Undergraduate Blog

Where to eat in Sheffield when you’re dairy-free

By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management

During first year, I developed a dairy allergy. As someone who constantly ate chocolate and drank a pint of milk a day, this was a very difficult things to come to terms with. However, now in 2020, it’s easy enough to get a dairy free pizza, a soya milkshake or a bar of chocolate – especially in Sheffield. Sheffield is an amazing place to be vegan or have an intolerance – so if you’re worried of the faff of going out in Sheffield, here’s my 5 favourite places to eat in Sheffield – that have yet to make me ill!

Pieminster
My dad and I first visited Pieminster a few months ago – and it was a revelation. It was the first place I’ve been to that sells vegan mash potato and it was so good! They have numerous vegan options for their pies; I had ‘Chooks away’, which contained vegan ‘chicken’. It’s also cheap – which isn’t always the case for vegan food and is a definite plus!

Steamyard
So, unlike Pieminster, Steamyard is quite expensive – but as a local business, it is worth supporting if you can. It’s also not a restaurant, it’s a café and so it’s more a place to go and chill with your friends and have a donut and a coffee. The vibe in Steamyard is amazing, and you could easily go there to revise or do some studying, whilst you enjoy one of their vegan treats.

Blue Moon Café
This is the longest standing vegan café in Sheffield and is worth visiting if you want to be sure you can eat everything on the menu! It’s unique in that the menu changes every day, so you’ll never know what exciting new thing you’ll get to try. You can go for an afternoon tea, lunch or breakfast. The only negative is that it’s not close at all to the University, meaning it’ll be a slight trek for you to get there.

Make No Bones
This is a favourite place of mine; it has such a wide variety of foods including Gyros, Satay and Korean style food. It’s great to have some different food – sometimes dairy free food at restaurants can get quite repetitive and therefore, it’s always nice to have the chance to try new foods.

The Cabin
This place is perfect for a brunch or breakfast. It’s on the Moor, so it is slightly further out your way – however, it is so worth it! They have a Canadian theme, with fluffy American pancakes or waffles. The vibe is very homely, warm and picturesque. The best brunch place I’ve found in Sheffield.

There are so many more places than these to try, so just keep looking whilst you’re here. The chains all have many different options now, as I’m sure you’re aware. But, make sure to try the local businesses! They may be slightly more expensive, but their food is usually fresher, tastier and more unique.

Spiderwalk 2019

By Natalia Tsenova, BA Business Management

It is not a surprise that our Students’ Union has been ranked 1st in the country for 10 years in a row, from 2009 to 2018, by Times Higher Education. You name it, our SU will most likely have it. From Sheffield Volunteering to over 350 clubs and societies, there are close to an infinite number of opportunities to engage in university life, beyond the content of your degree, and make your experience in Sheffield more interesting and memorable.

Such an opportunity that has contributed towards a great start of my second year has been volunteering at Spiderwalk 2019. The spiderwalk is an annual 13 mile hike at night, organised by Sheffield RAG and it is one of the many fundraising events that Sheffield RAG (Raising and Giving) holds throughout the year to raise money for different charities. The aftermath of Spiderwalk 2019 is unbelievable – over £10 000 raised for four charities, which you can get more information about on the event’s Facebook page.

In the next lines, I will give you a glimpse of what it was like to participate in Spiderwalk 2019.

On the day of Spiderwalk, all of the volunteers were instructed to be at the SU a couple of hours before the event. We were given a 10-page detailed description of the track and a set of instructions on what to do in different situations. As stewards, our main responsibilities were to make sure our group followed the map and to help in case any of the participants were injured.

Once we were allocated to our groups, it was time for hiking. In the beginning, the route was quite flat, as can be expected with our starting point being the Students’ Union, followed by Eccy Road and Endcliffe Park. As we continued walking, the terrain changed quickly and soon, we were in the peaks, breathing heavily and covered in mud. However, unlike my initial expectations, I was enjoying this more than I thought I would. The whole group was having fun, we were laughing and talking all the time and it was great to have such nice people to share this experience with.

