Watch recordings and download resources from previous events below.
Did you know that 86% of graduate employers are more interested in a potential employee’s qualities and skills than the subject they studied? Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic is changing your plans for the future or you’d like to know what employers are saying about where things go from here. There are existing roles and ones yet to be created that could perfectly match your passions and talents… but how do you find out what they are? Get started, and broaden your horizons in this varied half-day programme. Students from all faculties, courses and qualifications are invited to join faculty guests and OU career consultants to investigate four themes: people-focused careers; innovation and entrepreneurship; how digital technology is transforming the world of work; and education sector roles. There will also be short, “in a nutshell” career-confident skills sessions covering CVs, assessment centres, interviews and tools to help plan your future.
Watch recordingAn important contributor to happiness and wellbeing is the ability to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones and create meaning from seemingly unpleasant situations. In this seminar Jeni Sanderson will talk us through the science of human flourishing and share reflective thinking tools that can help you take more positives from difficult situations and feel stronger, more productive — and improve your wellbeing and resilience in the process.
Watch recordingJust as they do for athletes preparing for critical races, psychology, recall skills and time management all play a role in helping you maximise your performance on the day of your exam. We will look at how remote exams differ from typical exams, along with valuable tips for maximising the examination time. There will be lots of time for questions and sharing of ideas.
Watch recordingThis workshop will focus on how to organise yourself physically, socially and psychologically for your remote exam. We will consider things like how to set boundaries with other household members as well as the practicalities of what’s involved with sitting an exam at home. There will be plenty of time to discuss how things may differ to typical exams, and how to set yourself up for your best exam result.
This workshop will discuss practical aspects of revising and preparing for your upcoming remote exam. Despite changes to the way many students are being assessed this year, common revision techniques can still be applied. We’ll go through the official guidelines to give an idea of what to expect. There will also be time to trade preparation tips with other students.
Procrastination can strike the best of us at the worst possible moments. In this short workshop Jeni Sanderson will explore what procrastination looks like for you, share a few theories to get you thinking, and offer simple motivational tools you can implement straight away. Expect a bit of science, a bit of reflective thinking and lots of helpful ideas so you can pick what works for you and get cracking.
The practice of self-care doesn’t have to involve a day out at the spa or any kind if grand gesture. In fact, wellbeing can found in momentary interactions and a deeper understanding of what really nourishes us as an individual. In this workshop Jeni Sanderson will share the science of why it’s important to take notice and care of your emotions, and guide you to explore what you can do to boost performance, productivity and wellbeing.
Watch recordingDistance learning can be an ideal way to spend time right now, and while some of the world has changed beyond recognition, for many OU students studying has been relatively consistent. Apart from things like changes in work, home schooling, a lack of social contact and many other challenges. At our SHL online social event we’ll have the opportunity to talk to other OU students about how we’ve found all these changes, and suggest ways that we’ve discovered new things. Guests will include Mike Batham who will tell us how he made sanitiser for Milton Keynes hospital and Jeni Sanderson, a life coach, who will explain why we can struggle at times like this and suggest ways we can turn some of the negatives into positives.
This live, online and interactive event is a fun way to meet other students. Log in from the comfort of your own home to view the event, chat with other students and participate in our studio panel’s discussions.
Over the last few weeks our worlds have changed. For some this presents a great opportunity to learn; for others it is a frustrating time — having to juggle chores, worries and stress. Whatever your situation, it's good to get together and talk to others. We’ll explore how stress can impact us, what we know from positive psychology about wellbeing, and some practical interventions that can help to lift your mood and make it easier to study. This workshop should give you new ideas and the opportunity to rethink strategies — both for coping, and for nailing your studies.
Watch recordingIn this session we will look at how we respond to stressful situations and how we can take steps to feel better in ourselves. We will also look at study strategies and establishing focus. There will also be an opportunity to learn about different types of support from the Open University. The event is an opportunity to connect with others and we will have space for general study skills related questions.
This workshop is a replacement for an earlier scheduled 'Developing your essay planning and writing' live broadcast