole process.
This support continues while you are on placement, students are provided with a placement tutor, who visits twice a year and supports you whenever you need it. Further to this, the Employability Hub are always there to support you.
Taking a placement year has not only helped me to secure a graduate position. I’ve developed an array of skills that I know will help me to hit the ground running when I start in my new role. The experience I’ve gained has made my university studies even more relevant. I am now able to apply my learning to real life scenarios that I have experienced, helping me to develop my understanding much faster. My placement year has taught me how to focus for long periods of time, a huge benefit to my final years studies. Finally, I am able to take up my graduate position at Nationwide, knowing I already have a fantastic network of friends and colleagues to support me.

My placement year at Arla Foods

By Lily Robinson, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

Last year, between my second and third years of study on the BA Business Management course, I decided to take a placement year. I began the application process during the autumn semester in second year. At this stage, I had an idea that I wanted to work in the marketing function, and I found Arla Foods advertisement for a Marketing Assistant on the lily 2 ratemyplacement.com website. The Management School has a dedicated careers service, the Employability Hub, who also advertise placements and they were a great help too.
I knew a placement was right for me as I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and try a new challenge. I was a little nervous about leaving Sheffield, moving to Leeds and being without my friends, but I knew I would meet new people and have an exciting experience. If you are unsure which area of business is for you, a placement is a great trial and error year. You can find out if you like your selected discipline and discover if you can see yourself working in that department in your future career.

After the recruitment process, which involved psychometric tests and an assessment centre day, I was offered a placement starting the following July. Arla were a fantastic company to work for, and I was given lots of responsibility (real tangible experience not just making tea and photocopying!). I worked on four brands during my time at Arla Foods, who are the UK’s largest dairy company and own brands such as Lurpak and Cravendale.
I ran events, liaised with marketing agencies, helped to create packaging and managed budgets. My proudest achievement was running a stand representing Arla across a whole weekend that had over 90,000 attendees! My family came to support me and my manager was on hand to see my work – the whole team were really supportive and pleased with my achievement. As well as work, I made loads of new friends in my colleagues. I had my own flat in Leeds and had loads of fun!
My career prospects have benefitted immensely from my placement year as I have tangible experience in marketing. Employers love to see a placement year and it means I have plenty of examples of transferable skills to speak about in graduate interviews. I won’t be as nervous leaving University as I know I can achieve high quality results when I work hard. I have also benefitted academically. Coming back to final year I am so much more focussed and really pushing myself. I am appreciating a weekday morning lie in much more now too!
As I mentioned, the Employability Hub are a great source of help. There are also the Placement Ambassadors, a team of students who were on placement last year. They are always on hand to give you advice on the application process and answer any questions you might have from a student perspective.

Life outside the classroom

By Anamil Kochar

When I first came to Sheffield, I was excited and wondered what Sheffield had in store for me. I had no idea what to expect. The number of activities one could get involved in at Sheffield astonished me, and right then, I knew I would make the most of my time in Sheffield.
There are more than 300 sports clubs and societies in Sheffield suiting diverse tastes. You can get involved in national or cultural societies, departmental and academic societies or any creative and special interest society like Bird Watching and Debating society.
If you are interested in fundraising, you can get involved in RAG (Raising and Giving) or Bummit. These societies hold a lot of fundraising events from bake sales and food crawls to high rush adrenaline events such as Bungee Jumping and Arts Tower to charity hitchhikes across UK (Baby Bummit) and one across Europe, that happens during Easter (Big Bummit). I have taken part in Bungee Jumping and the Big Bummit Charity Hitchhike to Romania and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Last year, RAG and Bummit managed to raise over £200,000 for charity!
Apart from this, Sheffield also has a number of volunteering societies if you are interested in regular volunteering. Sheffield University Conservation volunteers run conservation and ecological related events in Sheffield and the Peak District. Sheffield volunteering also offers volunteering in teaching centres, day care’s, hospitals, churches and almost any area you can think of.

If interested in Journalism and Media related societies, there is Forge. Forge is a student run group and offers services like Forge Radio, Forge TV and Forge Press. You can get involved in this, and be an editor for the local newspaper, a radio jockey, or a television host apart from being hosts for various sports matches, elections etc.
Being an international student, I wanted to travel around UK as much as possible, and the student’s Union City day trip idea was excellent. It allowed me to travel to Newcastle and various Christmas markets in between breaks from studies. Being cheap and affordable, it provides us the perfect way to experience different cities.
‘Give it a Go’ is another set of activities offered by the university. It is exactly what the name suggests and offers a unique opportunity to try new things, meet new people, or learn a different skill or sport. I have enjoyed taking part in archery and scuba diving. It is a good way to know where your heart lies and follow it.
University of Sheffield Enterprises offers various activities, and challenges for budding entrepreneurs such as the module making ideas happen, the university business challenge, skills building sessions and a skills of work certificate. By taking part in UBC, and making ideas happen, I have learnt the abc of entrepreneurship, brainstorming and thinking out of the box.
Taking part in all these activities does not impact studies and it is very easy to balance studies with extra-curricular activities if you manage your schedule well and maintain a calendar.
In Sheffield, you are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities, these are not only fun but also look great on your CV and help students stand out from the crowd in the real world. By participating and contributing in various activities and events, I have learnt a lot and made myself personally and professionally more presentable, which is very important for employment and to succeed in life in general. Improved interactions with the team, ideation, people skills and taking up responsibility are just some of the direct benefits I see.
Sheffield Graduate Award is recognized by employers because of its commitment to personal development. This award showcases one’s extra-curricular achievement by recognizing valuable skills and experience gained at the university outside of the degree. Participating in all these activities also helps you as a student move a step closer to the Sheffield Graduate Award.

BA Business Management final year studies

By Lily Robinson

After returning from my placement year last year, I am now in my final year of BA Business Management. This year I had only one core module, meaning I had five other modules to choose from a very varied list. I really wanted to tailor my degree to involve lots of marketing modules, as that is my main interest. I have been able to do that this year, and it has been a great experience.

As with the other years, there is an option to take an unrestricted module to the value of twenty credits, if you want to pursue interests outside of the Management School.
The core module I mentioned is Corporate Social Responsibility. Coming back from placement, I have realised this is a really important subject to study and is so relevant to all businesses. Due to the current climate, it is important that as managers of the future we have a clear view as to the ethical implications of our decision making.
The amount of varied modules has meant I can study all different aspects of marketing. In the first semester I studied Digital Marketing, Strategy Practice and CSR. In second semester I am currently studying Work Related Health and Well Being, Integrated Marketing Communications and Management Project. As you can see, I have managed to have at least one marketing based subject in each semester. There are many other modules such as International Business and Industrial Relations. No matter what function you are interested, there are modules that will suit you.
If you work particularly well in group work, or prefer exams to coursework, you will also find the assessment criteria for the modules are very varied and so this year is geared to help you achieve your best. Now you know what’s best for you and you are a more mature student, you can make a really informed decision as to your module selection.
One of my favourite modules so far has been Work Related Health and Well Being. After being on placement, I was really interested to learn about stress and wellness at work, and this module is very interactive. The lectures are really interactive, and it is great to study a module that you know you can apply wherever you work in your future career.