President Abi Pettit

Welcome to the University of Plymouth Students’ Union, I’m Abi your President for this academic year.

The first few weeks whether you’re on campus or at one of our partner colleges will be packed full of activities and excitement. I want to tell you about some of the lesser known information about your Students’ Union, UPSU may be known for it’s events, bar and shop, but I can assure you UPSU is far more than just a bar.

UPSU is YOUR union, run by students, for students. We are a democratic body which is primarily here to represent you individually and the rights of students on campus, locally, nationally and even internationally. Plymouth University has around 30,000 students both on and off campus, all of which become automatic members of UPSU when they enrol into the university.

As a democratic body, our members elect both full time (“sabbatical”) officers and part-time officers (Parliamentarians) to represent them in university decision making and the running of the students Union.

There are 5 sabbatical officer roles in the Students’ Union– President, Deputy President, VP Sports, VP Education and Welfare and VP Activities and Communications.

Each Sabbatical Officer holds a different remit within the Students’ Union and is also responsible for representing a Faculty in the University. We attend meetings with elected school representatives to ensure your concerns are raised in the university. Sabbatical Officers represent you in academic appeals, complaints and disciplinaries, to ensure fair decisions are made, as well as representing student views in University meetings and decision making. To find out which Sabbatical officer is representing your Faculty, please come into the Students’ Union and out on our welcome board in the entrance.

As President I hold, along with our chair of Student Parliament, an additional responsibility as we are additionally members of the University Board of Governors. This means we can ensure the student voice is heard at the highest level in the institution.

UPSU is in fact a charity, most Students’ Unions are becoming ‘educational charities’ registered with the charity commission. Your sabbatical officers are in fact trustees of the UPSU alongside 2 student and 3 independent trustees. The Board of Trustees are responsible for making major decisions which affect the organisation, however do not have any say in UPSU policies or campaigns. These are decided and guided by our Student Parliament.

Student Parliament is made up of Part-time elected officers, or parliamentarians who are there to represent a broad range of groups. Parliament meets once a month and makes important decisions on what campaigns we run, our policies and most importantly hold the Sabbatical Officers to account. In fact the bi-election for part time officers will be happening in October with nominations open throughout the welcome period, so if you want to find out more about parliament or running for a position, have a look at www.upsu.com or come talk to us in the Hive in the Students’ Union.

Welcome to UPSU

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Hello and welcome to this years first Knowledge edition!!

We have so much planned and its fair to say its going to be an amazing year. In this edition we offer you a what’s on guide to fresher’s plus loads of info about the union and what we do. Hope you enjoyLots of Love

Steph

Xxxknowledge@upsu.com

Our kind friends at Plymouth Pavilions have given us 2 pairs of Katy B tickets to be won for her huge

November 2nd gig at the Plymouth Pavilions

After huge demand for her sell out debut UK tour, dubstep superstar Katy B has announced her second solo UK tour “On A Mission”, heading to Plymouth Pavilions in November!

To win a pair of tickets simply tells us: How many sports clubs and societies we have at UPSU?

Fill out this form and return it to the Hive at UPSU. Closing date: October 25th.

The editor will choose 2 winners at random and each winner will recieve a pair of tickets

We are looking for people who want to get involved in this years Knowledge.

Designers, writers, editors everything.

If your interested email us at knowledge@upsu.com or

come visit our stall at the sports and societies fair!!

Welcome to The Knowledge

WIN Katy B tickets

SPORTS CLUBS:

NAME:

EMAIL:

MOBILE:

UniversityPlymouthSU

Editors welcome by Steph Driscoll

SOCIETIES:

Your Sabbatical team 2011 /12

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union is a democratic organisation led by students for students. The role of our Sabbatical Officers is to lead UPSU representing the views of students to

the university and the community. The Sabbatical Officers hold a full time role at the University of Plymouth Students’ Union. There are 5 Officers in total, and despite having different remits they

are all willing to talk to you about any issues regarding University life that you may wish to raise. If they can’t help you personally, they’ll certainly know where to go for help.

President Abi Pettit

Deputy President Rich Garratt

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Bonjour as they say, if you’re French. My name is Rich Garratt and I am your Deputy President of the UPSU.

Whether you are a new student or returning to the theatre of dreams, as the University of Plymouth has been dubbed, for another year of study. UPSU is an organization that is solely there to represent you! Whether this be academically or in relation to personal issues that may be troubling you our door is always open.

