Highlights of my student life so far

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Being a student has been the most amazing experience, I have made the best friends and the best memories. Being halfway through my final year has made me think a lot about what the future holds, but also about how much I will miss my time at University of Sheffield once it’s all over. Here’s a few of my favourite memories.

One of the most enjoyable parts of being a student in Sheffield was my first year in Endcliffe accommodation. My experience of being in student accommodation was that it was so much fun, and there was always something going on! I made some friends in first year who I have lived with through all of my university experience, and who I believe will stay my friends for life. Living in Endcliffe was a real highlight for me!

Another highlight was the internship I did in the summer of my second year at Barclays. During this time, I moved to London, got some real-life experience and made some great friends. I’d recommend doing an internship if you get the chance, it allows you to see what areas you enjoy the most and build your CV without having to commit to much time to doing so. You can read more about my internship and my experience here.

Working alongside my studies was another great opportunity. I worked in a small local coffee shop, but I made a host of friends and earned money whilst doing so! If you can balance your studies with working I would definitely recommend having a part time job. It means you don’t have to live on such a strict student budget and can treat yourself now and again.

Being at university has been the best experience I’ve ever had, with my top highlight being the friends I have made. These friends really are friends for life, and the thought of not living together next year is so sad! But really, you’ll find a close group who you do everything with, they’ll be like your own family in Sheffield!

University has been so much fun, and I’ve made so many friends and memories along the way. It’s been an unbelievable experience, and one that I wouldn’t change at all!

Why I chose The University of Sheffield

By Katie Bryant, BA Business Management

Choosing where to study your undergraduate degree is a difficult decision. You’ll be spending the next three (or more) years at this university and in this city, so you want to make sure that it’s a choice that is right for you. Here’s what helped me to make my decision.

The Students’ Union

The University of Sheffield has the best Students’ Union in the UK! We’ve been ranked number 1 in the UK for the past 10 years in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey.

Why is it so good? The Students’ Union is known for it’s nightlife, and has its own night club called Foundry which holds club nights six nights a week. The favourites include The Tuesday Club, which is very popular for fans of drum and base, Roar which is where all the sports teams go after their Wednesday matches and Poptarts which is amazing night full of everyone’s favourite cheesy pop hits.

The SU is home to some amazing cafes, restaurants and bars such as Bar One (famous for their burgers), Grill and Go, a Pizza counter and a vegan and vegetarian cafe. There’s something for everyone, and it’s not too expensive. There is also a shop, and even a small cinema!

Accommodation

The first-year accommodation is amazing. I lived in Endcliffe in my first year, however all of the accommodation sites are really great and welcoming.

The Endcliffe/Ranmoore site has an onsite gym, bar, restaurant, canteen and shop. It has everything you need and it has a lovely student community feel. There is 24/7 security so you always feel safe, and every flat is assigned a residence life mentor that visits your flat each week to ensure everyone is settling in well and that any problems are looked after quickly.

Student City

As there are two universities in Sheffield, it is a very student-orientated city. The cost of living in Sheffield is low compared to other cities, which was something that was important to me. The city has everything you could possibly want as a student; great shops, markets, cinemas, theatres and places to eat.

As a student, you’re always on a budget, and there are loads of free activities to do around the city, including exploring the vast array of parks and museums Sheffield has to offer. The Peak District is on your doorstep in Sheffield and the city buses take you there for £1.20 with your NUS card. There is breath-taking scenery, fantastic walks and traditional pubs for you to explore in the peaks.

Alumni

The University of Sheffield has amazing alumni. Some of the most famous names include:

  • David Blunkett – former MP for Sheffield Brightside
  • Stephen Daldry CBE – director of films Billy Elliott, The Hours, and The Reader. Artistic Director of Royal Court Theatre (1992–1998).
  • Jessica Ennis Hill – Olympic Heptathlon Champion, London 2012. European Heptathlon Champion, Barcelona 2010. World Heptathlon Champion, Berlin 2009
  • Eddie Izzard – comedian and actor
  • Amy Johnson – pioneering aviator of the 1930s
  • Sir Harry Kroto – Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1996
  • Lee Child – best-selling author of the Jack Reacher novel series
  • Hilary Mantel CBE, FRSL – author and winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009
  • Helen Sharman OBE – Britain’s first astronaut

Societies

At the University of Sheffield there are over 300 societies and committees to choose from. If you can’t find a society you want to join, you can even make your own! Societies are a great way to begin a new hobby or continue an existing interest, make friends and have some fun. From a list that includes beekeeping, horror, Quidditch and cooking, you’re sure to find something that will interest you! As well as special interest societies there are volunteering and fundraising societies too, which allow you to help a good cause and look great on your CV.

