Advice and Welfare news

Safe Love is in the Air! Let’s talk about Sex baby…

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:54:00 Z

Safe Love is in the Air! Let’s talk about Sex baby…

With Valentine’s Day tomorrow we want to remind students’ that it is Sexual Health Responsibility Week.

We know that many of you probably have love on your mind this week, The Students Union want to encourage students to look out for mobile sexual health clinics around the Union who are always ready to give you all the advice and information you need about positive sexual health.

Unprotected sex can lead to sexually transmitted infections or diseases and pregnancy.

For more information and to find a local sexual health clinc in you area pop in and speak to our advisor Kim or visit http://www.suug.co.uk/welfare/health/sexualhealth/ for more information.

Also https://www.greenwichsexualhealth.org/ our local sexual health provider offer a full range of services and free condoms , so check the out. Alternatively https://www.metrocentreonline.org/ offer a specialist sexual health service to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexually and transgender community.

Let’s spread love the healthy way.

Budget Vs Brand

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:18:00 Z

And The Winner Is...

The SUUG Advice service held a competition at Re-Freshers in aid of our Money and budgeting month.

We held 2 baskets of food one budget and one branded food. The lucky student who correctly guessed the correct price won the contents.

So lets say a big Congratulations to Aya Magdi who started in Janurary 2013. Aya correctly identified that it was £7.20 only 4p out which was a fantastic guess so well done Aya .

Budgeting is a very important tool to have not just as a student but even once you have graduated and hit the real world.

You should check out www.studentcalculator.org.uk or www.studentcalculator.org.uk/international for international students. This is a tool set up by UKCISA and Brightside to help student make sense of their money. So check it out people.

Also remember next time you are shopping always check out the brands versions of your normal shopping items you could be making a huge saving which could go on a treat .

Brand Vs Budget Challenge Part2 : Calling All FRESHERS

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:49:00 Z

Calling all Freshers

You may remember from Freshers Fair 2012 that the SUUG Advice service held a Budget Vs Brand food tasting, to raise awarness that sometime cheaper tastes better.....

Re-Freshers week is upon us and as apart of our Money/Budgeting month we have brought to you Budget Vs Brand part 2 with a whole new task.

We have 2 baskets full of Budget and Brand food. Up for grabs

The catch : As we know this is a not so challenging challenge we have a catch! The freshers who correctly identfys the price of the Budget basket will win the Brand basket and vice versa

So get your thinking caps on and look out for us at Avery Hill Dome on the 22nd Jan and Cooper Building on Thursday 24th

See you then :)

Advice Service Christmas Opening Times

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:30:00 Z

Tis The Season To Be Prepared !

With the Holiday Season fast approaching us it is never too late to be prepared for what life throws at us. That in mind here is the Students' Union Advice Service Christmas and New Year Opening times.

Monday 17^th December - Thursday 20^th December	Appointments Only
Friday 21^st December	Drop In Session - 11am -2pm- Avery Hill Only Limited Service.
Monday 24^th December 2012 – Wednesday 2^nd January 2013	Service Closed
Wednesday 2^nd January 2013 - Monday 14^th January 2013	Appointments Only
Monday 14^th January 2013	Normal Service Resumes

You will be able to book an appointment by calling the Advice Line on 0208 331 8267 or by emailing an advisor at suugadvice@gre.ac.uk

On Friday the 21st December at The Avery Hill Southwood Site SU The Advice Service will be holding a Drop In Session for any last minute worries. This will operate on a first come first served basis .

The Advice Team would like to wish you all in advance a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Winter Brings Flu Season

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:44:00 Z

As winter approaches the SUUG Advice Service would like to help students prevent or reduce the incidence of influenza.

Flu is a highly infectious and very common viral illness that is spread by coughs and sneezes.

It's not the same as the common cold. Flu is caused by a different group of viruses and symptoms tend to be more severe and last for longer.

You can catch flu – short for influenza – all year round, but it is especially common in winter, which is why it is also known as 'seasonal flu'.

