Student Services News

Exams can be scary. First, studying. Weeks of preparation, late nights and cramming are stressful. Next, waiting. The countdown to results day leads to anxiety and more stress.

Yet, there is a better way.

1. Watch for the signs of bad stress

Stress can be good sometimes; it can help you to work harder and focus. But it can also have a negative effect and make it hard to cope. Stress might be affecting you if you:

• Feel tense
• Get lots of headaches and stomach pains
• Feel irritable
• Lose interest in food or eat more than normal
• Not enjoy activities they previously enjoyed
• Seem negative and low in mood
• Struggle to sleep
• Always thinking about your exams or worrying about them

2. Talk about what’s happening

Talking about how you’re feeling can reduce the pressure and help you to feel more in control. Or it can help someone realise that they might be putting too much pressure on you. Why not try:

• Talking to a friend you trust
• Talking to a parent or family member
• Getting advice from other students on message boards
• Contact student services, a trusted lecturer or contact the University counselling and wellbeing service

3. Find ways to relax and take breaks

No matter how much work you have to do, it’s important to take regular breaks and find ways to relax. Taking a break can leave you feeling in control and research suggests it makes it easier to concentrate when you start working again.

Try the following tips:

• Set a timer to take a 15-minute break every hour
• Give yourself something to look forward to, like a treat or an activity you enjoy
• Plan when you’re going to start and finish your revision, so you know when to stop

4. Stay healthy

There are small things you can do every day to help you cope:

• Eat healthily – Make sure you don’t skip meals
• Exercise – This can clear your mind and give you more energy
• Self-care – find things that help you to feel calm and relaxed

5. Get enough sleep.

Getting enough sleep can help you to concentrate more and feel less stressed. It might be tempting to stay up late revising, but sometimes this can make you feel even more stressed.

• Decide when you’re going to stop revising and don’t push yourself to stay up later.
• Avoid caffeine, especially in the evening.
• Give yourself time to relax after you stop revising.
• Eat early in the evening.

6. Preparing for the exam

• Simple things make a difference. Do some planning and make a checklist of everything you need
• Prepare all equipment pens and pencils the night before.
• Go to bed early
• In the morning have a healthy breakfast to help you focus and concentrate.

Further support

Stress affects everyone differently, but if you’re worried, you don’t have to cope alone.

Contact student services, a trusted lecturer or contact the University counselling and wellbeing service. They will work with you to identify the issue so it can be tackled appropriately.

This guest post is written by the First Aid Training Co-Operative, as part of their campaign to raise awareness of the need for mental health first aid in academia and the workplace

Some people make friends easily, while others find it more difficult. Leaving home and starting at university can mean leaving friends behind, leaving a gap in your life.

Research shows a peak in the number of friends during our early 20s, followed by a steady decline as we move into our late 20s. Some friendships do last a lifetime, but people do change and friendships don’t always last.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to meet new people and establish new friendships. For most of us, that’s easier said than done. So how do you make new friends when you need and want them?

1. Recognize that it’s normal and even healthy to want to make new friends.
   1. Remember making new connections does not have to mean that you are being disloyal to your old friends.
2. Realise it’s not your fault you aren’t making friends.
   1. Nobody taught you how to make friends as an adult and how difficult it can be. Most advice (‘just be yourself’) isn’t practical and you need clear advice, which is hard to find.
3. Find like-minded people.
   1. Find a society or group on a subject you enjoy or have an interest in. If you can’t think of one, just look at the Student Union website and pick one that seems interesting.
4. Take a look at some of the connections that already exist in your life.
   1. Find something in common. One great way to meet new people is to think of something that you enjoy. Whether it’s looking after animals, reading books, cooking, playing videogames, or collecting something, someone else out there will enjoy it too. The good thing about meeting people because of shared interest is that there is always a topic of conversation.
5. If it’s not easy for you to make new connections, don’t give up right away.
   1. The idea of leaving the house or being surrounded by people might make you anxious. This is completely normal. To reduce anxiety, keep trying, setting new challenges each time. For example, at a first society meeting, you might want to just ‘drop-in’ for 30 minutes. Next time, try an hour. Then, try introducing yourself.
   2. Remember that there is no “one-size-fits-all” for making new friends. It might be as simple as just talking to other people. When making friends take the initiative you don’t wait for your friend to message you. If they don’t reply right away, don’t give up on them. Having a good friend means being a good friend too. Being there for someone and listening to them when they need you are just as important as them doing the same for you.

