Successful Student Transitions - A Time to Thrive

by Louise Wiles and Elizabeth Gillies

Life is full of change and resulting periods of transition. For students, some of life’s big transitions begin as they move through education and then on to work, higher education, university and independent living. Learning how to thrive through these early transitions provides invaluable skills for future change and transition. This podcast shares insights and strategies to help students thrive in a world where change is t ... 

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Podcast episodes

  • Season 7

  • Rest Matters: Why Rest is Important for Exam Success

    Rest Matters: Why Rest is Important for Exam Success

    S07 E68
    29:12

    One of the health fundamentals we believe is the most neglected, is the importance of rest and recovery - and we’re not talking about sleep. This is SO important at busy and stressful times such as exam season and here we revisit an episode first published last year. We share: The seven different ways we can choose to ‘rest’ and ‘restore’ our energy levels outlined by Sandra Dalton Smith in her book: Sacred Rest: Recover your life, renew your energy, restore your sanity. Which would be your favourite? Why developing a rest and recovery mindset is so important and why rest is essential for good work and helping us to prevent ‘slow self harm’ (Alex Pang). The signals we need to look out for that suggest we need to take more time for rest and recovery. What signals are you aware of? When do you ignore the signals? The ways in which we have been programmed to ignore our need for rest. What do you think gets in the way of you and rest? Ideas for taking more appropriate rest and recovery time.

  • Be Revision Savvy: Strategies for Effective Exam Preparation

    Be Revision Savvy: Strategies for Effective Exam Preparation

    S07 E67
    35:09

    Exam time is looming and students are getting down to revision plans - and hopefully some effective revision! But what makes studying effective? How can students get the most from the time they spend with their noses in their books? In this episode: Bradley Busch from Innerdrive provides evidenced based strategies for students when studying for exams - he shares the following ideas: There's a difference between what we like to do when we are studying and what’s effective Studying is challenging work and isn’t easy! What helps to makes knowledge stick and different ways to retrieve the knowledge you need in the exam How and why spacing - is an effective study strategy The importance of starting your work early - we often underestimate the time we need Why effort is contagious and how to harness its power. The NASA rocket metaphor and how it can propel you into work space The truth in relation to distractions and their impact on the quality and quantity of learning 

  • Harnessing Exam Stress to Create Future Success: Strategies to help you thrive in exam season

    Harnessing Exam Stress to Create Future Success: Strategies to help you thrive in exam season

    S07 E66
    39:14

    This is the second part of our two part series discussing exam stress and how to best prepare to perform well in upcoming exams and/or assessments. Part one is episode 65. In this episode we discuss: Somatic exercises to help you manage your stress levels and maintain them at an optimal level. (Listen to episode 65 to understand what we mean by an optimal level). The Well-being Fundamentals that will boost your mental and physical well-being and performance levels. Organisation and revision tips and strategies. Ideas for approaching the exam and assessments in an organised, calm and focused way. What to do once the exam/assessment is over to aid your recovery.

  • Exam Stress vs Future Success: How to Shift Your Mindset for Positive Outcomes

    Exam Stress vs Future Success: How to Shift Your Mindset for Positive Outcomes

    S07 E65
    47:31

    It's that time of year again, all over the UK students are beginning to revise for upcoming exams and assessments. Today we start a two-part series on the subject of assessments and exams. This Episode is all about understanding exam stress, where it sits with you and introducing ideas for calming heightened levels of stress or arousal. The second episode, Episode 66 will be about introducing other helpful strategies for managing yourself through times of exams and assessments. In this episode we discuss: The Yerkes and Dodson explanation of stress arousal levels and the inverted U shaped curve. We talk about stress being a normal and necessary response to a requirement to perform and what contributes to creating an optimal state. What it feels like to move away from the optimal state and the impact our thinking can have on increasing stress levels beyond the optimal zone. We introduce a very simple but effective way to help create distance and perspective in relation to our thoughts. Why a double sided coin is a great analogy for understanding why we feel heightened levels of arousal. A mnemonic for thinking about thoughts – THINK, listen to discover more... Why we have a lot more control over our emotions than we think.

  • Season 6

  • Voices in Transition: Student Voices Anja University Transitions & Neurodiversity

    Voices in Transition: Student Voices Anja University Transitions & Neurodiversity

    S06 E72
    49:04

    Welcome to this episode where we celebrate student voices. In this episode Elizabeth speaks to Anja about her educational journey and autism diagnosis. Anja openly shares the highs and lows, the challenges and the ways in which she managed those challenges and survive her university experience. It was not all plain sailing and Anja shares an important message for universities about supporting students who find socialisation challenging. It is not all about the academic support. Listen as Elizabeth and Anja discuss: The very positive support University Disability Services provided for Anja as she arrived and settled into the academics of university life. The challenges that arose, how Anja handled them, and how better support could have made a real difference to her experience. The importance of seeing the bigger and longer term picture - and university as a path to a positive future.. The value of support outside of the university structure. Why it is so important to develop your ability to ask for help.