How are flu symptoms different from symptoms with colds?

Unlike symptoms of a common cold, flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. Flu usually starts with the abrupt onset of fever, headache, fatique and body aches. Here's a list of flu symptoms you might feel:

High temperature
Severe aches and pains in the joints and muscles and around the eyes
Generalised weakness
Ill appearance with warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes
Headache
Dry cough
Sore throat and watery discharge from your nose
Diarrhoea or upset stomach

Prevention better than cure

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Dispose of dirty tissue after use.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as flu virus spreads that way.
Maintain good basic hygiene; wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze and before eating to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to your face or to other people.
Those in high risk group should seek vaccination through their GP
Stay away from others if you develop flu-like symptoms.

Boots Offer The Winter Flu Jab Service costs £12.99. However, you may be able to get the vaccination for free on the NHS from your doctor:

If you are aged 65 or over
If you are pregnant
If you suffer from a health condition such as diabetes or asthma.
If you care for someone whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill

For more advice contact the advice team on suugadvice@greenwich.ac.uk

A fresh start to the year !

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:47:00 +0100

Freshers Fair News !!!! September 2012

As you recall at our Fresher’s fairs at Avery Hill and Greenwich the students Union Advice service held a competition to

engage students with the facts about alcohol units. We asked students to correctly identify the correct unit quantities in a 25ml shot of vodka and coke and also a 330ml Budweiser bottle.

The correct answers were

Vodka and Coke : 0.9 Units and Budweiser 330ml : 1.6 Units

Congratulations to Harley Mason a 1st year Architecture student who Won the Avery Hill competition and to Sean Giles a 1st year Law student who won the Greenwich campus competition.

They both received a ticket for the 2012 Fresher’s Ball ….. A big Well Done to them both

This quiz is also a gentle reminder to encourage students to be aware of their own personal alcohol consumption, especially during Fresher’s Fortnight when it can be easy to overdo it.

For further information on responsible drinking, see www.drinkaware.co.uk

And for free, independent and confidential advice on welfare and academic issues, please speak to the SU Advice Service. See www.suug.co.uk/welfare for further information.

Harley Mason being presented her prize by Dean Brander—Education and Welfare Sabbatical Officer

World Mental Health Day – Facts, Fun and Freebies in One Hour!

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:35:00 +0100

Wednesday 10^th October, 1pm at the Dome (Avery Hill Campus)

Wednesday 10^th October marked the twentieth anniversary of World Mental Health Day. The Students’ Union and the University’s *AccessAbility Ambassadors celebrated this at Avery Hill, handing out information, free (and useful!) stuff to staff and student visitors. 56 students and staff took part in the mental health quiz, helping to raise awareness of mental health issues generally. The 3 highest scoring answers went into a raffle for the first prize (a free University of Greenwich hoodie) and the two runner-up prizes of a £5 food voucher for the Students’ Union bars.

Our hoodie prize winner wishes to remain anonymous (put the hood up and he or she will be both warm and hidden from view!). Our runners-up are Jaimum Mistry and Rebecca Tomlin. (Jaimum is pictured here with Russell Sax with his voucher). Congratulations to both of them.

Russell Sax, Student *AccessAbility Ambassador, organised the event and the quiz. Russell writes,

“I am currently studying for a BA(Hons) Creative Writing Part Time. In the past, I have been a jobbing actor, singer, and most recently stand-up comedian, performing to hundreds. And sometimes one man and his dog! I have also suffered with bouts of depression since the end of 2005 when I left the job I’d been doing for 5 years. When I’m well, I’m a highly functioning person who helps others, and I’m doing well with my assignments…I’m getting a lot of satisfaction and camaraderie as a Student Ambassador working with a number of organisations…Starting at University can be hard at the best of times, particularly for someone in my position where my disability is invisible. However, there are a number of support networks at the University and the Students’ Union where there are staff who are willing and able to help. The Student Centres can help you find the best support and they’re available as soon as you start University.

My advice …is to go at your own pace, ask for specific help when you need it and find someone to trust for advice, a second opinion or a shoulder to cry on.”