There is no doubt that making and maintaining friendships is important and takes emotional investment. In the long run, it is well worth the effort.

This guest post is written by the First Aid Training Co-Operative, as part of their campaign to raise awareness of the need for mental health first aid in academia and the workplace

HOW TO ENROL

The following is a step by step guide on how to successfully enrol at the University of Reading.

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

1. Before you arrive, you must complete part of your online enrolment. To do so, log in to the RISIS Portal and use your applicant log in detail. You must ensure that you are enrolled onto the correct course. Your applicant details are your confirmed University of Reading ID number as the username and your date of birth in the format DDMMYYYY as the password. You will then be asked for your RISIS security password.
   1. NOTE: If you have applied online for a postgraduate programme and you have not yet had your Reading ID number confirmed to you, please continue to use the encrypted link in your initial email until confirmation has been sent to you.

2. At this stage you must also indicate how your fees are to be paid, i.e. Student Loans Company. If your fees are self-funded, you will need to ensure that half of your fees have been paid before you can complete enrolment.

ONCE YOU ARRIVE

1. Once you arrive at the University, the first thing to do is to collect your Campus Card. If you are living in University Halls you can collect your Campus Card (and key – your Campus Card will need to be registered as a key) within your Halls. If you do not live in University Halls or you are living in Kendrick Hall, you will need to go to Palmer Building during the 19th – 23rd September to enrol.
2. After collecting your Campus Card, log back in to the RISIS portal using your applicant details. You will be shown your username which will consist of 2 letters and part of your student ID Number (Which is the same as your University of Reading ID Number). Your Student Number is also printed on your Campus Card! After this, you’re fully enrolled as a student of the University of Reading, congratulations!

Click here to complete online enrolment.

Make sure you re-enrol if you’re a continuing undergrad student! If you don’t you could be at risk of not receiving tuition loans this year. Even if you’re a Placement Year student, it is vital you re-enrol onto your course for the 19/20 academic year. Online enrolment commences on Thursday 12th September 2019 and can be done so via the RISIS Webpages. Add it to your diary!

As Welcome Week fast approaches, we would like to introduce you to our new events app! With lots of events and activities happening during Welcome Week, we want to make it as easy as possible to plan your week effectively. This app will allow you to navigate around the campus, create a personal diary and also keep up to date with the UoR Student Life Twitter where you can receive constant updates throughout the week!

Just search the ‘University of Reading Events’ in the App Store or Play Store and download today! Take a look at a quick ‘how to’ video below.

Please note that Student Services will be unable to issue transcripts for current students from the start of the exam period until final results have been posted. This is to prevent transcripts being issued with marks that have yet to be finalised/confirmed.

No transcripts will be issued from 5pm on Thursday 22 August until 5pm on Thursday 19 September 2019.

We are aware that some students will require transcripts, for example, to apply for postgraduate study. If you do require a transcript, please ensure you print a copy from the RISIS portal (under ‘Self-service letters’) or request this from your Student Support Co-ordinator before 5pm on 22 August.

If you are a Henley Business School student, you will need to contact your Programme Admin Team for a transcript.

If you require a stamped, hard copy of the transcript, you will need to request this from your Student Support Co-ordinator/HBS Programme Admin Team before 22 August or after 19 September.

