Category Archives: Support

Here is some information from the wider university service areas.

Study Skills Sessions: Maths Help

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We at SHU GoGlobal understand that this can be a stressful time of year with resits coming up. But never fear! The Bridge (just above the Adsetts Library café) is holding some Maths Help drop-in sessions to support you with any queries you might have before your exams.

All sessions will be 11.30am1.30pm and the dates are:

Monday 4th July
Friday 8th July
Monday 11th July
Thursday 14th July
Friday 15th July

There’s no need to book, so just pop in!

Student Profile: Amy Ng

We asked Amy Ng, a student from Hong Kong studying Molecular and Cell Biology, to tell us a bit about her time at Sheffield Hallam, and how she adapted to living in England as a Chinese student.

“As a new student, I felt very welcomed by the friendly staff and my coursemates at Sheffield Hallam and have quickly made many friends from all over the world through the social activities organised by the International Experience Team. I have also joined the International Career Enhancement (ICE) Club as a crew member.

The International Experience Team is very supportive to all crew members and offer us briefings, training sessions and ICE Club Xtra events which ranges from seminars by business leaders to business simulation activities. As a result, I have brushed up on my customer service skills and multicultural awareness, and have enjoyed the time working with and learning from local and International students.

Joining recreational clubs such as SHU Canoe Club and working as a student crew member for ICE Club have helped me gain confidence in interacting with friends from all over the world and working in a diverse environment.  In Sheffield Hallam, you will receive a lot of support for your aspirations.  This is the place for you to transform yourself!”

Many thanks to Amy for telling us how she’s enjoyed her Sheffield Hallam experience; if you’d like to be featured here to tell your story from any of our partner institutions, then please email us: goglobal@shu.ac.uk

Student Health – MMR vaccination call

Public Health England and Universities UK are asking students to check that they have had two doses of the MMR vaccine in the past, following an increase in confirmed cases of measles over the past few weeks.

Students who have not received two doses of the vaccine in the past, or who are unsure, should speak to their GP. There’s no harm in receiving an additional dose if there is any uncertainty. Symptoms can include cold-like symptoms, sore red eyes, a high temperature or a red-brown blotchy rash.

Public Health England has published a blog here on the avoidable health threats every student should know about. Keep an eye on their Twitter account @PHE_UK and Facebook page for further advice.

What can SHU GoGlobal do for you?

We thought it would be a good idea to highlight our Facebook page: what does it do and how can you get involved?

The SHU GoGlobal page is a place for us to speak to students, to give you information about things going on in Sheffield, opportunities to work and study abroad, as well as a social hub, enabling students from all around the world to come together and learn about each other’s culture.

It’s the best place on the web to keep up-to-date with what the International Experience Team are up to, as well as to be the first to hear about any opportunities to work with us to welcome and support new and existing students.

So there you have it, if you haven’t already then like our page!

International Experience Team shortlisted for Student Services honour

Although we’re a modest bunch here at GoGlobal, we do like to highlight the accolades that we get for our work sometimes!

We’re not in it for the glamour or fame, we really just like to help and support our students, but it’s nice to get some recognition for the fantastic work that the International Experience Team does.

We have been shortlisted for the Outstanding Student Services Team award from the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2016; it is based on our GoGlobal campaign (such as this blog, and our Facebook page), our engagement with our students on campus and abroad, as well as the support that we give students on a day-to-day basis, making them feel at home while they study here.

The ceremony will take place on Thursday 23 June, so wish us good luck!

For more in the awards and the other nominees, check out the THE website here.

The Bridge – Study Skills Sessions

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We at SHU GoGlobal understand that this can be a stressful time of year: exams are approaching and assignment deadlines are coming up as you get to the end of the academic year.

But never fear! The Bridge (just above the Adsetts Library café) is holding a range of workshops, covering everything  from dissertation writing to exam preparation and keeping calm under pressure. Here’s a list of the upcoming workshops:

18th – 22nd April – Exam preparation week

  • Monday 18th 12.15pm – 12.45pm Get Exam Ready This session covers checking what subjects to revise, being sure of exam formats, making use of past papers and scanning papers for mark breakdowns, managing your time. The discussion will set you up for organising yourself in planning your revision strategy.
  • Tuesday 19th 12.15pm – 12.45pm Short essays for exams Writing essays in exam conditions is a challenge. This discussion session will explore tried and tested ways to prepare for this type of exam
  • Tuesday 19th 2pm – 3pm Exam Wellbeing Drop-In
    Drop-in for a one-to-one discussion with a wellbeing practitioner.
  • Wednesday 20th 12.15pm – 12.45pm How to make revision notes
    Before you start revising it’s a good idea to make revision notes. This session will include tips on how to condense materials, fill knowledge gaps and present ideas for maximum recall.
  • Thursday 21st 12.15pm – 12.45pm Exam Wellbeing
    This group discussion session will focus on strategies and techniques for coping with the demands of the exam period to ensure you perform at your best.
  • Friday 22nd 12.15m – 12.45pm Memory tips for exams
    This interactive session will test your memory and enable you to try out new ways to store useful facts, then apply the techniques to your revision notes to maximise recall.