The University offers countless opportunities from being able to engage with a variety of diverse cultures which is spearheaded by the OH! (overseas and home) campaign to representing the University in one of our many sports teams.

The students’ union pride themselves on having something for everyone.

Should you have an idea about how University life can be improved please do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to represent you and will do my up most to aid any visions to become a reality.

I look forwards to the upcoming year and meeting you.

You may just think of your Students’ Union as a bar, although we have a pretty amazing one (even if we do say so ourselves), UPSU offers so much more. We have over 100 clubs and societies, a wide range of volunteer opportunities and a free confidential and independent advice centre. UPSU is here to actively campaign on issues that affect you, our members, be it locally, nationally or internationally! We are also here to represent you academically, through our presence at faculty and university-wide meetings. As your President I will work around the clock to make sure that UPSU does all those things and more.

Over the coming year I hope to make your Students’ Union the most environmentally friendly place it has ever been, working with the university and our student societies in spreading the green agenda among our campus buildings and even out into our partner colleges. I also want to improve our relationship with our local community, students can sometimes made a scapegoat

for community problems, I want to remind individuals that our students are part of the community and shout about the amazing ways in which our students give back. I will also be representing mature and postgraduate students and ensuring we offer opportunities and events that appeal to all our members.

You will hopefully see me in and around campus over the next year and will be based along with the other sabbatical officers in the Hive. So feel free to drop in and say hi, or email us with any questions, comments or suggestions that you might have.

I hope that you have a brilliant year here at the University of Plymouth and get to enjoy the Students’ Union, University and City of Plymouth as much as I do.

My task for the coming year is to gather the views of students and represent you within the university. I attend high level committees within the University and feed up issues which are raised by students on the ground to ensure that every student studying with Plymouth University feels that they are represented academically and are supported throughout their studies. I will also be promoting the great services UPSU has to offer including our fantastic Advice Centre (above the Hive) and getting out to speak to as many students as possible to hear first-hand what issues you are facing. This will help me represent you and strive to ensure that every students university experience is a fun, exciting, fair and most importantly, enjoyable one. From looking after Course Reps, to training you to run your own campaigns or signposting you to support

services in terms of accommodation advice, counseling, or even information about how to get more involved in UPSU whilst you are here - the union is here for you, and as a Sabbatical Officer I can help point you in the right direction! I can’t encourage you enough to get as involved as possible with university life, whether as signing up to be a course rep or a UPSU parliamentarian, both are vitally important in getting the voices of students heard around the University and ultimately can really drive change at Plymouth for the benefit of all students. If you have an issue you feel strongly about that you would like to share with other students, or that you think that UPSU or the University should be addressing then please do get in touch.

Have a fantastic year!

Hi everyone, as Vice President Sport it’s my job to make sure that all students at Plymouth have the best possible opportunities to get involved in sport and physical activity; be it representing the university in BUCS competitions or playing intramural sport with some of your mates on a Sunday afternoon.

My remit is to work with the university and local partners to make sure that sports development, from new facilities to volunteering opportunities, is at the forefront of development within the University. If you have any questions then please drop me an email or drop by the office and say hi in person.

Cheers!

Hello, my name is Jazz I’m your Vice President Activities and Communications here at UPSU.

I am here to ensure that students get the best out of Societies & Volunteering and that all UPSU activity is communicated back to you through our website (upsu.com), UPSU Facebook and Twitter. I also help out our student led media; UPSU Radio & The Knowledge , our paper, we are always looking for contributors for both!

Joining a society is an awesome way to meet like minded people and will give you invaluable experience doing something you

love, or just trying something new!Volunteering while you are at University is not only a rewarding experience but will help you with essential skills and looks great on a CV, we offer many opportunities, just pop in to the Hive in the SU and speak to our volunteering department!

As Sabbatical officers we are also here to represent you, the students at various different levels within the University and spend a lot of time in meetings with them to make sure students get a better deal!

If you have any questions or queries contact me.

Vice President Education and WelfareEmma Wilson

Vice President SportTom Davidson

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Vice President Activities and CommunicationsJazz Singh-Khaira

Ah democracy… it is defined as ‘the government of a country by its people, usually by a parliament or representatives elected by them.’ Well...although UPSU is not a country, we do have a Parliament (made up of elected student Campaigns Chairs, Sabbatical Officers, representatives and School reps), and of course we also have people-YOU! So together we can ensure that all our voices are heard so that our Union can improve and represent all of our 30,000 students.

