studentadviser

[studentadviser]

The latest from The Office for Students relating to the pandemic.

[studentadviser]

The Importance of Course Choice.

University fees cost £9250 per year! It’s vital to at least try to get on the right course the first time. Student Finance England fund your first degree. If you need to transfer it has funding implications. In this video I discuss your rights in-line with CMA guidance. Universities should provide detailed information about the course. I also give my top tips on choosing the right course for you. A must see for anyone contemplating University.

[studentadviser]

Personal Statement: Applying to University

[studentadviser]

Student Minds

Below is an extract from the Student Minds website. It has excellent resources and guides. Student Minds is the UK student mental health charity and they do amazing work.

This resource is here to help you be successful on campus, focusing on time management, relationships, identity, finances, sexual activity, mental illness, suicide and addictions and more. It also includes tips and strategies for helping students through challenging times and recommendations of where to go to get additional help, if needed.

[studentadviser]

Student Money Matters Magazine

Click on the link below for the most recent edition of NASMA's Student Money Matters magazine:

[studentadviser]

This is for anyone considering University but doesn’t really know much about it. Il be posting lots of of informative videos on course selection, applying, halls and funding. This one looks at what Higher Education is and how it’s regulated. I discuss the different levels and qualifications as well as looking at all the skills a degree can give you! If you feel able to support my YouTube channel I would be so grateful!!! I’m at a measly 22 subscribers 😂❤️ Thank you.

[studentadviser]

This is a short video about what you can try if your student loan is late or delayed. Have you fully enrolled? Do SFE have your correct details? What is your status when you log on? I also discuss other possible issues, bridging loans and tips for dealing with SFE. Please support my YouTube channel if you feel you can. You can help by subscribing, I truly appreciate your support. Also seek advice from your Student Union Advice Centre as they may be able to contact SFE on your behalf by using the SFE practitioners helpline.

[studentadviser]

A new platform for students. Support through Covid-19. It offers telephone, text and email support. It’s full of resources and articles. Worth checking out.

[studentadviser]

25 posts!

[studentadviser]

There’s a new platform called Student Space aimed at supporting students through COVID-19. In this video I introduce it and discuss the support it offers. Please subscribe to my student advice channel. I advised students for for 18 years and it’s full of valuable advice.

[studentadviser]

In this video I talk about the OIA guidance. The OIA is the ombudsman for Universities and deals with complaints. So once a student has exhausted the internal appeals or complaints procedures they can take their case to the OIA if they remain unsatisfied. The OIA are anticipating a spike in complaints this year due to the COVID-19 situation. I discuss their latest guidance and topics include tuition fee refunds, Universities having clear & transparent information and supporting vulnerable students.

[studentadviser]

In July 2020 the government published Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on isolation for residential educational settings. In this video I go over some of the key guidance and advice for students who are living in Halls this academic year. You will essentially create a new household and there should be clear guidance on how your halls are cleaned and kept safe. I also discuss what to do if anyone in your new household has symptoms.

[studentadviser]

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies recent publication shines a light on students and raises concerns. They talk about mass migration of students and how the under 25s are more likely to be asymptomatic, socialise more and are likely to attend super spreader events such as house parties. They are worried that students may brush off mild symptoms as “freshers flu” and be less likely to comply with social distancing and quarantine rules. They are calling for mass testing and for all students to be responsible. The wait and see approach if experiencing mild symptoms is unacceptable. They are clear in their advice...To get tested, alert the university and engage with the NHS track and trace, isolate and follow government guidance. Concerns are high that come Christmas when students return home that more cases will arise. All this and more is discussed here. I pick out the key principles.

[studentadviser]

The recent publication by the QAA on contract cheating and how to tackle essay mills, suggests that 1 in 7 students have used an essay mill. This is a different level of plagiarism and constitutes serious academic misconduct. Out of curiosity I went on the Trust Pilot website and it’s full of students absolutely delighted with their services. Some students have wrote reviews using their full name. No students names are mentioned here but a number of the reviews are looked at. They illustrate the QAA’s concerns that 1) Courses leading to professional occupations such as nurses and law students use mills, and this has wider social implications. 2) That students get away with it once they will keep doing it. Not all the reviews are favourable as you will see. Be smart don’t leave your full name reviewing these companies as it could lead to your University calling you to a meeting.

[studentadviser]

Students using essay mills has been increasing year on year and with them being difficult to detect the true scale is unknown. They think it’s around one in seven students.

They are putting more emphasis on it due to the recent publication of Contracting to Cheat in HE by the QAA. There is concern that with COVID-19 more students are feeling distanced from their university and essay mills target new students.

Staff are being trained on what to look out for so if you are a student be cautious. This video looks at how Universities are looking to detect essay mill assignments. They will be looking at previous work. They may ask students to provide meta data if they are suspected and regulations are being tightened up.

[studentadviser]

Essay Mills: The Ugly Truth

Part 3 of my Academic Integrity course shines the light on Essay Mills. A recent publication by the Quality Assurance Agency, Contracting to Cheat in Higher Education: How to tackle Essay Mills is discussed. They believe that 1 in 7 students have used an essay mill. This problem has wider implications. Does your degree have value? Can we trust that nurses, teachers and lawyers know what they’re doing? You can buy a dissertation and even a PhD for the right price.

Due to COVID-19 many students feel distanced from their community and will be targeted by essay mills. They use powerful marketing techniques and target new students. They use social media and hook students in with attractive offers and discounts.

There are many risks involved with essay mills. Poor quality, increased prices and blackmail. I attended a number of cases where they had contacted the students university because the student refused to pay extra money.

I would love to hear people’s views on this uncomfortable topic.

[studentadviser]

This is part 2 of my Academic Integrity course. This looks at the most common types of plagiarism. These are direct plagiarism, self plagiarism, collusion and paraphrasing. Plagiarism can carry penalties such as a mark of zero and as you progress through your degree the penalties can become more serious. This course takes a look at all aspects of academic integrity.