The half-point was Whirlow Hall Farm – a beautiful farm in Sheffield and one of the charities that participants in Spiderwalk raised money for. The atmosphere was amazing: live music, good food and a lot of friendly people enjoying the night. We stayed there long enough to warm ourselves and to gather energy for our return journey. This time the route was designed to take us to the SU through Sheffield’s streets. And to be honest, a 6.5-mile walk on Sheffield’s roads is as equally tiring as a 6.5-mile hike in Sheffield’s peaks. Both are hilly, very hilly at some points :).

By the time our group reached the SU, it was already thirty minutes past midnight. I remember going home with my legs hurting, but my soul cheering. It was one of the best nights I have had since the beginning of this academic year and I could not have been happier to have decided to volunteer in the first place.

Thankfully, events like this happen very often in our Students’ Union. Explore the different opportunities the SU offers and enrich your student experience. You will not regret it and who knows, I might see you at Spiderwalk 2020.

My first Christmas in the UK

By Serena Wong, BA International Business Management with Study Abroad

The holiday season is finally here- which means it’s time for all things red, green, merry and bright. However, that’s not all there is to this wondrous season of the year. Christmas is not only the perfect excuse to sate your appetite with mulled wine, honey-glazed gammon, and all the dessert one can possibly eat, it is also the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and family.

As an international student who’s not going home this Christmas holiday, I knew that this season of joy and giving can be equally lonesome if not for having friends to celebrate with! I am incredibly grateful to have commenced my winter break with a Christmas dinner together with my flatmates.

However close you are with your flatmates, it’s always a brilliant idea to gather everyone for a Christmas dinner. Since none of my flat mates mentioned having one, I decided to propose the idea. Lo and behold, everyone was so excited in the preparation for our dinner. We went grocery shopping, cooked, played some games, had some drinks and ate until we felt like throwing up!

Amidst the preparation, I had learned a little more about how cherished the Christmas spirit is in the UK. My friend and flat mate, Nicole, guided us in making many traditional English Christmas delicacies such as roast gammon, Yorkshire pudding and pigs-in-blankets. She taught us local games and traditions which everyone enjoyed learning. My highlight of the evening was seeing all our international friends embrace new delicacies and traditions because our first Christmas in the UK will forever be remembered.

If this is your first Christmas in the UK, I hope you will fill this time with new experiences, good food, and good company. It’s perfectly normal to miss home – more so if you’re an international student who’s not going home (like myself). But I truly believe, if you treat yourself to a good cup of hot chocolate at Sheffield’s Christmas Market or take a short trip to a different city, you’ll start feeling the Christmas spirit (and dance to Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You).

During this festive season of giving, let us take time to slow down and enjoy the simple things. May this wonderful time of the year touch your heart in a special way. Wishing you much happiness not just today, but throughout the New Year!

How to survive exam period

By Eloise Howard, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

When starting university, exam period can seem daunting, as it may be different to what you have experienced previously at school or college. However, there is a lot of support and guidance at the University and if you are organised and work hard you will succeed!

A few important things to bear in mind that you may not have considered include:

If your exam requires a calculator you need to get your calculator approvedat the Students’ Services Information Desk (SSiD) in the Students’ Union beforehand
There are multiple different exam venues but there is a helpful guide on the University website to help you with directions!
You must bring your UCard to any exam as proof of ID
A draft and final exam timetable are released so make sure to check the final version as changes can be made to the date or venue of the exam

In terms of revision, my main piece of advice would be to manage your time in the best way possible. Give yourself plenty of time to do your revision – personally, I found that revising 4-6 weeks before an exam was the best method for me! This may seem like a lot of time but often you need to balance revision with writing coursework, other activities and part-time work so I’ve found it’s best to have lots of time and not leave anything to the last minute! What’s great about Sheffield University is that there are so many resources available and the Information Commons (one of the main libraries) is open 24/7. This means that you can find a routine that works best for you – some people may prefer to do a 9-5pm day whilst others work better very early or very late. Writing your own revision timetable can also help you to manage your time. However, don’t forget to factor in some downtime with friends and family, as it’s important to have a break and take time out too!