Sports

Sport is available at any level – whether you haven’t played in 10 years, or you play competitively, there is a place for everyone to fit in. Give It a Go sessions are run by Residence Life, where you can try out social sports for fun. This initiative is great, as it allows you to try out new things that you might end up loving. Intramural is a higher level where courses compete against each other. There is intramural football, netball and hockey. Finally, there are BUCS teams, which represent the University and compete against other Universities in a very high level of sport.

My internship at Barclays

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Over the last summer I was lucky enough to be able to complete an internship with Barclays in the Business Banking division. In this post, I’ll tell you about the experience I had whilst on the internship programme and the highlight of my internship.

My internship began a few weeks after I finished my second-year exams. As part of my internship, I was expected to relocate to London. For the duration of my internship I would be based at the Barclays head office in Canary Wharf.

My first day was very nerve-wracking, but I was fortunate enough to be placed into an incredibly welcoming team, who were very open to me asking questions and giving me some real work to get stuck into. I think that is one of the misconceptions of being an intern – that you won’t be given ‘real’ work to do… I can confirm, after 9 weeks and some long (but rewarding) days – this is not true!

In my first week, I had lunch with my line manager who was keen to find out what I wanted to gain from my time at Barclays, and what they wanted to see from me. I actually found this helpful as it allowed me to create a clear picture in my head about what was expected from me, and to think about the ways that I would ensure that I delivered. Together, me and my line manager set goals for me to reach over the nine weeks I was due to spend with Barclays. After doing this, my manager introduced me to the rest of the team who were all my key points of contact for my internship. Then it was really down to me to get started!

One of the most important things for me was to get to know the team and build relationships with them. One of my objectives required me to work very closely alongside certain members of my team – so I reached out to them, and they were very receptive. We actually went out for coffee together to discuss a strategy which would allow me to reach my goal (which was originally their goal). I truly felt like during my internship that my team were very accessible and willing to help me at all times.

As an intern, we were expected to arrange meetings with 2-5 managing directors of various departments in the bank.  Whilst this seemed daunting at first, it was actually a really useful activity, that allowed me and all 456(!) other interns to gain exposure to senior figures in the bank and understand the scope of the business. Barclays also held several networking events which gave us the opportunity to speak to people from the bank in an informal setting and ask any questions we might have about their role.

If I had to say, the highlight of my internship would be an event I was invited to attend in Manchester. The event was organised by my line manager and involved both my team and their clients. As a team, we put on a networking event for our clients – and had a guest talk from the CEO of the business bank. This was a really exciting opportunity for me, and really interesting to be involved in the front line, client facing roles of banking – which we often don’t hear about!

There were 456 interns in total with Barclays – so it was a really sociable internship. I have made some great friends that I still keep in touch with now – some of these weren’t even interns but instead part of the graduate cohort from previous years! Doing an internship has been a really rewarding experience and helped me gain a clearer picture of what I want to do in the future. If you can, it is definitely something worth doing – make sure you use the Management School’s Employability Hub to keep up-to-date with vacancies and get tips for the application process!

My tips for exam preparation

By Jade Ellis, BA Accounting and Financial Management

With less than a month away until the January exams commence, the exam nerves and stresses start to kick in. So here is a little bit of advice on how to keep calm and reduce the stress of exam season.

Everyone is different when it comes to how to revise effectively – some people find it beneficial to cram and revise large amounts of information at once, whereas others like to have a timetable and space it out, doing little and often.

