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The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode #15: Adapting from 'A' Levels to Academic Life at UniversityIf you're just starting out at University this academic year, or if you're currently considering your options for starting University in 2024, then this episode of the Wyrd Learning podcast is for you! Today, Alex and Tracy join forces with two A-Level students, Harri Jones and Emily Strong, to chat about the differences between learning at college versus university. How do you bridge the gap between learning facts on a board with your teacher, and developing the critical and evaluative skills that are needed to produce essays that will impress professors at degree level?
The truth is, you...
2023-09-1958 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode #14: Putting YOU in the driving seat on A-level results day Are you a student eagerly anticipating your A-level results and wondering what's next? Or a parent unsure of how to guide your child through the university Clearing process? Look no further! Welcome to "The University Bound Podcast," your ultimate guide to navigating the exciting journey from A-levels to university life. Join us as we delve into the crucial topics that will help you put yourself in the driving seat of your future.
Drs. Alex Patel and Tracy Dix, seasoned academics and university counselors, will be your hosts, sharing their wealth of experience and expertise to provide you w...
2023-07-2846 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 13: BISH BASH BOSH! How to get it doneIn today's episode, your hosts, Alex Patel and Tracy Dix delve into the fascinating world of time management, transforming their personal experiences and challenges into valuable lessons for all. They tackle the tricky reality of how traditional time management techniques often fall short, emphasising the power of a personalised approach. Listen to Tracy's captivating story of completing three assignments back-to-back during an all-nighter, demonstrating her undeniable tenacity but also the pressing need for better time management.
They explore the untapped potential of flexibility and creativity in assignments, like Tracy's out-of-the-box pomegranate-shaped poem, revealing how unconventional methods can...
2023-07-0754 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 12: The Reflective Healthcare Practitioner - How Reflection Can Change Your LifeOn this episode, Alex and Tracy welcome a special guest to our podcast. Jenny Prescot is currently a Specialist Midwife, with many years' experience of working as a Labour Ward Midwife, Practice Development Midwife and Labour Ward Coordinator in NHS Trusts in Birmingham and Warwickshire.
Jenny's also a longtime friend that Tracy met at the University of Warwick Pole Dance Society. Oooooh....If you've been following us for a while, you'll know how passionate we are about pursuing hobbies that really challenge us. If not, have a listen to our very first episode where we t...
2023-05-041h 09The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 11: The Write Way to Reflect: Unlocking the Potential of Reflective Writing AssignmentsReflective assignments are mandatory in many disciplines at University, such as healthcare and teaching. And, they're becoming increasingly common in other subject areas too, as a form of 'authentic assessment'. This refers to assessment that relates to something you might be asked to do in real life. In most workplaces, employees are asked to reflect on their past year as part of their continuing professional development. So, although many students dread reflective assignments, it will actually give you a huge advantage in your career prospects and personal aspirations, to practise, and use reflective techniques effectively. In this episode, Alex...
2023-04-2035 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 10: Academic Territories: How They Help Us To Understand Subject Areas of Knowledge, and Why We’re No Longer Talking About TribesIn this episode, Tracy and Alex discuss an influential theory about ‘Academic Tribes and Territories’that is used as a metaphor to understand how subject areas and the people who study and research them are successful.
Do you think ‘tribe’ is an appropriate word? In many ways it covers knowledge, behaviour, resources, languages and hierarchies within a group. But in other ways it conjures an impression of exotic, foreign, and primitive. Do we talk about the ‘sophisticated’ cultures that the west has claimed ownership of - the Greeks and Romans - as tribes?
Why is this useful f...
2023-04-131h 03The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 9: How to pick yourself up from failureThis is actually the first podcast episode we've recorded in MONTHS! Our last release was recorded during last summer’s heatwave, with fans on and curtains drawn, would you believe? It couldn’t feel more different right now - I’ve been working with a scarf on and remembering all the recording techniques we used to practise, but have forgotten through the past few months.
Well, there’s some authenticity for you, eh? We're all about embodying the (re-)learning process, so that we're actually practising what we teach. Having run Wyrd Learning for about 9 months now, we're sti...