Writing café

11th, 14th, 18th & 21st April 2-4pm – Dissertation Writing

It can be very helpful to talk through the dissertation writing process. Come along to discuss your ideas, research or writing with a tutor and other students. Remember to bring along a USB stick with a section of your dissertation you are working on.

Whatever stage you are at, whether you are reading, planning, making notes, planning a presentation or writing up an assignment, you can drop in to work at the Writing Café, where an experienced academic skills tutor will be on hand to offer advice or general feedback on your work.

Explore the following topics for related information:

Study support

Library services

Library help

New home for SHU’s Institute of Education

The Sheffield Hallam University Institute of Education has a new home – Charles Street!

Built as a home for teaching courses from early years through to higher education – at every level from foundation degree to post-doctoral – it’ll act as a hub for excellence, innovation and knowledge advancement.

It offers a dedicated, modern space for our teaching students to learn and interact, helping to provide an exciting environment for our teachers of the future to flourish.

Check out the video below for a sneaky peak and interviews with key members of the IoE:

Scam Alert – targeting International students

Some of our international students are being called by scammers who claim to be from the ‘Home Office’.

The caller says they are from the Home Office and has the students full name, postcode in the UK and passport number, and asks the student to verify those details are correct.  The caller tells the student to go to the www.gov.uk website, and search for Home Office, and then scroll down to the bottom of the screen, so that the student can see that they are calling from the genuine Home Office number.  The caller ID on the student’s mobile, does show this number.

The caller then proceeds to tell the student they have not paid for an immigration service, and as a result have to pay a fine (usually £1200 – £1520), or else they will be reported to the Police/or the Home Office who will detain them or deport them.

The caller becomes increasingly insistent and verbally aggressive, and as they have so much personal information about the student, the student often feels so pressured and terrified, that they pay up.

The calls seem to particularly target students from India and Sri Lanka.

BEWARE – This is a very sophisticated scam! If they were to call you and you challenge their authenticity they may tell you to Google their phone number and verify their identity. Even the caller ID they use is the same as Home Office switch board number. They will have manipulated the electronics, webpages and links to deceive you. They can be very forceful and authoritative in their tone, even more so if they sense that you are scared.

British Police or Home Office never contact students in this manner, and they never ask for money over the phone.

If you receive a call of this nature, please do not give out any personal details (passport number, address, family details). Please do not download any software they ask you to on your phone or computer. Cut the phone and inform the police immediately. If you are unsure, please feel free to contact International Experience Team on internationalexperience@shu.ac.uk or call us on 0114 225 3813.

New Non-credit Academic Courses – now open!

The TESOL Centre is running two new non-credit courses for international students:

  • Writing your master’s thesis

This course is for international students who are currently writing or about to start writing their master’s dissertations. Sessions will cover, for example, structuring the text, writing abstracts and introductions, reviewing the literature, and making claims.

  • Writing your undergraduate assignments

This course is designed for undergraduate international students who would like to improve their written assignments and exams.

Sessions will include, for example, how to use an assignment question or topic to frame your answer, how to structure different types of assignment (essays, reports, case studies) and the language of different text types.

Courses start Monday 29th Feb and run for 5 weeks.

Day Activity Time Room
Mon, Feb. 29th Writing your master’s dissertation 16:00-17:30 Both classes will be in the classroom on the bridge in the Adsetts Centre.
Wed. Mar. 2nd Writing your undergraduate assignments 16:00-17:30

Important! You must sign up in advance for these courses:

To sign up for “Writing your master’s dissertation”
Email Lisa McGrath:
L.McGrath@shu.ac.uk

To sign up for “Writing your Bachelor’s assignments”
Email Brett Clifton: B.Clifton@shu.ac.uk

Welcome from your International Experience Team

We offer specialist advice, guidance and activities to help you make the most of your time here. We won the Sheffield Hallam Award for Outstanding Student Support 2014.

Come and see us if you have any questions. We are based at Student Support Services at City Campus where we offer one-to-one and group support for international students.

Every fortnight we will keep you up to date with immigration, social activities and opportunities to enhance your employability.