Events

This October the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) are launching a range of exciting new curriculum which can be studied from October 2018. This includes three new BA Honours qualifications; Music, Criminology and Economics!

If you are thinking about what to study next, this event is a great opportunity to find out more about the new curriculum and talk to the academics who were involved in creating it. We will also be discussing new elements to some of the qualifications at Masters Level.

The event is online, interactive and open to everyone. The chat room will be open from 12.30pm and during the live event you can send your tweets to @StudentHubLive (#StudentHubLive18), email us at studenthublive@open.ac.uk, complete the online voting tools, send us your comments, and take part in the online discussions.

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Moving on up - 14 June

Summer break is almost here! Are you submitting final assignments but also beginning to think about next steps in October? If so, this event on 14 June will offer practical advice and suggestions to those who are either transitioning between modules, or preparing to start OU study after the summer break. The event will cover a range of topics for those who want to use their time off over the summer to improve on some key skills, or just a little extra guidance. Sessions covered will include:

What happens after your module final assessment - Exploring the marking and standardisation processes which takes place to ensure you are awarded the grade that you deserve for your submitted work
Moving on from Access – Discussing what is different at level 1 and what should you consider as you embark on a qualification
Getting ready to start your studies with the OU – Advice and guidance on how to prepare for your studies effectively and what tools and resources are on offer to OU Students
Moving up – Answering questions about moving to the next level of study and how to focus on key skills for each stage of study
Study intensity – Advice on how to cope and being successful when the pressure is on if Studying full time or overlapping modules

The event is online, interactive and open to everyone. The chat room will be open from 9am and during the live event you can send your tweets to @StudentHubLive (#StudentHubLive18), email us at studenthublive@open.ac.uk, complete the online voting tools, send us your comments, and take part in the online discussions.

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Talking all things exams

On Friday 25 May, the Student Hub Live (SHL) studio discussed all things exams related! Whether you have an exam coming up and want a little extra support, or you have some good advice for those feeling a bit nervous, this was a great opportunity to share tips and gain practical advice from SHL guests and fellow students.

Guests discussed exam related topics such as; issues which affect exam preparation and performance; what Psychology tells us about memory and recall; what Biology tells us about stress; and what Sports Science can tell us about sleep, diet and exercise. There was also a session on planning to help you prepare.

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Understanding Brexit

What is Brexit, where does it come from, and what could it mean in everyday life? On Friday 25 May (9:30am – 12pm) a team of OU academics were in the Student Hub Live studio to discuss what has happened since the vote, how Brexit is already changing us, and what to expect in the future.

Researchers from across the Arts and Social Sciences considered how work in their areas can help explain how we got to this point and what to expect next. Topics covered included: the story so far; trust in experts and the growth of conspiracy theories; geographical and psychological splits in the referendum vote; Brexit’s practical effects on everyday life and work; and how to plan for what happens next? Throughout the event, a series of short videos looked at how Brexit is experienced differently across Great Britain and Ireland. Look at how Brexit is changing the UK, the wider world, and to better understand how your academic studies relate to the challenges that lie ahead.

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Exam workshops - part two

Are you ready for your Exam? Think you could do with little extra support? Student Hub Live can help!

Exam2: In this session we will be focusing on the actual exam day, including practicalities about time and venue. We’ll look at the experience of sitting an exam and how to manage your time within the exam as well as get the most from what you have in your head and getting it on paper and hopefully gaining you marks. You should be able to go away from this session knowing what to expect from an OU exam and having a clear idea of how to sit an exam.

These sessions are open to all students, studying at all levels. The workshops will be hosted in Adobe Connect Online Room and take place 8-9pm Wednesday 23rd May (rooms open at 7.45pm). If you are unable to join us, you can catch up at any time.

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Exam workshops - part one

Are you ready for your Exam? Think you could do with little extra support? Student Hub Live can help!

Exam1: In this session we looked at revision and knowing the module that you are sitting the exam for. We discussed various practicalities about revision, including time management and targeting your efforts, as well as how to identify the most important things to be revising and how to prepare yourself in the best way for sitting an exam. You should be able to go away from this session knowing how to plan an effective revision schedule.

These sessions are open to all students, studying at all levels. If you were unable to join us, you can catch up at any time.

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Writing retreat - Writing for pleasure - 27 June

These sessions are open to all students, studying at all levels and are not module, level or program specific. The workshops will be hosted in Adobe Connect (online rooms) and take place 8-9pm Wednesday evenings on 27^th June, 4^th, 11^th, 18^th and 25^th July and 1^st August.

Writing for pleasure - In this first session we will start of lightly and won’t be focused on academic work (hurrah!). Despite the fact that many people don’t write by hand nowadays, writing is still a quick, easy and fun thing to do. Writing for pleasure can be immensely satisfying, whether this is a journal or more creative pieces. We’ll look at some of the basics at getting started and being clear, and how to develop your own voice and choose your words.

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Writing retreat - Informal writing - 4 July

Informal writing – This session will move on a bit to writing that may have a wider audience or be a bit more purposeful. We’ll look at different types of writing you may want to consider in every day life, such as blogging, letter writing (yes gran would love to receive one from you!) and forum posts. Sharing ideas and experiences will be key here.

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STEM Showcase - 5 July

Are you studying a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) module or qualification? Maybe you are looking for inspiration on what to study next or simply interested in all things STEM? Then save the 5^th of July in your diary for the first STEM Showcase Student Hub Live event.

During this event we will give you a flavour of all things STEM at The Open University, so join us live online, where you have the opportunity to watch and interact!

Updates will be made to this event as the programme for the day is finalised. The event is online, interactive and open to everyone. The chat room will be open from 9.30am and during the live event you can send your tweets to @StudentHubLive (#StudentHubLive18), email us at studenthub@open.ac.uk, complete the online voting tools, send us your comments, and take part in the online discussions.

If you’d like to let us know you’ll be watching- mark yourself at “going” on Facebook and receive updates on the programme and session time.

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Writing retreat - Writing for visual purposes - 11 July

Writing for visual purposes – Increasingly within academic and employment life there is a need to communicate a message clearly using a visual mechanism, rather than text alone. Posters are used to give a clear snapshot of what’s important, and the art of PowerPoint is certainly not death by a thousand slides! Come along and get some tips about key features and elements to look out for to wow your audience.

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Writing retreat - report writing - 18 July

Report writing – Many types of study look for some specific structured writing, which may include case studies and experiments. These have a recognised formal series of steps that need to be followed along with their own special language at times. We’ll look at some good examples and show you what you need to maximise your effectiveness.

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Writing retreat - Editing - 25 July

Editing – We finish on perhaps ones of the biggest ones, editing your work. In part 1 we’ll be looking at the key stages of editing the piece of work you are needing to get through and setting you the task of going away and doing the task. In part 2 we’ll be looking at how you have got on and what worked, and what hasn’t gone as well.

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