Linsey Chaplin – Page 6 – Undergraduate Blog

Five of the best coffee shops in Sheffield

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Sheffield is full of coffee shops, they’re everywhere! One of the best things about this is that so many of them are independent and are a great way to visit new areas of the city. So why not swap that Starbucks for one of Sheffield’s very own? Here are a few of my personal favourites.

The Holt

This really is a great place, with a unique look, and super friendly staff. Located on Arundel Street just outside of the city centre, The Holt is a must visit. They roast all of their own coffee in-house and offer a great selection of food and cakes, some of which are usually vegan. Their Instagram handle is @holtsheffield.

Couch

Couch has two locations, one on Ecclesall Road, and another on Campo Lane in the centre of town. In both locations you’ll be greeted with a friendly atmosphere and lots of unique cake options! Couch on Campo Lane is much bigger, so you shouldn’t have to wait to long for a seat here, and its only about ten minutes’ walk from The Diamond. Both locations are great for an incredibly laid back atmosphere and fantastic coffee. Also, students get a discount on food and drink!

Upshot Espresso

Upshot Espresso also has two locations, one in trendy Kelham Island and the other on Glossop Road, which is conveniently on your walk into uni if you’re living in Endcliffe. Upshot is a relaxed café with a simple design – perfect after a long day at uni (or if, like me, you need a coffee stop to face a day of work in the library). Their Instagram can be found at @upshotsheffield.

Tamper Coffee

A super cool and relaxed place that offers some really interesting dishes. Tamper is a New Zealand-style café, which is apparent when you look at their menu. The ‘Kiwi Burger’ and ‘Kiwi Classic’ are incredible, and they also have a breakfast menu that is pretty hard to beat. They’re famous within Sheffield for their coffee, and have a long list of ways that you can try it which is sure to satisfy any coffee-lover. Tamper can be found either on Sellerswheel (pictured) or Westfield Terrace.

Steam Yard

Steam Yard can be found just off Division Street, which is one of the best student areas in Sheffield. Jumping

on the ‘cronut’ trend (a very Instagram-friendly cross between a croissant and a doughnut), Steam Yard’s are the best in Sheffield, along with their massive range of other cakes; my favourite is their cheesecake brownie (which is also gluten free) – delicious!

All of these places are great to relax with friends, or even to do work in when you need a change of scenery, so why not give them a go! Most of these places also offer student deals, and offers – always check their Instagram pages beforehand to get the best offers!

Things I wish I’d known as a first year

By Thomas Jarvis, BA Accounting and Financial Management with Employment Experience

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, something I feel no more so than now as I graduate and enter the big wide world. Though I have much to look forward to (after graduation I’m joining a job on the finance graduate scheme at E.ON), I leave behind four incredibly happy years at the Management School in Sheffield. However, there is always the question of whether I could have made even more of my time here, so here are my 3 top tips for an undergrad.

Join Societies

Societies are student-run groups in which members have a common interest, basically. Here at Sheffield we have over 300 societies to join from interests, faith, nationality, sports and academic. They are a wonderful way to meet people outside of your immediate course and flatmates; thus, widening your social circle. This has many great benefits, as well as an improved social life. Informally, older students may be able to give you good advice, hints, and tips. It may also be a good chance to do something you’ve not done before or cut down on your book costs by taking part in the Management Society’s book sale. Join as many societies as you want, as many only ask for a nominal joining fee, and most do not need large engagement or effort. Also, society bar crawls are great.

If the society doesn’t exist yet, why not approach the Students’ Union and they may well support you to create the society.

At my last Management School ball, run by the Management Society

Do a placement year

Earlier in the undergraduate blogs, Rebecca spoke about her placement year. I also did a placement year, where I undertook a work placement for the NHS in their Finance department. For more in depth about placements, see Rebecca’s earlier post. In my opinion, they are a fantastic way to boost your employability as you have the chance to network with potential future employers. You’ll also get a taste of work, have valuable experience in job applications before you start thinking about graduate jobs, get a good reference and last but by no means least, earn some money and be able to go on some cracking holidays. It also acts as a clever way to break up your studies, and I found myself coming back to final year with a renewed passion for my course, and a much-improved work ethic.