Personally, I find it beneficial to have a timetable, as being organised with revision naturally calms me and reduces stress. I plan my day out the night before, so I am making sure I make good use of the day and I am also not overloading myself. Within my plan I schedule a break after every few hours of revision, where I either watch a bit of TV or sweat it out at the gym, just so my mind can have a break before taking any more information in. My planning doesn’t just stop there – I also ensure that my fridge and cupboards are stocked with healthy meals and snacks to prevent a last minute dash to the shops when I have better things to do. Snacking on ‘brain foods’ such as nuts, seeds and veg makes me feel like I’m doing some good, and making sure I don’t go hungry helps with my concentration levels.

When it comes to revising, my tip is to start with the module that you find the hardest. That way, if your time management doesn’t go to plan (and I’m sure that’s happened to everyone at least once!) then you have the most difficult module covered, and you can spend your last day cramming the module that you find the easiest.

Another key to successful revision is location. If you find that when you try to complete a day’s revision in your bedroom you suddenly have a huge interest in cleaning and rearranging your furniture, it’s probably best to get out of your room and find somewhere else to study. Sometimes finding a like-minded friend can be useful, and if you have a similar study pattern it can be useful to study together. This has the added benefit of helping you to feel a bit more social over the exam period! Other people know that they study better when they resign themselves to the silence of the library, or sitting in a café.

If you have upcoming exams, I hope that these tips have helped you to think about what kind of work you find most beneficial – finding what works for you is the key to a successful revision session!

My experience of changing course

By Eloise Howard, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

I want to start by saying that I have absolutely loved the past three years of my university experience and would not change any of it! However, it’s important to talk about what happens when not everything is perfect right from the beginning of your time at university. You have made a lot of big decisions in order to get here – what course to study, what university to study at, where you want to live – and sometimes you may want to make a change.

It’s essential that you feel happy with your course at university so that you can really put your all into it and enjoy your time as much as possible. This was something I found challenging when I first started, as I was studying a dual degree in French and Business Management. After my first month or so, I soon realised that French was not for me! It hadn’t been quite what I expected following on from A Level French, but I was really enjoying the Business Management side of things as well as living in such a fun, vibrant city.

I decided to speak to my personal tutor, which was so helpful as I was able to have an honest chat with someone that really wanted to support me and enable me to thrive at uni. I then made the decision to drop French in second year and carry on my course as a single honours Business Management degree. The actual process was simple and easy to do, and my personal tutors in French as well as at the Management School were there to guide me through it.

By changing my course, I feel that I am now fully engaged and excited by all aspects of my university life! I definitely feel a lot happier doing solely Business Management and I’m grateful I had the amazing opportunity to do a placement year at GSK last year!

My best advice would be to not be scared to admit that sometimes things aren’t going as well as you planned – there is so much help available to you during your time at university and lots of people who genuinely want you to do as well as possible.

So, if you feel like you want to make changes, which could be as small as changing a module to changing course, don’t be afraid to speak up and get support to see what options you have.

 

For more information, visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid

My favourite Business Management module – ‘Business Challenges’

By Katie Bryant, BA Business Management

Out of all the modules that I’ve studied in my two years at Sheffield, one has stood out as being my favourite – Business Challenges. This is an optional module in first year, and is available to all undergraduate Management School students, whether you’re on Business Management, International Business Management or Accounting and Financial Management. Here’s why I think you should choose it!

What was this module?

This is a very different module as it has only one lecture and one seminar with a presentation. The rest of the seminars are mainly for students to meet, collaborate with their team members and successfully carry out a 10 weeks project work. Tutors will be present in all the seminars to help you with your queries but there will be no formal teaching. This is a very practical module where you learn by doing and there is very limited teaching involved.

Our Business Challenge

The Business Management Experience simulation is based on a realistic but fictional business, where you and your team members act as a board of directors. The simulation allowed my team and I to run a business over a period of time and to make decisions that made an impact on how much profit the business makes.

Our aim was to make as much profit as possible. We were also responsible for maintaining customer satisfaction and deciding on out investment strategy, especially in R&D (research and development), throughout the time we ran the business.