In no particular order, here’s the answers to the quiz.

1 in 4 people in the UK are expected to suffer from some kind of mental health problem in their lifetime (source: www.nhs.org.uk/mentalhealth). Both rich and poor people suffer from mental health difficulties. But, maybe unsurprisingly, poverty and debt are both stressors. Debt in particularly is known to trigger or worsen anxiety and depression. According to the NHS, 70% of prisoners in the UK suffer from mental health problems. 400 people per 100,000 in the UK self-harm. Women are more likely to report a common mental health condition than men, leading to women being more likely than men to be treated for a mental health problem (29% compared with 17%). (Like the BT adverts say, it’s good to talk, especially if it means you get the help you need!)

The World Federation for Mental Health came up with the idea of World Mental Health Day in 1992. This year marks the twentieth anniversary. See www.wfmh.org/00WorldMentalHealthDay.htm. This year, Mental Health Day aimed to encourage governments and civil society around the world to address depression as a widespread illness that affects individuals, their families and their peers, and to recognise that it is a treatable condition. According to the World Health Organisation’s list of the ten most serious worldwide illnesses, major depressive orders are expected to rise from third place in 2004 to first place in 2030.

We can all feel ‘down’ from time to time, but if you’re feeling grumpier than usual for several days to a week or longer, if you stop enjoying things that you usually enjoy, and you feel that life is hopeless, those are all indications you may be depressed. Depression can be a disability (and you don’t need 3 doctors to say so!). There are a range of social and legal definitions of disability which consider how depression and other physical and mental health issues affect your ability to undertake daily activities. There’s no question that the effects of depression can be disabling for many sufferers. Depression is not a sign of weakness. It’s believed to be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. People can lead a normal life again after having clinical depression, but that’s not to say it will never be a problem again. You should try to tend to your mental and physical health and well being. Treatment for clinical depression usually involves a combination of medicine, talking therapy and self help. ‘Talking Therapies’ involve talking to someone who is trained to help you to deal with your negative feelings. Exercise has been proven to help depression, and is one of the main treatments for mild depression.

If you suffer from mental health problems, you might want to visit MIND’s website. See www.mind.org.uk. MIND’s Mission Statement is: We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. See: www.mind.org.uk

If you think a student is depressed or suicidal, we want you to tell a tutor or staff member as soon as possible. Any one of us who goes through a crisis can find it very difficult to think through situations logically and clearly, especially if we’re disturbed. Someone experiencing a breakdown or deep distress may not be in a position to think things through clearly. Contacting a University staff member can be an important step in making sure that your friend gets the help they need to cope. It’s not always easy to do this, especially if your friend doesn’t want you to tell anyone what’s going on, which is why there are trained staff at the University and elsewhere who can provide confidential emotional support.

The University Counselling service is free, and although part of the University, the service is confidential. Information is not shared with other departments without your consent. If students or staff have concerns about students who seem to have disappeared without warning, the Chaplaincy team will seek to make contact with missing students. The Students’ Union Advice Service can also be a starting-point for students to talk through their own concerns, or concerns about other students.

And there’s the Samaritans and London Nightline. The Samaritans run a 24-hour helpline for anyone experiencing emotional distress, including people feeling suicidal. You can phone or email. See www.samaritans.org for further information. London Nightline is a service for students, available from 6pm to 8am during term time. See www.nightline.org.uk.

Depression and mental illness don’t solely affect the sufferer. We know that many students coming to the advice service are caring for family members with disabilities, including mental health problems, and this responsibility can add to students’ stress. When the need for care first happens, it often comes as a shock to both the carer and the person being cared for. For Carers UK, shock is the first stage of the caring process (not Jonathan! Although about 1 in 3 answers thought it was). If you're a carer and want further information on support, including details of local services, see the Carers UK website (www.carersuk.org). And you can always come to the Students Union Advice Service if you’ve got questions about your entitlement to support, benefits, or on other issues.