Now that we have understood that UPSU is a democratic organisation, we need to understand WHY? What’s the point? Well, if you encounter any problems you want to rectify or want to help make positive changes to UPSU, you need democratic structures to ensure that your union isn’t being run in a corrupt, underhand kind of way! Ok, well that’s a bit extreme, but to make sure that YOUR union is run the way YOU want it to be, there are a number of democratic procedures in place so that you can make your voice heard; such as the Annual General Meeting (AGM), Student Parliament and sub-committees or our Elections to become an NUS delegate to attend national NUS conferences so your vote can affect students nationwide. The University of Plymouth also has 18 partner colleges (UPC) at which students can study degree level courses all across the South West. 10,000 UoP students study at partner colleges, but these students are often under-represented, as they don’t study on the main Plymouth campus. To prevent this, UPC Representatives are elected annually, from HE students at their college, to sit on Student Parliament and have monthly meetings with the Deputy President to help Partner College students get involved in the democratic processes of UPSU. So although democracy may sound a tad boring, it involves every single one of us, and we’re not boring… in fact we’re pretty damn awesome...so in a roundabout way, democracy must be awesome too!

The power of democracy is brilliant, and all you need to do to is get involved and VOTE in our elections!

Student Parliament is one of the highest democratic structures at UPSU; it consists of student representatives elected by students at the University of Plymouth to make sure that UPSU is doing what it is supposed to do in the way that it is supposed to do it. Parliament discuss and approve UPSU policy, run campaigns and invite key University staff, such as Bill Rammell - Deputy Vice Chancellor, to discuss areas of change or concern and to ask them the questions that YOU want to know the answers to.

At Student Parliament you can even mandate your executive officers to follow up issues with the University on your behalf.

Remember, any student can attend Student Parliament or question their Sabbatical Officers at any time.

Representatives from the Sports and Societies Committee also attend the meeting along with the Presidents of the RAG and Volunteering Societies, School Reps and Partner College Reps.

Parliament meetingsThursday 27th October, 18:30, venue to be confirmedThursday 24th November, 18:30, venue to be confirmedAGM – Monday 12th December, 18:30, SUBlime Bar, UPSUTuesday 24th January, 18:30, venue to be confirmedTuesday 21st February, 18:30, venue to be confirmedWednesday 21st March, 18:30, venue to be confirmed

Ben Lipscombe, Gareth Denney, Richie Skipper Anthony Walsh

Simon Griffiths

Jack Kenyon

Emily Robson

Rob Young, Thomas Starnes

Natalie Shilton

David Fraser

UPSU DEMOCRACY Student Parliament

Student Parliament 2011 members are: Independent Reps Welfare Campaigns Chair

Media Representative

Women’s Campaigns Chair

Mature Students Campaigns Chair

LGBT Campaigns Chair

Students With Disabilities Campaigns Chair

Parliament Chair The Parliament Chair is solely responsible for chairing Student Parliament once a month. The Chair must remain impartial and run meetings with an agenda of being unbiased and neutral. The Chair also attends the University Board of Governors meeting alongside the President, an opportunity that no other students have.

Campaigns ChairsThere are also several Campaign Chair positions on Student Parliament. These positions are responsible for chairing specific campaign sub-committees on Parliament. The Chairs must recruit volunteers to sit on the committees and ensure that the sub-committee works effectively. Any student can represent on a sub-committee and attend Student Parliament. The Chairs are one of the main representatives for all Union issues regarding their campaign area and will attend national and local conferences as appropriate.

Vacant Campaign Chair positions are:

* Racial & Ethnic Campaigns Chair* Postgraduate Campaigns Chair* International Students Campaigns Chair* Ethics & Environment Campaigns Chair* Education Campaigns Chair * Part-time Students Campaigns Chair* Placement Students Campaigns Chair* 3x Independent Reps

NUS DelegatesElected to attend NUS Annual Conference, ensure that the issues from the University of Plymouth students are heard and not ignored and to feed into national policy.

We need to elect 7 students to attend, the Union’s Lead Officer gets to go in an ex-officio capacity.