Engage with your course

This sounds simple but it’s easier said than done. It is extremely easy, starting as an ungraduated to think “I’ll enjoy myself now and work later”, by the time “later” comes around, it may in fact be too late. By keeping on top of reading, completing tutorials, and generally getting ahead with work, revision will be 100x easier. Instead of trying to learn the whole course in a matter of days (impossible, believe me, I’ve been there), revision will be a breeze as it’ll be literally just going over things you already know, and you’ll be banking a good mark – important for those placement years, grad jobs, and particularly if you’re on International Business Management and want to go abroad. Also, while you’re here, you might as well make the most of everything available to you while you can.

My favourite society – ManSoc

Hi! I’m Katie, and I’m a first year student on BA Business Management. Today I’d like to tell you all about my favourite society that I’ve joined since I started university, which is ManSoc.

What is ManSoc?

ManSoc stands for Management Society. The main purpose of the Management Society is to ensure you have the ultimate experience at the Management School. The society is run by students for the benefit of students, and is open to all Management School students regardless of year of study.

Socials

A big part of ManSoc are the socials. Being a member of ManSoc means you get discount cards for many local bars and places to eat, which is a very handy thing to have when you’re on a student budget. We hold many bar crawls along West Street, which is the best street for a student night in Sheffield. Even if you don’t drink, these socials are such a great way to meet people and socialise!

Another highlight is the end of year ball, which is always amazing. This is a great chance to celebrate the end of the year with all your new friends you’ve made. This year’s ball was ‘Casino Royale’ themed, which gave us all a chance to dress up and have some fun.

Trips

ManSoc is famous for its trips away, and in the past we have been to places like Berlin, Prague and Budapest. The trips are always very popular and are heavily subsidised, meaning it’s good for a student budget! This year the trip to Budapest was £259 for flights and accommodation and the payments are timed with when your student loan comes so it shouldn’t hurt your bank account too much.

They also organise trips within the UK, which are always loads of fun – last year ManSoc joined Invasion and visited Nottingham for a night, which has gone down in history as the social of the year!

Sports

As well as social events and trips away, ManSoc has its own football, hockey and netball teams. I’m part of the ManSoc netball team, and through this I’ve made a lot of good friends. These teams are all mixed with students from all years of study.

The teams all play within the intermural league, which is the league within the University where all the teams play different departments. It’s a really good opportunity to make more friends with Management School students and play competitively or just do some exercise. You can also put it on your CV, which is a bonus! Each sport has several teams of different abilities, so whether you play to a high ability or have never played before you are welcome to join.

So why join?

ManSoc helped me to get involved with university life by making lots of friends on my course and getting involved with sports teams. It also gives you the chance to make friends with people on the same course as you, but in a different year – which is especially good in first year, as they can give you great advice!

Finally, it’s a great extracurricular thing to get involved with alongside your studies. Obviously the biggest part of coming to University is your course, but a lot of University life is also about the clubs and societies you get involved in.

If this society isn’t for you there are hundreds of others you can join, so you’ll definitely find something that you enjoy! There are academic ones such as Women in Business, Economics Society and Investment Society. But then there are many others such as Belly Dance Society, Poetry Society, and Chess Society. My advice would be to get involved!

Exam revision tips and tricks

Hi, I’m Katie, and I’m a BA Business Management student. Today’s blog is going to be on a topic that I’m sure has been on the mind of a lot of students recently – exam revision! Since the dreaded exam period starts in a couple of weeks, I thought I’d share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up throughout school and university.

Start revision early – You can never be too prepared, so make sure you start revision as early as you can. By doing revision little and often, you’ll hopefully be saved from cramming loads of information just before your exam.

Make a timetable – Making a timetable it helps you manage your time so much better. Assign time for each topic you’re going to revise but also timetable in your fun activities, breaks and social events. Bonus points for making it colourful!

Find a revision method that works for you – Everyone learns in different ways, whether it’s by making notes, spider diagrams, past papers, speaking out loud or reading. Personally, I found making notes and then trying to teach what I had learned to a family member or friend worked really well for me.

Use colour – There’s nothing worse than plain boring revision notes. By using coloured pens and highlighters, you’ll make revision a lot more exciting and your notes will suddenly be more memorable!

Get enough sleep – Sleep is so important. You cannot concentrate or revise properly without having a good night’s sleep. Get at least 6-8 hours, so that your brain is well rested and you can be ready for another day of revision when you wake up. There’s nothing worse than revising when all you want to do is nap!

Take breaks – Don’t sit for a whole day staring at your revision. You need to take regular breaks for your revision to be beneficial, as your brain can only take in so much information at a time! I have a very short attention span, so find that working for 30 minutes and then having a 5 minute break works for me. If you have a longer attention span, then you might be able to work for an hour and take a 20 minute break – find what works for you!