For more information, contact your Student Support Co-ordinator or Student Services Reception.

When it comes to sexual health, it’s really important to know where you can go for professional, confidential advice and support.

Safe Sex Berkshire is a one-stop-shop for advice covering a wide range of issues relating to sexual health and relationships, including information on what local services are available to you and how you can access them.

The site covers a huge range of topics, including:

• general advice surrounding sex and relationships, including gender identity and consent
• information on types of contraception available, including emergency contraception
• local and home STI testing, including information about treatment for STIs
• pregnancy testing and options to think about if you are pregnant

Click through, take a look, and bookmark the page!

Safe Sex Berkshire also provides advice and information regarding what support is available in cases of sexual assault, as well as what you can do if you are worried about a friend.

If you are feeling worried or anxious about something and would like to speak to someone, the Student Welfare Team are here to help. The team offers a drop-in service in the Carrington building, available Monday – Friday, 10:00 – 16:00, where you can come along and speak to someone in person. Alternatively, you can send them an email at studentwelfare@reading.ac.uk and ask to arrange an appointment with a member of the team.

Do you have what it takes to promote your University to future students?

We’re almost at the end of the academic year, but there will be plenty of services, facilities and support available to you throughout the summer break.

Library
The Library building will be open 9am-5pm on weekdays during the vacation period and will be closed on weekends, with the following exceptions:

• Saturday 20 July: Open 11am-5pm
• Saturday 17 August: Open 11am-5pm
• Saturday 21 September: Open 11am-5pm
• Closed Bank Holiday Monday 26 August.

Please note that the Library@URS building will close to users after the end of Summer term, once Library study space furniture, services and collections have returned to the Library.

Student Services Reception
Monday – Thursday 9am-5pm and Fridays 9am-4.30pm.

Support Centres
Open Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm. You can find your Support Centre here.

Student Financial Support Team
The team do not provide a drop-in service outside of term time, so recommend that students email on studentfunding@reading.ac.uk or telephone 0118 378 5555 to ask for an appointment to speak with a member of the team, or visit the money matters website.

RUSU
The reception desk will remain open from Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm throughout the summer vacation period.

Mondial will be open Monday-Friday from 9:30-2:30.

Mojo’s will be closed throughout the vacation period.

Accommodation
This service is open same hours as usual:

Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm,
Friday 9am-4.30pm

The Halls Hotlineis a 24/7 on-site service desk dedicated to responding to issues or concerns in halls accommodation. The Halls Hotline team are available seven days a week and 365 days a year. You can call the Halls Hotline by calling 0118 378 7777 or by dialling 7777 from any of the wall-mounted phones located around halls. You can also e-mail reading.helpdesk@upp-ltd.com. If we need to get back in touch with you for more information we will call the mobile number you provide us with.

Catering

• Park Bar
  Open until 22 June then Closed. Midday to 11pm
• Park Eat Food
  Closed
• Ice House, Wantage Bar, Northcourt Bar, St. Patrick’s Catering and Wantage Catering will all be closed.
• Park House
  Monday – Friday 12.00-23.00. Closed Bank Holidays
• The Dairy
  Monday to Friday, 8.00-00.00
  Saturday 12.00-00.00
  Bank Holidays and Sunday Closed.
• Eat at the Square
  Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm
• AGRICULTURE CAFÉ: Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 3.30pm
• ARCHITECTURE CAFÉ: Closed Summer vacation period.
• BEFORE & AFTER: Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 3.30pm
• CHE VITA: Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 6.00pm
• ENTERPRISE CAFÉ: Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 4.00pm
• HENLEY BUSINESS SCHOOL CAFÉ: Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 4.00pm
• LIBRARY CAFÉ: Monday-Friday, 9.00-4.30
• SPORTSPARK CAFÉ: Monday-Friday, 8.00am–8.00pm,
  Saturday-Sunday, 10.00am-5.00pm

Please watch this space for further updates on University opening times over the summer period.