We need to elect the following positions in our By-elections:

Nominations for By-election positions: Open: 19th September 12:00 noon Close: 7th October12:00 noon

Voting for By-elections positions: Open: 14th October 12:00 noon Close: 20th October 12:00 noon

If you would like more information about a vacant position or would like to nominate yourself email elections@upsu.com or check out the website www.upsu.com

Whats on during freshers:

MON 19thUntil 7the OctoberBy-ElectionsNominations Open SEE UPSU.COM FOR DETAILS

9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:00 - 12:00 Mature + ReturnersCoffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

19:00 - lateSalsa Lessons and International nightILLUSION BAR

19:00 - late3 Bands 1 Night, Launch of Open Mic Night SUB:LIME BAR

22:00Fuzzy LogicSchool DiscoOceana (official student night)

TUE 20th9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:00 - 12:00 Student ParentsCoffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

11:00 - 16:30Inflatable fun gamesOutside the SU

20:00Bingo-BangoSUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateReloadedBeach/Foam partyWalkabout (official student night)

WED 21st9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:00 - 12:00 Post Graduate Coffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

11:00 - 18:00Welcome Fayre (Day 1)ILLUSION BAR & Roland Levinsky Building

14:00 - 20:00Outdoor Headphone Disco +BBQOutside the SU

20:00Score (Sports & Societies night)ALL SU barS

21:00 - 23:00Outdoor CinemaOutside the SU

22:00 - lateBoogie Nights.Mr & Mrs Hoff. Win free entry for a year!C103 (official student night)

THU 22nd9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

11:00 - 18:00Welcome Fayre (Day 2)ILLUSION BAR & Roland Levinsky Building

11:00 - 16:30Outdoor JamOutside the SU

14:00 - 20:00Outdoor Headphone Disco + BBQOutside the SU

18:00-21:00 Ice Age vote Screening. Family film fun.Jill Cragie CINEMA

20:00 - 03:00Dappa ThursdaysLaunch Night.ILLUSION & SUB:LIME BAR

19:30 - 03:00Dappa Boat PartyILLUSION & SUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateBang TidyWhere’s Wally popcorn partyK2 (official student night)

FRI 23rd9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

11:00 - 18:00Well-FayreILLUSION BAR

14:00 - 15:00Global Poverty Talk - Guest lecturerJill Cragie CINEMA

16:00 - 20:00TFI FridayALL SU barS

19:00 - 21:00ZumbaILLUSION BAR

20:00 - 03:00Coocoocachoo Back to School Fancy Dress PartyALL SU barS

SAT 24th11:00 - 15:00Meet the Parents PicnicDrake Gardens

Throughout the dayPremier League ScreeningsSee upsu.com for detailsALL SU barS

13:00 - 16:00Circus SkillsSUB:LIME BAR

13:00 - 16:00Treasure Huntstart in the SU

20:00 - 03:00The Saturday Night Project!ALL SU barS

23:00 - lateThe Sound LiveILLUSION UPSU

SUN 25th12:00 - 18:00Sports and Societies FayreALL SU, Roland Levinsky Building

20:30 - 0:00Radio 1’s Folk Face LIVESUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateSunday SessionRevolution (official student night)

22:00 - lateDairyThe dairy (official student night)

#Welcome Week 2

You need a sports card to join a club

See upsu.com for details

Folk Face Tickets

available from upsu.com & su bars

MON 26th10:00 - 12:00 Post Graduate Coffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

19:00 - lateSalsa Lessons and International nightILLUSION & SUB:LIME BAR

19:00 - lateOpen Mic Night SUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateFuzzy LogicUV PartyOCEANA (official student night)

TUE 27th9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:00 - 12:00 Mature + ReturnersCoffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

11:00 - 20:00Paint the town redOutside the SU

20:00- lateBingo-BangoSUB:LIME BAR

20:00- lateFreshers Comedy NightIllusion bar

22:00 - lateReloadedDanny from McFlyWalkabout (official student night)

WED 28th9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:00 - 12:00 Student ParentsCoffee MorningTHE LOUNGE UPSU

10:30 - 15:30Craft FayreRoland Levinsky Building

20:00Score (Sports & Societies night)ILLUSION bar

21:00 - lateBen Howard LIVESUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateBoogie Nights.Cops & RobbersC103 (official student night)

FRI 30th9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

16:00 - 20:00TFI FridayALL SU barS

19:00 - 21:00ZumbaILLUSION BAR

20:00 - 03:00Coocoocachoo OAP Fancy Dress with DJ GrammafoneALL SU barS

SAT 1stThroughout the dayPremier League ScreeningsSee upsu.com for detailsALL SU barS

20:00 - 03:00Fresh Fest!ALL SU barS & Outside the SU

SUN 2ndThroughout the dayPremier League ScreeningsSee upsu.com for detailsALL SU barS

20:00 - lateFreshers Fancy Dress BallOCEANA

22:00 - lateSunday SessionRevolution (official student night)

22:00 - lateDairyThe dairy (official student night)