Food and drink – Without drinking enough water you will get headaches and you won’t be able to concentrate. Staying hydrated is so important for effective revision. Ditch the junk food over exam season! Try your best to eat healthy – eat lots of fruit and vegetables and brain foods like oily fish, nuts, seeds and blueberries.

Get up early – When you’re revising don’t waste your day! Set an alarm so you wake up – start revising at 9am instead of 1pm and you can reward yourself with more time to do other things like see your friends, going out for lunch and taking longer breaks.

Past papers – Personally, I found these are the best way of revising. They help with your time management in the exam, and there is no better way of testing your revision than checking how you can answer real exam questions.

Get enough exercise – Being active is so important! Going to the gym, playing a team sport or just taking the dog on a walk is such a good revision break.

Believe in yourself – Nerves before an exam are so normal but you have to believe in yourself! As long as you are prepared, once you get into the exam you will surprise yourself with how much you know. Be confident in yourself – you’ve got this!

My experience as an overseas student

Hi, I’m Yunzhou, and I am a BA Accounting and Financial Management student from China. Although I’m currently in my second year of study, I remember vividly what it was like to come to the UK as a first year student, and this is what I would like to talk to you about today.

Before I landed at London Heathrow, I was full of mixed emotions – scared, excited, nervous, and more. I was so happy to find that when I landed, instead of the uncertainty and loneliness that I thought I would feel, I found myself falling in love with the country immediately. Exploring London for the first time was incredible, and I was drawn to the grandeur of the Big Ben, the tranquillity of St James’ Park, the hustle and bustle of the financial hub and the jubilance of the theatres. I found myself surrounded by exciting cultural heritage, marking that finally I had arrived in the UK, the country I had seen thousands of times on films and TV.

For my first few weeks in the UK I communicated with locals through speaking with what English I had, and using wild gestures and sign language when my English wasn’t enough. When I got to Sheffield, I found I had a passion for exploring the city, and I fell in love with the parks, small independent shops and restaurants and finding out more about the history of the city. Most importantly, I was met with kindness in everyone I met.

One thing I love about the UK, and Sheffield in particular, is the multi-ethnic and multicultural environment! Here, you can find people of all cultures chatting and laughing together in bars and restaurants, and it is easy to find food and drink from all different cultures, which helps when you get homesick. Having been born and raised in rural China, I had limited knowledge what the UK would be like, although films and TV made me think it would be full of posh people drinking tea and moaning about the bad weather! However, when I eventually made it to the UK, I found that the British culture is so much more than this, which to me, shows the importance of exploring first-hand cultures and countries that you are interested in – they may hold great surprises for you! My experience of being an overseas student in Sheffield has been a great inspiration, encouraging me to become a global citizen and plan where I can travel to after I finish my degree next year. The world is a huge place, and thinking of my future fills me with excitement – I would recommend this experience to any student thinking of coming to study in Sheffield!

A student’s guide to Sheffield restaurants

Hi! I’m Rebecca, a third year undergraduate in Business Management. Having spent three years in Sheffield I’ve tried much of what the city has to offer when it comes to food. Whilst cooking at home is a massive lesson to learn for many freshers, there are times when you become sick of pasta and oven food and decide to see what Sheffield’s restaurants and cafes have to offer. So here’s my suggestions of where to go when you fancy a change.

Breakfast

Alyssum Cafe brunch – @alyssumcafebistro

Famous for their Instagram-worthy food, Alyssum is the place to be if you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing brunch. Their menu features brunch staples with a Greek twist, like avocado toast with poached eggs and grilled halloumi, baklava pancakes and Greek inspired mezze boards. If you’re more sweet than savoury then they have a range of stunning cakes that look as good as they taste, always temptingly posted on their Instagram (@alyssumcafebistro). Bonus – it’s a five minute walk from the Management School.

Lunch

Independent cafes are everywhere in Sheffield whether you’re living city centre, Ecclesall Road or in Crookes/Broomhill. In the city centre there’s the New Zealand-inspired Tamper Coffee, serving up some exotic lunches (also highly Instagrammable – @tampercoffeesw). If you’re around quirky Kelham Island, there’s The Grind, which serves amazing coffee as well as healthy salads and sandwiches. Lastly, up in Crookes, Five Rivers specialises in great coffee and snacks and is a popular study spot for Management School students.