2023-03-1754 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 8: The Pitfalls of PlagiarismIt has been a hot minute with lots of things going on in the world of Wyrd Learning, but we're delighted to finally release this episode called the Pitfalls of Plagiarism. We welcome, once again, Dr Catherine Armstrong, a Reader in American History at Loughborough University, to the show. Catherine has taught undergraduates and postgraduates for many years and chaired Academic Misconduct Committees, so her thoughts on why students plagiarise, how it's detected and how to avoid the pitfalls are so insightful. You'll learn a great deal from Catherine's experience - we certainly have!
We're also excited...
2023-02-1352 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeREPLAY: Starting Your First-Class EssayWe can’t believe that our LIVE ‘Starting Your First-Class Essay’ Workshop is already over! It was a really valuable session and we’ve really enjoyed running it. In this workshop, we talked about how your goal to do well in your assignments is connected to the student you are being, as you manage all the different opportunities available to you at University. We want you to become the self-assured 1st class student that you know you’re meant to be: One who prioritises all these opportunities, unapologetically, in ways that align with your goals One who has confidence in your in...
2022-10-291h 02
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 7: In Conversation - Study tips, with Kia MorantThe start of term is always very fast-paced, with so much information being thrown at you that it can all be very overwhelming. Many of you will have received your Module Handbooks, and information about assessments, perhaps even including your assignment topics. So we’ve released an extra episode this week to share some time-saving tips to help you read and study more effectively. If you’re a regular listener, you’ll remember that Kia Morant came on our show to share her experiences of settling into Uni. This week, she reveals some really invaluable strategies for learning about areas...
2022-10-1342 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 6: How To Navigate Your Reading ListOne of the first things you’re given on your university course is a reading list, or resource list, as traditional academic sources, such as books and journal articles aren’t the only items to feature on reading lists in the digital age that we live in. So, how do you know how to select from this list when you’re preparing for seminar discussions or starting on your assignment? This episode will break all the information down for you, provide suggestions on what to do when you don’t understand your recommended reading, and start to touch on how to c...
2022-10-1021 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 5: In Conversation - Settling into Student Life, with Kia MorantWe’re excited to welcome a special guest to the Wyrd Learning Podcast. Kia Morant is a third-year student studying Politics and Economics at Aston University who will be sharing her experiences of what it was like to start at, not one, but two Universities, as she changed course after a year at Goldsmiths in London. We’ll ask her what works for settling in, how she knew which course was right for her, and what she wishes she'd done differently.
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2022-09-2634 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 4: Tips to Fend Off FOMO During Freshers’ WeekDo you have to go to everything in Freshers’ Week to make friends, or can you opt out if a Ball, going clubbing or nights out aren’t your thing? Think about it. If you don’t like clubbing and drinking, then going to those events is probably going to attract people who DON’T like the same things as you. Everyone has a filter in the first few weeks, no one needs more barriers to getting to know others. It will take time to establish long term friendships and habits that suit you. Have a listen to our latest e...
2022-09-1639 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 3: Get Clear About ClearingAn interview with Dr Catherine Armstrong, involved in clearing and admissions at Loughborough University. Catherine describes what clearing is like and offers advice on how to approach it.
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By the way, we’d love to hear what resonates most with you in this episode (#3) so DM us on social media to let us know. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review so we can make it better and help more students.
2022-08-1348 minThe Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 2: Who're you calling 'Wyrd'? Or What's in a Name?Hello, and welcome to another episode from Alex and Tracy at Wyrd Learning. Today, we're going to hear the personal and candid story behind name 'Wyrd Learning'. It really tells you what we are all about and how we hope to help you learn the skills and approaches you need to use University to reach your goals. Let us know what you think, and please ask us your questions so that we can explore them in future podcasts.
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2022-07-2527 min
The Wyrd Learning Podcast - Understand Uni LifeEpisode 1: What do hobbies teach us about learning? Or, practice makes progressHello dear listeners! We are absolutely thrilled to release this pilot episode of our brand new Wyrd Learning podcast! Today, we introduce ourselves Alex and Tracy, talk about the work we do in a UK University and reflect on what it was like starting our degrees way back when we were teenagers. The most stressful bit was worrying about making friends and creating a supportive environment in which we could thrive in our studies. We both found this support through flatmates and extra-curricular pursuits - there are certainly many sports and activities to choose from at university. We talk...
2022-07-2016 min