#Welcome Week 3

Get your Ball ticket early

this is always sell out. See

upsu.com

THU 29th9:30 - 16:00NUS Cards onsaleSUB:LIME BAR

10:30 - 15:30Campus MarketRoland Levinsky Building

18:00 - 20:00Volunteer FayreRoland Levinsky Building

20:00 - 03:00Dappa ThursdaysSCRATCH PERVERTSILLUSION & SUB:LIME BAR

19:30 - 03:00Dappa Boat PartyILLUSION & SUB:LIME BAR

22:00 - lateBang Tidy.Geeks partyK2 (official student night)

For all up to date events and info see upsu.com and facebook.com/upsunion

Volunteering at UPSU?

Welcome to the new academic year, and hello to you if you have just arrived in sunny (!?!) Plymouth. The UPSU Volunteer Department is here to develop and promote student volunteering and can help you find the perfect activity to suit your interests. This is a quick guide designed to let you know how to get involved in volunteering, where to find out more information, and to give you a few examples of the sorts of things you can do. Check out the volunteer pages at www.upsu.com for lots of useful info, opportunities, contacts and advice, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Get in touchwww.upsu.comvolunteer@su.plymouth.ac.ukfacebook.com/UPSUVolunteers twitter.com/UPSUVolunteers

Visit us: Volunteer Office is located in the Hive in the Students’ UnionWe look forward to meeting you soon!The Volunteer Department Team

Why Volunteer?

As a volunteer you will have the opportunity to make a real difference to your local community, as well as the chance to learn valuable skills and practical experience that cannot be achieved from academic studies alone. During your time at Uni you will hear a lot about transferable skills, training and accreditation. Volunteering you help can gain these and gives you access to free training courses. It also gives you the chance to do something completely different and challenging! Details of all the training and opportunities can be found via www.upsu.com/volunteering

What can you do as a volunteer?

You may have a very clear idea of the area that you wish to work in already, however not everyone is sure about the area in which they would like to volunteer as they do not know what is on offer in the local community for example, and others may be interested in several different activities and want to gain experience in different areas.

If you are unsure about what you would like to do, don’t worry. We have information on a vast range of activities and projects; from one-off events, those that run twice a term, to the more time intensive opportunities that require a commitment of three hours a week or more. We are happy to arrange for you to ‘try out’ and visit several projects in order to find the right opportunity.

Here are a few examples of the types of things you can do…….

Assisting with English classes for • refugees and asylum seekers. Conservation work and gardening • activities at community projects. Help with after-school arts clubs or football sessions. Running dj workshops or media • projects at Youth Clubs. Assisting with the designing and • running of events for local charities. Serving lunches and assisting with • exercise classes for older members of the community. Science projects within schools or • with the open air laboratories group. Being an online mentor for anti-• bullying programmes. Taking part in sports and cultural • events for young people across Devon and Cornwall as part of the RELAYS project….and many more!

How to get involved….in 7 easy steps!

1.Check out www.upsu.com for information on projects and volunteering opportunities, and the Volunteer Policy and guidelines.

2.Join the UPSU Volunteers facebook group at www.facebook.com/UPSUVolunteers Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/UPSUVolunteers

3.Complete the Volunteer Enrolment form. This can be picked up from the Volunteer Department which is situated in the Hive in the Students’ Union, or downloaded from the volunteering pages on www.upsu.com/volunteering. If you require assistance with the completing of the form contact the Volunteer Office.

4.Once we have your form you will be invited to come and meet with a staff member to discuss your interests and to receive information on opportunities and activities.

5.Sign up for any relevant training. Visit the training section on the volunteer pages for all the info.

6.Visit your chosen projects and activities and start volunteering!

7.Keep in touch and tell us how you are getting on.

Volunteering and Training Dates 2011

28th September Moor Trees29th September Volunteer Fair1st October Rural Stations Project4th October Child Protection Training5th October Moor Trees5th October Rural Stations Project14th October First Aid Refresher15th October Basic First Aid16th October Stover Canal16th October Basic First Aid18th October Child Protection Training26th October Moor Trees29th October Cybermentor Training1st November Child Protection Training9th November Moor Trees9th November Rural Stations Project7th December Moor Trees8th December Foodbank Collection9th December Foodbank Collection23rd November Moor Trees14th December Moor Trees

The Advice Centre offers advice to students of Plymouth University on a wide variety of issues including;

Student funding – loans, bursaries, problems with forms and entitlement issues

Housing – contracts, deposit issues, disputes with landlords or housemates, council tax problems

Debt – what to do, how to budget

Benefits – are you eligible and how does this affect your student loan

Academic advice – course problems, appeals, retaking modules

Personal Advice –not sure where to go or what to do next. Includes pregnancy tests and information to other local specialist services.