In addition, it is really important to ensure you stay healthy during exams. It can be tempting to live off library snacks all day but try to eat nutritious food to ensure you have energy! Also, exercise is a great stress relief and fitting in the gym or a jog can help you to clear your mind after a day of revision – it’s great too if you’ve been sat at the same desk all day! Finally, sleep is essential during exam period, I would recommend getting your normal hours of sleep as revision can be tiring and you need to be refreshed!

Follow this link for any additional information regarding exams, timetables, venues and general advice https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/exams/notes

Tips for finding accommodation in second and third year

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

When you’re in first year, you will live in University owned halls, which makes moving a lot simpler. However, in both your second and third years it is up to you to find your own accommodation. which sounds like a daunting task! Follow this guide to make the process as easy as possible!

Firstly, you need to decide who you’re living with. I lived in Endcliffe in my first year along with nine others. As a flat, we decided to split into a group of six and four – as finding a house large enough for everyone was quite the task (it is possible to find ten bed houses, but you have to be quick!). The ideal time to start thinking about this is late October/early November. This seems really early, but it allows time for changes if anyone decides they want to live with another group, or you end up recruiting a new housemate.

Once you’ve split into your groups, the next thing to do is to start looking. The majority of people live in an area called Crookesmoor (Crookes), which is a short walk away from Broomhill and conveniently located 10-15 minutes away from Uni. Crookes is scattered with shops, cafes and pubs – most notably Alyssum, a green grocer, and the Dam House – all of which help to make Crookes a perfect area for students. There are other areas to consider such as: Broomhall, City Centre, and along Ecclesall Road – however Crookes is the most popular.

Now you’ve decided on an area, it’s time to start viewing houses! You can start doing this as early as November, or after the Christmas break. However, the best houses tend to go first, and after the Christmas break you also have revision to contend with. In my opinion, its best to do this sooner rather than later. Sheffield has loads of estate agents which offer properties specifically tailored to students. The University has an agent inside of the Students Union called Smart Move. This is a good place to start your search. However, there are several other agents – for example: Fit Property, Home Accommodation and Broomhill Property Shop. All of these agents will have a variety of options for students and specialise in this area.

When you start viewing houses there are some key things you might want to think about asking the estate agent/tenants, it’s worth noting these down as a group beforehand so you don’t forget anything. For me, the key question is – are the neighbours’ students? Having another group of students next door is the ideal situation, because both you and them should (hopefully) be quite relaxed about noise to a certain extent. You might find that neighbours who are not students will be less tolerant of noise, which is understandable.

Hopefully this has been a useful blog, and you’re armed with some tips to go and find your perfect student house! Happy hunting!

Balancing university and part-time work

By Eloise Howard, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

Where do I work?

In the summer before I started at the University of Sheffield, I applied for a part-time role at the Students’ Union and was lucky enough to get the role! My role included working in Pearls Bubble Tea and Coffee Revolution in the SU. My experience of working in the SU could not have been better – I wouldrecommend it to anyone, as it means that you meet loads of other students and I made loads of friends in first year this way. It’s also really flexible and they understand that students have other commitments – by having a zero hours contract, you’re able to put in your availability for each week. For example, if you have exams coming up you may only work 6 hours a week, but at a quieter time in the year you could be working up to 16 hours a week.

How do I balance work with my studies?

Doing part-time work at the Students’ Union has definitely taught me how to manage my time effectively. One of the key things you learn is how to prioritise your tasks and understand when your studies need to take priority or when you can be more flexible with your time. Although I sometimes found this hard, I understand now that it is much better to sacrifice a week’s wages during exam period and have enough time to properly do my work, rather than try to squeeze everything in! Having said that, there is a maximum of 16 hours a week that students can work at the Union, so most of the time this isn’t too demanding and fits quite nicely around my work. Also, my hours are typically Monday to Friday so I always have the weekend to catch up on work if I need to and it is only term time so I still get all the same holidays as everyone else!

How does working benefit me?

One of the obvious benefits is that I am getting some extra income whilst being a student, which is always helpful! For me, I really like being independent and paying my own way – it also means I have enough money to enjoy myself the whole year and not have the worry of all my student finance running out after a month! However, there are many other positives to working, such as the experience it has given me. It looks excellent on your CV and I believe it truly helped me to get my placement year at GSK, because I had lots of examples and skills to talk about in my interview.