Dinner

If you want to eat out but also look after your bank account the key is to go on weekdays. There’s so many deals to encourage custom from great restaurants like 2-4-1 on pizzas at Craft & Dough on Campo Lane as well as at Bloo 88 on West Street. With a Revs card you can get 25% off all food, including weekends, as well as some great deals on cocktails.

For the student on a budget, I’d recommend following Independent Sheffield’s Instagram page (@indpndntshef) as they often advertise deals on food and drinks around the city. As a relatively inexpensive city, Sheffield is a godsend to students who want to eat out but don’t want to break the bank!

Societies at Sheffield – Enactus

Hi! I’m Hannah, a BA Business Management student in my second year of study. In this blog, I’m going to talk about something that I’m really passionate about, which is Enactus, a society that you can be a part of at University of Sheffield.

Societies that you can get involved with at university are never ending, and range from sports clubs like cheerleading and football, to groups such as Quidditch and film making. But there’s a society I want to talk about in particular, which is known as Enactus. We are a society that is quite different from others as we’re a stand-alone organisation that doesn’t have to adhere to the usual rules of university societies, as we have our own funding.

So, what is Enactus Sheffield?

Enactus stands for ‘Entrepreneurial, Action, and Us’. It’s a non-profit social enterprise run by students, which runs a range of projects both locally and internationally to benefit communities. Our aim is to provide aid to local and international social issues through the development of new businesses. Each year, Enactus Sheffield takes part in the Enactus National Competition with 55 other teams from all over the UK. We get to present on what impact our enterprises have had over the past year, and each team is judged – in each of the last eight years we have placed in the top four teams! We have also received recognition from the former Prime Minister David Cameron and HRH Prince William, as well as winning several national awards.

Facts about Enactus:

Takes place in 36 Countries
Over 1,730 universities take part
We have 72,000+ student members
Our work has impacted 1,300,000+ people

Opportunities at Enactus:

All of the above are obviously great reasons to get involved, however you might be asking what Enactus can do for you? The opportunities that you gain when you take part in this society are huge, and range from meeting and working with a large group of diverse people, to the opportunity to develop and enhance your skills at multiple training days and weekends. You would also have the opportunity to go to Nationals, and if successful compete in The World Cup, which this year is in San Francisco! As well as that, implementing our projects take our members around the world, with members travelling to Zambia, Nigeria, Malawi and Bolivia.

Lastly, we’re part of a global network that supports the amazing work we do, with sponsor companies such as Asda, KPMG, Centrica and Accenture to name just a few. So, if you have your eye on a graduate job (which let’s face it, all of us do) then join Enactus to have access to this network of companies keen to employ you.

My Marks & Spencer placement experience

Hi! My name is Rebecca Hubbard and I’m a fourth year Business Management with Employment Experience student. Four years at university and, boy, has it flown by!

A key reason I chose Sheffield was due to the help and support available in helping students get real life business experience before entering a competitive job market. I still remember being in my first semester of second year when the word ‘placement’ was mentioned by a group of returning students who had just returned to university from their year in industry. After hearing from Lily, a girl in the year above me, about her 12-month internship with Arla I decided I’d give it a shot. As my placement mentor, Lily helped me gain confidence and gave me practical tips throughout the recruitment process. We would meet up when necessary to discuss next steps and chat through any difficulties I encountered.

As well as making the most of the advice I gained from my placement mentor, found it essential to take advantage of all the help and support available from the Employability Hub within the Management School. I kept up with their weekly emails advertising different employer talks and skills sessions, managing to gain insight into different recruitment processes. From this, I got to sit in on talks from businesses such as L’Oreal, IBM and Rolls Royce, and find out from them what they looked for in a placement employee, as well as attend skills workshops such as practice assessment centres. I also had a one-to-one meeting with a Careers Advisor who helped me build up my CV and think critically about my applications.

After an application process involving psychometric tests and an assessment centre, I was thrilled to receive an offer for a placement with Marks & Spencer. During placement I worked in six different Marks & Spencer stores around South West London, from small Simply Foods stores to larger department stores. During my time there my role included managing staff, assisting with recruitment processes and selecting candidates, and leading trade during the key events in the year such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. All of this meant that no two days were the same, and that the experience that I came out with was really varied. Having been in the retail industry for a year, returning back to university was surreal! Knowing that I could apply all that I’d learned from my year in work was great, and it has definitely helped me with my work during my first semester back. I would advise anyone starting university with the Management School to take full advantage of all the amazing services it offers – it’s a great feeling to know that I’ve gained invaluable experience that I know will put me above other graduates when I finally finish this year.