How the module was assessed

The assessment for this module consisted of a ten-week team project which was a PowerPoint with a voice over, critically analysing our groups performance throughout the project. We had to complete one reflective essay as a group and two individual reflective essays. It was great to have such a varied method of assessment throughout the module.

Why this was my favourite module?

  • I loved working in a group. Group work is great as you all bounce ideas off of each other in order to create the best possible outcomes. It is great to bond with people and work well as part of a team and ultimately produce a really good piece of coursework.
  • I found it brilliant that we could be creative within our module. Every week as a team we could decide how much money to invest into which part of the business and what to set the selling price of the products at. It was really interesting to be part of such a realistic simulation.
  • It was amazing to have freedom within the module. We could decide how we presented our final group project. The fact that we didn’t have lectures meant everything was down to us. We had to decide when we were meeting and get the work done without the reminder or help of lectures. It was great to essentially self-lead a module.
  • This was such a unique module, which gave me opportunities to learn that other modules didn’t. Business challenges allowed me to develop many of my skills including teamwork, communication, thinking on the spot and analytical skills.

I really recommend that you choose this module as it is the best module I have completed so far at university!

Five ways to spend your winter in Sheffield

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Sheffield is a great city, full of events, activities and places to see – and although the weather gets cold, there’s still plenty to do here. So here’s my five things not to be missed in Sheffield in winter!

5) Peddler Night Market

Peddler Night Market is a monthly event held over in Kelham Island, that showcases the very best food and drink in Sheffield. Tie this in with live music from local DJ’s and bands – you’ve got yourself the perfect night! There really is something for everyone at Peddler’s, with food from just about every cuisine, and at reasonable prices, you have to go!

4) Take in some culture

When it’s freezing outside, it’s the perfect time to visit the many museums and art galleries that Sheffield has to offer. See the history of Sheffield at Weston Park Museum (only a 10-minute walk from the Management School) or catch the fantastic exhibitions shown at Millennium Gallery and the Graves Gallery. All of these have free entry, and let you take in some real Sheffield culture! If museums and art galleries aren’t your cup of tea, why not catch a film at the Showroom Cinema, which showcases everything from current blockbusters to foreign films and old favourites.

3) Winter Gardens

Sheffield’s Winter Garden is located right in the centre of the city, near St Paul’s place, and holds more than 2,500 plants from around the world. In winter, the garden is particularly useful to take refuge from the winter weather when you’re fed up with Christmas shopping. Simply dive in and enjoy a coffee and a relaxing walk around the greenhouse.

2) Meadowhall

Meadowhall is a massive shopping centre just outside of Sheffield, that houses every shop you could imagine (over 280 in fact). If you want to escape from the weather, Meadowhall is perfect, as there’s shopping, entertainment and food all under one roof. Get the tram to Meadowhall for less than £5, or the train for less than £3!

1) Christmas Markets

Every year in the middle of November is the Christmas light switch on in Sheffield, which also means the Christmas market. Find the town centre dotted with traditional wooden huts that house the shops. Inside the alpine huts you’ll find all sorts of quirky gifts and a wide variety of food, all of which is accompanied by ‘Thor’s Bar’ – a bar with log fires, wooden benches serving mulled wine and different types of cider. There are also plenty of local markets dotted around Sheffield, such as the Sharrow Vale market and Nether Edge Farmer’s Market, so be sure to check those out as well!

Guide to living on a student budget

By Katie Bryant, BA Business Management

Becoming a student means taking on a whole host of adult responsibilities that are completely new to most of us. So if you’re terrified of bills and rent and think that you’re rich when your Student Loan comes through, only to find that you’re broke at the end of the month, then follow my handy guide!

Create a Budget

It sounds very boring, but it really doesn’t have to take much time. Create an Excel spread sheet or use an app to help you calculate your monthly outgoings. Set an amount per week and make sure you don’t go over it. A Monzo card is a really good way of budgeting – it acts like a debit card and you can put a certain amount of money on it a week in order to help you budget.

Clothes 

It’s tempting once you get your loan to head straight to the shops but you’ll regret blowing your clothes budget in the first week. Save money by making the most of student discounts in shops and online by checking out deals on Unidays.