Useful Contacts:

Samaritans (tel 08457 90 90 90, email jo@samaritans.org) – 24 hour confidential emotional support for people in distress.

London Nightline (tel 020 7631 101, email listening@nightline.org.uk) – 6pm – 8am during term time – confidential support for students in London

Greenwich MIND (tel 020 8853 1735, email mindline@greenwichmind.co.uk) – community based mental health services for people living in Greenwich. See www.mind.org.uk for information on services local to where you live.

Oxleas NHS Trust (www.oxleas.nhs.uk) – information on local mental health services.

Carers UK (www.carersuk.org, tel 0808 808 7777) – support for carers of disabled people, including directory of local services, and telephone advice line.

University of Greenwich: Go to the Student Support tab on the Portal for details of the Counselling service, the Chaplains’ Team, the Listening Ear network, and the Disability & Dyslexia Centre services.

Counselling Service – contact through the Student Centres on each campus, or online via the Portal.
Avery Hill – 020 8331 9444
Greenwich – 020 8331 9111
Medway – 020 8331 8722 /9366

Chaplaincy Team:
Avery Hill – 020 8331 9854
Greenwich – 020 8331 8271

Listening Ears – see the Portal for contact information. Listening Ears are University staff volunteers who provide confidential support. There are Listening Ears based on all 3 campuses.

Disability & Dyslexia Centre – see the portal for contact information on each campus. Email d-centre@gre.ac.uk , or contact via your Student Centre.

*AccessAbility Ambassadors – are you a disabled student? Would you be willing to talk about your experiences to prospective students at schools and University Open Days? And get paid for it? If interested, contact Melanie Thorley for further information (email tm34@gre.ac.uk)

Disabled & Diverse Students’ Network – for social events and mutual support. For further information, contact Melanie Thorley (tm34@gre.ac.uk) or Katrina Harradine (hk922@gre.ac.uk).

Students’ Union Advice Service (tel 020 8331 8267, email suugadvice@gre.ac.uk) – confidential advice on academic & welfare problems for students at the Maritime and Avery Hill campuses.

October - time to talk about Plagiarism...

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:43:00 +0100

“Do you pay for it? Do you? Hmm? Take precautions, or you could end up with something unpleasant!”

In case there’s any doubt, we’re talking Academic Offences.

If you ask someone else to draft your work for you, or if you copy someone else’s work, whether or not you pay them for the privilege, then you’re running the strong risk of committing the academic offence of plagiarism.

In case you don’t already know, the University uses a computer program called TurnItIn to assess if students’ work bears similarities with reference material and/or other students’ submissions, here and worldwide. So don’t assume that, because you bought an essay from someone over the internet, that no-one in Greenwich will find out. They usually do, and you will be the one paying the penalty! Penalties for academic offence can range from failing the assignment to being dismissed from the course – and in extreme cases, losing any academic credit gained during your studies at Greenwich.

There can be innocent reasons why your work may appear similar to someone else’s. TurnItIn isn’t conclusive proof, but it will be enough for the University to call you in for an interview, so that they can decide if you’ve copied others’ work or not.

If you want a qualification from the University of Greenwich, you have to earn it by doing the work yourself. If you’re asking someone else to write it for you, don’t be surprised if the University kicks you out.

If you’re finding the course difficult, or personal problems have left you too little time to do your work, do yourself a favour and contact your personal tutor. The University has a range of options to help you to manage your studies - you’re paying them tuition fees, so ask for support when you need it! And why not find out about Study Skills workshops on the University Portal? You can get support to help you write better-quality essays that showcase your ability and maximise your chances of passing first time.

If you’re facing an investigation for academic offences, you can get free, confidential advice from the Students’ Union Advice Service. We won’t pass on any information you tell us to the University or anywhere else without your permission, and if you need support, we can make sure you know what’s available and how to get it, from us or from others.

Contact:

Students’ Union Advice Service

Telephone: 020 8331 8267

Email: suugadvice@gre.ac.uk

For Study Skills information, see www.gre.ac.uk/studyskills