How to enhance your CV in first year

Hello, my name is James, and I’m a second year Business Management student. In my first post for the blog I am going to talk about how to enhance your CV in your first year at University!

This might seem like a boring topic, especially when you’re not even in first year yet, but trust me – first year is the best time to get stuck in and try loads of different things, all of which will build your CV!

One of the great things about university life in Sheffield is the massive amount of volunteering available to students throughout the University. As a fresher, you’ll get the chance to attend a volunteering fair. This is a really good way to find out about the different volunteering roles available and get a feel of what might suit you. At the fair you’ll find a massive range of opportunities – from working with Sheffield Museums, helping out at an animal shelter, and even helping local students with their homework! Broomhill (about a five-minute walk from Endcliffe/Ranmoor student village) is full of charity shops which are always looking for people to come in and help them out. The best part about so many of the volunteering roles in Sheffield is that you don’t have to commit to a set number of hours each week; you can just sign up to the different projects being run by the organisation and only commit to what you are able to do!

Volunteering is a great way to gain experience, build your skills, meet new people and learn more about your new city! All of these things just give you that little bit more to talk about in any future interviews which might just give you the edge over other candidates.

Joining societies at University is another way to get involved and enhance your CV. There are literally hundreds of societies that will almost definitely cater to your interests. All societies have positions such as president, social secretary, and finance secretary. Any member of the society can apply to these positions. Being involved in a society gives you real life experience of working to maintain an organisation – which is a great transferable skill. Not only this, but you will have the chance to meet lots of new people and get involved in all the societies events! All of which, you guessed it, give you more to talk about in any interviews you might have in the future!

The University also offers students services such as 301 – an entire department dedicated to developing your skills. Here, you’ll be able to book appointments with advisors who will help you work through and develop your CV. The Management School also has its own Student Experience Office, and a dedicated careers service through the Employability Hub. Both of these departments will work alongside students giving you advice about things such as applying to placements and writing your CV.

Like I said, building your CV in first year at this point might feel like a million miles away, but first year is a great time to get involved in all of the activities offered to students by the University, which will not only benefit you and your CV, but also give you the opportunity to make new friends, try new things, and develop your skill set.

Making your money go further

I’m Tommy, a third year Accounting and Finance student and, at risk of sounding like- well… an accountant- it’s time to talk about money!

Starting university is an exciting time, and whilst it’s easy to fritter away your student loan on nights out, Meadowhall shopping sprees, or those fairy lights that make your room look like Blackpool Illuminations, you don’t want find your card being rejected whilst doing the weekly shop. So, here’s just a few tips for saving whilst still having fun!

Student Discount:

It perhaps goes without saying, but student discount is a huge help when you’re trying to look after your bank balance. Not only can you save in various clothes shops and supermarkets, but a number of restaurants, pubs and bars offer deals for students too. Furthermore, some societies have link-ups with local businesses, meaning discounts on drinks or food in certain places with your societies cards. You can also get buses around the city for just £1 too, so don’t be forgetting your student card!

Nights Out:

Going out with your friends is what makes your uni experience great and gives you memories you’ll never forget, but if you’re not careful it can also break the bank! One of the biggest tips I can give is to budget. Take £15-20 out before you go out, and know that when it’s gone, it’s gone. Make sure you know where you’re going to, as some nights have themes and cheaper/free entry if you get involved.

Shopping:

Whilst it’s no doubt easier just to go to the shop on the corner of your road, is it cheaper? I found that when I spent an afternoon walking through the city centre to Aldi and the Moor Market and doing my weekly shop there, I would save considerably compared to weeks where I shopped locally. So, don’t be lazy! Also, if you find yourself waking back from the library late on, why not drop into the shops on the way for those delightful yellow ‘reduced’ stickers. I mean, who doesn’t love 9p donuts?!

Textbooks:

Textbooks are an essential part of uni, but they don’t come cheap, with some even costing around £60! However, if you’re on the ball you don’t have to pay that. There’s a number of charity shops stocking text books and ManSoc puts on book sales too, where you can buy second hand from students in the years above you. Failing that, the library stocks all necessary readings and some are even available free online!

Budget:

Budgeting is key! Use an app or Excel spreadsheet to plan how much you need for food shopping, rent, bills, books etc., and then anything else is yours to have fun with! Yes, it sounds boring and yes, some of your flatmates may laugh at you for it, but believe me, it’ll be you laughing when you’re away on your summer holidays!