Food

It’s a myth that students live off baked beans, it is possible to eat normally and healthily whatever your budget. Prevent impulse buys in the supermarket by making a shopping list and sticking to it! Buying value products and supermarket own-brand also cuts your costs, while the products are virtually the same. It is not necessary if you don’t have the money to overspend on items such as tortilla chips when there is a cheaper, similar substitute. Another tip I’ve learned is to cook in bulk and freeze. This way nothing gets wasted, it works out a lot cheaper and you always have a back-up plan when the cupboards are bare! Another great tip is making packed lunches for cheaper meals on the go – those Tesco meal deals soon add up.

Transport

Whether it’s a bus to lectures (only £1.20 in Sheffield) or travelling back home for the holidays, you’ll need to factor in travel costs. To help, there are student travel cards out there to help you reduce the costs of getting around. My personal favourite is the 16-25 Railcard – you can get one of these for just £30 a year or free with a Santander student account. A railcard gets you a third off your rail fares – very useful if you’ll be travelling home on the train for holidays and weekends.

Textbooks

Don’t buy new books! They’re far too expensive, and can end up setting you back hundreds. Instead, look on sites like Amazon and eBay to buy second-hand. Also, countless numbers of students will be looking to sell their old textbooks for a reduced price. Websites such as I Swap Books and Uni Book Swap are also a good starting point for purchasing second hand material.

Entertainment

From freshers’ week to club subscriptions, student nights, gigs, fancy dress, sport or a quick coffee with friends, the cost of socialising can soon mount up.

Allocate yourself a certain amount for entertainment and try not to go overit. Being sociable doesn’t have to be expensive – think nights in with housemates, free events at your union or two-for-one cinema nights. If you’re going to go out partying, go in the week on a student night, not on a Friday or Saturday as everything is so much more expensive. Student-specific discount websites such as NUS Extra, Unidays and Student Beans offer deals on cheap days and nights out including theme park visits, eating out, and cinema and theatre trips.

Part-time job

Whether you’re looking for a little extra cash to ease those concerns over paying bills, or you want to indulge yourself, a part-time job is a sure way to receive a steady income. Not only this, but it can help to give you a variation from your standard university life while helping you to become a more rounded, dependable individual when you inevitably apply for a summer internship, placement or graduate job. Be careful not work too many hours a week though – the University recommends no more than 16. You don’t want it to distract you too much from your studies and extra-curricular activities.

NUS extra card

Purchasing a 1-year NUS extra card for only £12 will really save you costs over a variety of items. With an NUS card you can receive over 200 exclusive discounts across Fashion, Mobile, Food and drink, as well as a wide range of other fields.

Good luck with budgeting at University. Follow these tips and you will be an expert on budgeting!

My favourite things about Sheffield

By Katie Bryant, BA Business Management

Ask people from outside of the city what they know about Sheffield and they’ll describe it as ‘The Steel City’, home to the 90’s film The Full Monty and actor Sean Bean, to name a few! But, there is so much more to Sheffield…

 

The Views

Sheffield was built on seven hills. Walking around the city makes you very fit because of the number of hills, however when you get to the top of any hill the views are 100% worth it. Everywhere you go there is beauty in Sheffield, from the architecture of the old buildings to the modern, there isn’t a light it doesn’t look good in.

The Parks

This is Weston Park, only a five minute walk from the Management School

It’s good to get out of the city every now and then to experience some nature, but the great thing about Sheffield is you don’t have to. Sheffield is rumoured to be the greenest city in Europe with the highest tree to person ratio, but if all that isn’t enough we also have the glorious Peak District surround us. There are 13 city parks, 20 district parks and 50 local parks across Sheffield, and there are over two million trees in the city (estimated); that’s more than four trees per person.

The Pubs

There are loads of amazing student friendly pubs in Sheffield. A student favourite is the Nottingham House, serving an amazing selection of pies and ales.

