Thoughts of a Psychology Student

It's been an interesting term at Bath. We've seen activism get up off the sideline having stayed dormant for years, and take it's time in the limelight after revelations around our University's governance and our Vice-Chancellor's pay. After the protest on parade around her pay packet, the release of the HEFCE report, our focus should really be turning to governance. The way Uni is run. The people who sit in those decision making positions. On the 14th of November, I submitted my first FOI, requesting all the membership of all the university committees and council from 2000 to 2017. Exactly 20 working days later, as stated in the terms and conditions of submitting an FOI, I received my reply. And this is what I found. Just before we begin let me be clear: It doesn't look to me like any standing orders of committees have been breached. Nobody appears to have served a longer term than the rules dictate. Similarly, it's not as if Glynis waltzes around

In September 2014, I moved from my home near Reading and started life as an undergraduate Psychology student studying at the University of Bath. As of September 2014, my predominant postcode has been BA2. I have done my food shopping in Bath supermarkets. I have drunk coffee in Bath coffee shops. I have gone to church in a Bath based church. I have spent my nights out in Bath clubs and eaten Sunday roasts in Bath pubs. I have lived next to Bath-born neighbours. I have worked for Bath and North East Somerset Council. I have mentored young people who commit crime in Bath. I have organised events which have raised money for charities local to Bath. I have spent 2 out of the 3 summers since moving here, working and earning money in Bath. Yet, because of my age, my student status, and a heavy dose of prejudice from some who live in this city, I am not considered a resident. Some, such as Eleanor Swift - resident in Southdown Road, Bath - would even go as far to call me a 'tran

I have never not been a young person. How mad is that. I have, for 7854 days, revelled in the glory of being young. But never have I revelled so much in that glory than today. Between the hours of 10pm and 5am this morning, my heart swelled at the growing realisation that us, young people, had turned up to churches, village halls, sports halls and schools across the country and put a cross on a piece of paper to make our voices heard. For years and years, we have systematically been screwed over by too often white middle class adults who, shockingly, haven't got a clue what it's like to be a young person in the 21st century. From university fees trebling, to the scrapping of maintenance grants, to the extortionate rent increases in the housing market, to leaving the European Union which allows us to travel freely, fund educational research and study in institutions across the world, we have constantly bared the brunt of these policies whilst politicians sit c

A Student's Guide to the General Election *links to websites might not work, so copy and paste the ones in red* Look. I get it. We're all sick of politics by now. We've all been politically saturated over the last year. Brexit. Theresa May. Trump. And now a snap general election. But I beg you, just hang on in there another month. Then I promise, you can go on your way. SO basically, this election is kind of a big deal. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but basically everything we hold dear in this country is going to the dogs. And when I say 'we', I mean us. Me and you. Young people. Students. Those that don't suffer from hangovers in the same way our parents do. The ones that always get asked to solve problems with iPads and Macbooks. Yes. You too. And for those of you who are like "hmm yeah that doesn't really apply to me".... guess what? It applies to you too. Because it's such a big deal, I wanna outlin

It's that time again. Cue the incessant Facebook posts, not-so-oscar-worthy campaign videos and flocking to parade to persuade your average bath student why they should give a crap... But before you click that 'unfollow' button on candidates' social media profiles, before you roll your eyes at the countless flyers, stickers and stamps, before you make a beeline for the underpass to avoid the harassing of students on parade, let me tell you why all this matters. Every time you've bought too many VKs in score Every time you've walked into the ARC stressed out your mind Every time you've won (or lost) a match with your sports team Every time you've performed on stage in The Edge Every time you've asked for help with your housing contract Every time you've voiced your concerns about your degree Every time you've read an article from BathImpact Every time you've wanted to hold Glynis to account for her biscuit funds Every t

Words are pretty cool right? These words you are currently reading allow me to address you specifically, and generate some sort of sense in your head so that I as a writer, can communicate with you as a reader. Words allow you to share your secrets with your best friend, disagree with that lecturer you hate and express opinions to anyone that will dare to listen to you. It is largely through words, that we are made known to the world around us. Words help formulate who we are, and how other people perceive us; what we choose to denounce, who we choose to praise, what we choose to question and things we choose to affirm.  For whatever reason, recently I seem to be coming across a load of new words: dearth, corollary, acquiesce, deleterious and germane, chronicity, spurious, abscond... the list goes on. All these different arrangements of letters with new meanings. A whole array of words that I didn't know. And this scares me. It scares me that there are hundreds of words