How to make the most of freshers’ week!

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Freshers’ week is one of the most ‘hyped-up’ events in every student’s calendar. There are so many things going on it can be overwhelming; this post is all about making your week as fun as possible.

In Intro Week and the first week of term, the Students’ Union hosts loads of events, like the freshers’ fair. This is an event held on campus and is massively popular with all students. At the fair, you’ll find stands occupied by loads of different companies (Domino’s, Nandos, and ASOS are regulars), who will be giving out loads of freebies and hosting different games to take part in (often with prizes). Freshers’ fair is ideal for a day out with your new flatmates, and maybe even a way to get your hands on some store cupboard essentials! The freshers’ fair is usually held in the Octagon Centre, right next door to the Students Union. You can find out what events are being held this year by clicking here.

Another thing you can do during freshers’ week is get to know your university clubs and societies, and you can do this by attending the club and society fair during freshers’ week. Joining societies is a great way to get involved in extra-curricular activities and expand your group of friends. Societies usually have a small fee to join (mostly they’re around £5), but after joining you’ll be invited to all events hosted by the society. Find a list of societies at Sheffield here.

During freshers’ week, it is inevitable that you’re going to end up on a few nights out. Moving to a new city, you might not be massively clued up on where to go. A safe bet is to look towards your new Students Union. At Sheffield, we’re lucky enough to have an SU that puts on loads of club nights during freshers’ week (and all year round) – these are a great place to meet fellow freshers, get to know campus and the safe bet to have a good night. If a night out isn’t your thing, there’s still loads to do – the SU has its own cinema, and this year is hosting its own street food market!

I hope this post has been useful and answered some questions you might have had about freshers’ week, but most importantly… remember to enjoy it!

Preparing for my year abroad

By Alice Lando, BA International Business Management

I have always been interested in exploring new cultures and expanding my horizons. This is one of the reasons why I chose Sheffield and the International Business Management programme, as it seemed like it would bring some great opportunities for me. Coming from Italy, I loved the idea of studying in England and overseas, and it taking three years instead of four.

Deciding the destination

Before starting my first year I wanted to go to Australia or Hong Kong, but thankfully the Global Opportunities team (who help students organise their year abroad) and the Management School insisted on making sure I had done my research before submitting my preferences. After hours spent on YouTube, university websites and chatting with people that had already done this experience, I changed my mind. When planning your year abroad it is fundamental that you choose destinations where you can really imagine yourself living for 10 months.

In the end, I knew I’d that my first choice would still be Hong Kong, but I decided I wasn’t so keen on Australia after all. Instead, my second choice was going to be Singapore.

Finding out the destination and getting excited

I will always remember the moment I found out that I was going to spend my second year at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. I had just finished an exam in January and received the email. Even better news, Elly, one of my closest friends, got allocated to the same university. It was a great feeling to be able to get excited with someone else, and we both made sure that we gave everything that we had in every module during the second semester so that we would meet the grade requirement.

Despite the pressure of getting the grades I needed and the stress of completing the application for the host uni, I was literally counting the days till the departure. I was looking forward to living in a big and developed city, with a completely different culture and in a location that would allow me to travel all around Asia.

Getting ready

Moving was not so scary at first, as I had already moved to Sheffield from Italy, however as time passed I started to realise that the change would probably be harder than the first one. In order to prepare, I watched lots of videos on YouTube about Singapore’s culture and lifestyle, and I talked to the Global Opportunities ambassadors for tips and information. I tried to open my mind as much as I could, setting no boundaries, expectations or limits.

Second thoughts

I have never had second thoughts about starting this new chapter of my life, however, thinking that I was not going to be in Sheffield for my second year made me much sadder than I expected. Despite the excitement of leaving for Singapore, I found it really hard to say bye to all my friends and volleyball teammates, but I am sure the distance will only make the relationship stronger.

I have just started my year abroad here in Singapore and I would definitely recommend this life-changing experience. It allows you to grow as a person, meet people from all around the world and create amazing memories.