Consumer advice – know your rights and what you can expect

Legal advice – referral for legal advice

Whilst the Advice Centre may not deal specifically with your particular problem they have access to many resources and will be able to point you in the right direction.

The Advice Centre is on the first floor of the Students’ Union, Plymouth Campus. To find us enter the SU through the door to the right of Loafers Sandwich Shop or go up the stairs next to the lift on the ground floor.Or email us advice@su.plymouth.ac.ukCall us on 01752 588373General information can also be found on our website www.upsu.com

The Advice Centre is open Monday to Friday, 09:30 – 16:30 during term time, this is a drop in service so you are welcome any time but there may be a waiting time during busy periods.

A reduced service operates during the vacation period, see the website for details. If we are closed or no-one is answering the phone please email us or leave a message and we will get back to you.

You know that doctors say they have ‘seen it all before’, well, we have heard it all before. Don’t feel embarrassed or think that you have a silly question, problems big or small we are here to help.

The Advice Centre team is made up of Lynne, Sue, Heather and Angela. The UPSU Advice Centre staff offer free, confidential advice and are totally independent from the University. Think of us as the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) for students, we are members of AdviceUK, which like the CAB is a national support network for advisors.

If we weren’t at uni, living and loving the life we all worked so hard to get - we would all HAVE to work. However the job market at the moment is obviously abominable, it is difficult to get a job, especially a full time one! So, take a second, and think about all the times you have taken the dreaded step and clicked ‘show balance’ on the ATM. How many times have you been distraught at your fiscal position? I bet all of you have at least done it once. But, is it a choice to struggle through? I say yes, of course it is!

Everyone constantly complains about not having enough money at university. Buying basics mince instead of a whole chicken - gin in plastic bottles from Sainsbury’s, instead of chilled Kopparberg from co-op and having to buy a low-quality, easily ruined t-shirt from primark or a high quality, rugged shirt from cult. Why not use up the hours we all spend watching Jeremy Kyle, repeats of Top Gear and Family Guy to work some extra hours.

Don’t get me wrong we are here to get a degree, a good one and most of our time should be spent revising, looking over lecture presentations and completing extra reading. But how many of us waste our time. Realistically, going back to the issue of the job market, how many employers are looking for another person, with another degree who have sat and done nothing over their time at university? The unfortunate reality is – none. How many of you have actively looked for a job? I bet it’s a very small percentage. You will be surprised but the margin that does, generally, get them! Your student union, the money centre and the countless shops in Plymouth all hire every year. All it takes is a quick visit into these places and inquire about the perfect time to apply. Can you really afford not to?

To have a job doesn’t just mean extra income, more money for nights out, more money for a better quality lifestyle or more money for a healthier way to eat. It means an improved CV, a more rounded candidate for employers to recruit and better career prospects in the long-run. Placement and summer internships have the same effect. Employers are impressed by them in, the same way they are impressed by those who have had jobs. Having a job is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, earn more money and improve your career prospects. For the sake of missing a few episodes of Gilmore girls or the only way is Essex we all know that it’s more than worth it.

Having a job at Universityskint or mint?by James Beck

MondayOH! and Latino society presentSalsa Mondays Salsa lessons followed by International Music 7pm until late

Open Mic night8.30pm until late

TuesdayTwisted TuesdaysRegular events include: comedy, free haircuts, sumo suits, free pool, karaoke, film and much more.8.00pm until late

Bingo BangoIts good old fashioned bingo with cash prizes every week.8.00pm until late

WednesdaySports and Societies nightIt’s Sports and Societies night find out how your club performed and help them celebrate a victory or commiserate a defeat.8.00pm until late

ThursdayDappa ThursdaysThe baddest Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, UK Funky. From 10pm

UPSU prides itself on delivering and varied range of entertainments and evnts to cater for all students tastes.

Indie, rock, metal, punk, ska, funk and more, we get you some of the best up and coming bands and performers as well as national names and local heroes. Highlights have included Professor Green, The Wombats, Modestep, Wretch 32, Seth Lakeman, Diana Vickers, Jo Whiley, Zane Lowe, Jaguar Skills, The Hoosiers, The Courteeners, Young Knives, Dizzee Rascal, Mr Scruff, Reel Big Fish and much more.