The Events

Every month there are multiple events that you simply just can’t miss. With Sheffield being home to some of the best live music venues, sporting events, inner city festivals, club nights and theatre shows you’d be crazy to miss them. Sheffield Theatres is the largest theatre complex outside London. Across the three auditoria: The Crucible, the Lyceum and the Crucible Studio, they offer a huge variety of home-grown and touring productions, as well as a thriving programme of participatory events and activities.

The Music

Sheffield’s musical talents stretches further than the likes of Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys. In fact, it’s awash with musical talent and heritage with the likes of Reverend and the Makers, Bring me the Horizon, Def Leppard, The Human League and Richard Hawley to name a few. Venues like The Leadmill and The Harley to keep you up to date on the up-and-coming artists. We even host an annual music festival called Tramlines, which is popular with the locals and students alike!

The Food

The vast array of restaurants have been the driving force behind the independence of Sheffield. There is a great restaurant in every postcode and the food scene is a true representation of the all-encompassing attitude towards different cultures.

The Peak District

The Peak District National Park is only a 5-minute drive from some parts ofSheffield. The incredible scenery is a must see. City centre buses go to the Peak District for only £1.20 if you don’t have a car. My personal highlights of the Peak district include Dovedale, Castleton and Buxton, and Sheffield is a haven for rock climbers, mountain bikers, road cyclists and hikers. With easy access to the plentiful rock in the Peak District, these passionate individuals flock to the city to indulge in their hobby and be among a community that holds their chosen sport and the outdoors close.

Meadowhall

For anyone who loves shopping – Sheffield is the place for you! Meadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies 3 miles north-east of Sheffield city centre and 2 miles from Rotherham town centre. It is the largest shopping centre in Yorkshire and the eighth largest in the United Kingdom. Meadowhall is only a short tram journey away from the city centre.

I hope that this whistle-stop tour of Sheffield was helpful for anyone thinking of visiting, and if you do I hope you enjoy everything Sheffield has to offer!

My placement experience – Lloyds Banking Group

Hi, I’m Rosie and I am a final year BA Business Management with Employment Experience student. This blog post is about my placement year which I have just returned back from, the skills I developed and how I would recommend a placement year to everyone and anyone… so here’s why!

The application processes can be brutal, as you’re spending considerable time on applications and often hear nothing back. I’m happy to say it’s all worth it when you finally secure a placement and know that it’s not all been for nothing. The sense of achievement is a great feeling when you’ve successfully got your first job and got your foot in the door. My placement was at Lloyds Banking Group. This is where your journey – and potentially your entire career – starts.

My placement began a few weeks after my final second year exam. My team were welcoming, supportive and most importantly I had a ‘proper’ role within the team, not just making the cups of tea and filing away documents. Without getting into too much detail of what I did in my day to day role due to confidentiality, I worked in the PMO (Project Management Office) for the Risk Division. We ensured all running projects were in line with their scope; finance, resources, planning, time and internal and external governance. So what did I learn from this role? The ability to question the status quo. The team had to complete numerous, tedious tasks, I booked myself on excel courses and took it upon myself to automate these tasks which are now heavily embedded into the team. Definitely got myself some brownie points there.

Come Christmas time, the company was undergoing a huge restructure. It was good to experience this as it occurs quite often in larger organisations. I could see that morale of certain individuals dipped and others seemed happy to have the chance to do something new. Time for a team away day and a team building football game!

On the back of the restructure, my role did change and I became a Risk Strategic Analyst. This meant that instead of checking projects whilst they were in the process of being delivered, I now decided which projects were to go ahead. With a set budget, which projects would benefit the group the best? To do this, my communication skills had to be excellent. I was now dealing with the board, the head of risk as well as many other senior members of staff. I had to learn how each individual preferred to be contacted, when was appropriate and be clear with why I was contacting them. Daunting to say the least.

So my year at Lloyds Banking Group was coming to a close. I enjoyed it so much I decided to go for the graduate programme that Lloyds Banking Group and the Risk Division had to offer. I’m happy to say I was successful! I will be returning in September 2019. I would recommend a placement year just purely for the experience. I gained so much confidence, belief in myself and now as a Futures First ambassador for the Management School I will happily lead lectures for 200+ first year students. You definitely wouldn’t have seen me doing that a year ago!