My favourite module

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

One great thing about studying at university level is the freedom you get when choosing your modules – gone are the days where you follow a specific curriculum! Instead, you get to direct your own learning and choose to study subjects which specifically interest you. In this post I’m going to talk about my favourite module I took in third year.

Firstly, I’ll give you a quick overview of what it actually means to pick your own modules. Every year at university you have to pick modules which equate to 120 credits – In first year, modules are usually 10 credits for those that last one semester, and 20 for those that last the entire duration of the academic year. In second and third year, modules are worth 20 credits and usually only run for one semester (meaning you do six modules per year). At times, there may be compulsory modules however, as you move through your degree you get an increased amount of freedom – in the Business Management programme, I only had one compulsory module in third year, I was able to pick five myself.

I did a range of modules in third year, but my personal favourite was Socially Responsible Marketing and Consumption which was taught by Dr. Madeline Powell. The module comprised of a group assessment and individual report, which was a nice balance and meant that the work didn’t all hit you at once – one of the reasons why I enjoyed the module so much! The module looks at the changing nature of marketing, in a world that is becoming increasingly globalised with issues such as corporate responsibility, climate change, and ethics taking centre stage. Taught over ten lectures, the module gave a real insight into the practises adopted by some businesses when tackling this issue, whilst giving us the chance to use our analytical skills to apply the module’s content to real businesses and therefore understand the practical implications of the module content. I found this to be a useful quality as it allowed me to critically evaluate real business scenarios.

Another reason that I enjoyed the module so much was the freedom we had with our assessments. For the group assessment, we were able to choose our own groups with the only restriction being that the company we analyse must be a fashion company. Similarly, the only restriction given for our individual assessment was that we were not allowed to choose a fashion company. This meant that we could focus our assessments on companies we actually were interested in, which I genuinely believe made me more engaged in the module. Having this freedom almost made the assessment feel easier. I think this because I was researching companies and issues that I was personally interested in which made the process much less strenuous!

Third year may be a long way away, but definitely consider this module if you’re interested in the social standards that we should/do hold businesses accountable to, and how businesses respond to these!

Finding a graduate job

By Eloise Howard, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

It’s that time of year when graduates are desperately trying to land their dream job – but where do you start? If you’re in this situation, read on – hopefully this information will be useful to you!

Where to find graduate jobs

There is a huge amount of various graduate jobs for you to explore. If you are interested in graduate schemes, I would recommend beginning your job hunt in September/October of your final year at University, as this is when many of the big companies release their applications. However, if you are considering a direct entry role, the recruitment process often doesn’t begin until around Easter of your final year if you want to start working straight after you graduate. My top tip for finding the right graduate scheme for you would be to search online. There are lots of great websites out there such as Target Jobs, Milkround and even LinkedIn, where you can filter your search to a particular location, an industry, or the job itself. Another method for job searching could be to think of companies you are really interested in and check their websites for updates or just send your CV if they accept them! In addition to this, the University holds graduate fairs which give you the opportunity to speak with people from different companies and learn more about the vacancies they have.

Applying for graduate jobs

There is typically a long recruitment process for graduate schemes, but this does vary depending on the company. Often, it includes an online application, online tests, a video/telephone interview and an assessment centre. A key piece advice here would be to not feel disheartened if you get rejections – graduate jobs, in particular graduate schemes, are extremely competitive and it can take a few rejections before you get the right one, so try to stay positive and persevere! One of the most important things you can do whilst applying is research the company, what they are looking for in the job specification, and what they are like as employers. A good place to start is their website, but I have found Glassdoor helpful too to get a better feeling of the company culture. I would recommend building your CV throughout your time at university by getting involved in volunteering, societies, or even part time work as these extra-curricular activities really help you to stand out from other graduates. Furthermore, if you have the opportunity to, I cannot recommend doing a placement year enough as you gain so many invaluable skills and experiences that make answering interview questions much easier!

Finally, don’t forget that the University is there to help you! The Management School has it’s own Employability Hub that is dedicated to helping students find work, which hosts helpful workshops where you can do practice interviews and assessment centres or go through your CV one to one with a careers adviser. Even if you’ve graduated, you can get support up to three years after you leave uni!