FridayTFI FridayIts Friday! It can only mean one thing, time to chill in UPSU with some amazing drinks deals, free juke box and great offers on food 4pm till 8pm

ZumbaFancy getting toned for your night out? Get down to Zumba classes in Illusion every Friday!7pm till 9pm

CucucachooThis is a night not to be missed with the biggest cheese and party anthems in town with some crazy fancy dress parties! And always loads of freebees to be had!10pm until late

SaturdayThe Saturday Night ProjectThe ultimate student night with legendary DJs every week bringing you Indie, Rock, Hip Hop, House and Party Anthems.10pm until late

SundayThe Big Bouncey QuizAlways a good laugh with cash prices to be won and great food offers!8.00pm until late

www.facebook.com/UpsuPar-

www.twitter.com/upsuparty-

Entertainment and events at UPSU?

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MondayOceana

TuesdayWalkabout

WednesdayC103

ThursdayK2 formerly known as KarmaUnder new management!

SundayRevolution + The Dairy

Partner nightclubs

Mondays: Oceana, Fuzzy Logic

Tuesdays: walkabout, reloaded

Thursdays: K2, bang tidy

Sundays: Revolution & THE DAIRY

We work with a selection of some of the finest clubs in Plymouth to bring you student only nights. You get cheap deals, great entertainment in a safe and relaxed environment. Your SU gets a donation to help finance Sports, Societies, Advice, Student Representation and all the other services we provide to help students through Uni. So please support them and your SU to ensure the best possible experience for all students. No other clubs work with us in this way so be a stakeholder in your Students’ Union and join us for the best nights out in Plymouth.

Wednesdays: c103, boogie nights

With a reputation as one of the finest student venues in the country, University of Plymouth Students’ Union provides only the very best in entertainment. Artists, acts and performers from around the world regularly take the stage to give Plymouth students what no other Students’ Union can!

With many of our events frequently selling out during peak times, these pre-pay cards mean you’re ready to take on the year one night at a time, without having to worry about missing a thing.

We will issue cards from the 5th September, from 10am to 4pm in the Student’s Union Building.

The year ahead looks set to make history, and it starts as it means to go on!

PLATINUM CARD

Basic Price: £99.00 (offers may apply relating to other memberships)

INCLUDES:

• Free entry & q-jump Friday & Saturday throughout the year• Free NUS Extra• Free Sports CardTotal value in excess of £200sale price £99Limited to 1,000 cards

Only a 1000 cards availablePay online and collect your card from the Students’ Union anytime after the 5th September.

You will be sent a unique code to redeem your free NUS Extra card from the www.nus.org.uk website. Delivery of this card will take up to 10 days.

PLATINUM PLUS CARDBasic Price: £199.00 (offers may apply relating to other memberships)

INCLUDES:

• Free entry & q-jump Friday & Saturday throughout the year • Free Freshers’ Ball• Summer Ball £5 discount• Free NUS Extra• Free Sports Card• 10% discount on U:Shop clothing• 10% discount at The Lounge• Pre-launch special event notification• 10% discount on UPSU promoted and managed events• Exclusive drinks offers

Total value in excess of £600sale price £199.

Only a 800 cards availablePay online and collect your card from the Students’ Union anytime after the 5th September.

You will be sent a unique code to redeem your free NUS Extra card from the www.nus.org.uk website. Delivery of this card will take up to 10 days.

There is always a first for everything and this is what you will find when embarking on your first year at Plymouth University. Year one is a year for firsts... First year at uni, first year living away from home and for many of us and first year of fending for ourselves.

For many, first year can be daunting. Familiarising yourself with new surroundings, living with people you have never met before, and preparing yourself for a degree. Just that word itself sounds grown up. But in-between the originally awkward hellos and the only finding out how to use the library at the end of the year, there is a whole lot of fun: societies, socials, house warming parties, living in halls, student promotions, independent study, friends for life, a lot of drinking games, fancy dress, fancy dress and more fancy dress. Most of all there are opportunities available to you which you will never experience again after your life as a student. From volunteering, work experience, working within the SU, NUS cards, cheap student prices, free access to computers and library books, student support, and crazy nights out. Remember to make the most out of every opportunity cast your way.

These are just a handful of things available to you as a Plymouth University student. Do at least one of these things and along the way you will stumble across many more. Check out the Plymouth University webpage as well as the Students’ Union www.upsu.com to keep track of all the events happening over the next few weeks and to discover which place will be best to visit on which night.

But don’t forget to enjoy your first year because, trust me time goes by very quickly, and you want to make this first year one to remember!

There is so much to do when you are a Plymouth University student so here are a few things that I think should be on your to do list:

1. Buy an NUS card. They will save you a lot of money in the long run so it pretty much pays for itself.

2. Take a trip to the Hoe. Pretty and peaceful and is perfect for an early morning jog or to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

3. Have at least one night a week at the SU. It will become your new best friend. Cheap drinks and lots and lots of music, from dance to rock. What’s not to love?

4. Visit the Uni church every Friday night for pancakes, tea and toast. Perfect midnight snack.

5. Join a society.

6. Buy a late night breakfast at Goodbody’s along with a pint of tea!

7. Watch your favourite sport team at the SU and make mates with fellow fans that will be there every week without fail!

8. Buy a Plymouth University hoodie.

9. Go to the Fresher’s Ball.

How to Fulfil Your First Year as a Fresherby Lucia Paulis

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Do you want to find out more about our 64 societies or the 54 sports clubs we have to offer, come along to the UPSU Sports and Societies Fayre.

All the clubs and societies will be there to introduce you to what they do and give you the opportunity to sign up.

Adventure & Expo• Airsoft• All Terrain Boarders• American Football• Archery• Athletics• Badminton• Basketball (W)• Basketball (M)• Boxing• Brazilian Ju-Jitsu• Breakdance• Canoe• Cheerleaders• Clay Shooting• Cricket • Cycling• Dance• Fencing• Football (W)• Football (M)• Futsal• Golf• Hockey (W)• Hockey (M)• JKD – Kung Fu• Judo• Ju Jitsu• Karate• Kickboxing• Lacrosse• Motorsport• Netball• Octopush• Paintball• Pole Dancing• Riding & Polo• Rowing• Rugby (W)• Rugby (M)• Sailing & Powerboat• Snowriders• Squash• Surf• Surf Lifesaving• Swimming & Water polo• Table Tennis• Tae Kwon Do• Tennis• Trampoline• Ultimate Frisbee• Wakeboard• Windriders• Yacht•

Sports SocietiesUPSU’s Clubs and Societies offer you the opportunity to really pursue your passions and be part of a group sharing your interests - from climate change to canoeing, or big band to basketball.

Being a part of a club or society offers you the chance to gain valuable experience and develop transferable skills which really do make you stand out from the crowd, if you’ve got the commitment the Union offers you the chance to ... represent the University in BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport)... plan a campaign... fundraise for charity... stage a musical... lead an expedition... organise a ball – the list is endless but if you want to make the most of your time at Plymouth then come to the Hive to find out more about our Clubs and Societies there are over 100 of them.

You need a sports card to

join a club

Afro Caribbean• Amateur Dramatics• Amnesty International• Asian Soc• Assassins Guild• Big Band• Cam Cru• Chemistry Soc• Chinese Soc• Choir• Christian Union• CivSoc (Civil Engineering)• Climate Change• Computer & Info Security• CrimSoc• Designers• DentSoc (Dentistry)• DJ Soc (UpBeat)• Environmental• Engineers without Borders• ESN (Erasmus Student Network)• Food Society• Free Tibet• Game soc• Geol Soc • Geog Soc• Hindu Society• History Society• Howard League for Penal Reform• Islamic• Juggling• Krishna Consciousness • Latinos and Spanish • Law & Criminal Justice• LGBT• Literature Society• Marine Biology• MedSoc• Musical Theatre• Plymouth Education• Plymouth Events• Plymouth Links (St John’s Ambulance)• Plymouth Pirates• PLUGS (Plymouth Guides & Scouts)• Poker• Politics & International Affairs• Pool & Snooker• Postgraduate Society• PsySoc (Psychology)• RAG Plymouth• Real Ale & Cider• Robotics Society• Rock & Live Music• Sexpression• SIFE (Students’ in Free Enterprise)• Sikh Soc• Socialist Workers (SWSS)• Steiner Waldorf Education• Termisoc (Computing)• United Nations• Video Games• VIP (Volunteer)• Welsh Society• Zoological•

Vice President Sport

Tom Davidson

More info on societies contact Jazz on: facebook.com/UPSUactscommstwitter.com/UPSUactscommsvpactivities@upsu.com01752 588378

More info on sport contact Tom on: facebook.com/UPSUsportstwitter.com/UPSUsportsvpsports@upsu.com01752 588378

Vice President Activities and Communications

Jazz Singh-Khaira