Latest news with #studentlife
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The University of Ottawa Students' Union Partners with Bounce to Build a More Inclusive and Connected Campus for 2025-2026
OTTAWA, Ontario, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Ottawa Students' Union (UOSU) is ushering in a bold new chapter for student life on campus. With a new partnership with Bounce for the 2025-2026 academic year, the UOSU executive team is delivering on its promise to create a more inclusive and connected campus experience. A Leadership Team Raising the Bar Strengthening student life on campus at the University of Ottawa is the cornerstone of the mandate of new UOSU President Jack Coen. This includes every aspect of student life, from better engagement and visibility to a safer campus for students. 'Our executive team came into this year with a clear mission: make student life more accessible and more visible for everyone,' said Coen. 'We know how hard our campus leaders and clubs work to build community, and it's our job to give them the tools and platform to shine.' For many students, one of the biggest barriers to engagement is visibility. Without a centralized platform to showcase their efforts, clubs that work tirelessly to build community often go unnoticed. This year's UOSU executive team is bringing a new light to this old problem. 'We knew we had to tackle this challenge in an innovative way,' said Emilia Bah, interim Student Life Commissioner. 'There's so much happening at uOttawa, but it's often hard for students to find and navigate. When we saw what Bounce could offer, a single place where everything comes together, it became an easy decision.' With Bounce, the UOSU will join the top unions in the country who are bringing the entire campus experience under one umbrella in an intuitive, centralized platform. For student organizations, this means: Streamlined tools to manage members, recruitment, and communication. Smarter ways to promote events and attract students who align with their mission. Easier coordination of RSVPs, ticketing, and processing payments all in one platform. For students themselves, it means: Finding and joining clubs that align with their interests. Easily discovering new campus activities to try. Staying up to date on what's happening on their campus. "If Bounce had existed in my first year, I would have felt way less overwhelmed. There were so many events and clubs happening, but it was hard to know what was actually going on or, when, or where.' said Mari Laviola, a uOttawa undergraduate student, 'Now, everything's going to be in one place, like a living map of campus life. I'm excited because it's going to change how students meet friends, discover what we are into, and actually become a part of the community much earlier and more easily". Safety, Transparency, and Inclusivity The union's commitment to student well-being also guided this partnership. Bounce includes real-time event safety scoring, anonymous reporting features, and communication tools that prioritize transparency and responsiveness. These features align directly with Coen's pledge to strengthen campus safety. Bounce's track record at peer student unions, like its role in helping St. Francis Xavier reach the 99th percentile for event safety, offers a strong foundation for what can be achieved by Coen's team at uOttawa. Built for a Better Tomorrow As the UOSU navigates an exciting year of transition and renewed purpose, this partnership positions them at the forefront of innovation in student engagement. The whole executive team is united in their goal to build a campus where no student feels left out, and where participation is seamless, safe, and celebrated. 'This isn't just about new technology or another tool,' said Coen. 'This is about finally solving a problem that students have been facing for years of not knowing where to go or how to get involved. We're proud to be joining the ranks of the great student unions across the country who are choosing a better, more connected path forward.' In addition to student life tools, Bounce also offers centralized, easy-to-use workflows for event approvals, club budget requests, and student elections management. These governance tools are available to any student union looking to save time and money by simplifying their internal processes. The UOSU joins a rapidly growing list of top student unions in Canada who are transforming student engagement with Bounce. Ready to join the movement and bring your student union to the forefront? Let's talk.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Essential college dorm items for comfort, storage, and style
Moving into a college dorm is an exciting milestone, but figuring out what to bring can feel overwhelming. From late night study sessions to shared bathrooms and limited storage, dorm life comes with its own unique set of challenges. I've moved three kids into college, and I put together this college dorm essentials guide to help you pack smart and settle in with ease. Whether you're a freshman or a returning student, these must-haves will help make your space more comfortable, functional, and truly your own. Here's what to pack to make college life a little easier. Furniture Bed Bath Organization and Household
CNA
14-07-2025
- General
- CNA
'The more internships, the better': Why some secondary school students are starting the hustle early
SINGAPORE: While many teenagers spent their March school holidays catching up with friends, Secondary 4 student Aloysius Lim had a different plan. Instead of hitting the badminton courts with his friends, the 16-year-old was busy interning – his first experience in the working world. The Temasek Secondary School student, an ex-student council president and former captain of the school's softball team, spent two months interning at social enterprise Make the Change. It initially felt "strange" to turn down his friends' social invitations because he had to work, he said, especially as some friends did not understand why he was doing an internship at his age. But the question he asked himself was: "Why didn't I start earlier?" FROM STUDENT PROJECTS TO REAL-WORLD PURPOSE Aloysius' interest in social innovation – finding novel solutions to pressing social needs – began when he designed interactive booths to promote healthy living at a school event. He realised he wanted to make a "tangible difference" in people's lives. Still, internships did not cross his mind until a chat with his school's education and career guidance counsellor, who encouraged him to apply to Make the Change. It didn't occur to him that internships were an option for secondary school students, Aloysius said, adding that students are used to schools organising everything for them. "But it's important for us to recognise that you can create these opportunities for yourself. You don't have to wait for your school to initiate it; you don't have to wait for your school to hand you an invite on a silver platter." Aloysius' internship was meant to be a week-long programme, during which he represented the social enterprise at a youth festival and facilitated discussions at a workshop. But he chose to extend it for another two months while attending school, determined to complete a project he had been working on. ONE INTERNSHIP AT A TIME Aloysius is part of a small but growing group of secondary school students proactively seeking internships – often unpaid – as a way to gain work experience and explore career paths early. Sarah, a Year 4 student at Raffles Girls' School (RGS) who spoke under a pseudonym, shares the same mindset. She sought out her first internship in Year 3, shadowing a nephrologist or kidney specialist at a primary care family clinic. "(For) a lot of people, the reason why they start internships maybe in JC is because they're not really sure which field they're interested in,' she said. But Sarah had always been "obsessed" with health since she was a child and knew she was interested in medicine as early as lower secondary. During the June school holidays this year, she interned at a dental clinic to explore another medical specialisation. Observing different practitioners helped her understand the daily work of various doctors, Sarah said. But she also has a more practical reason for pursuing these internships – they look good on university applications, especially for overseas institutions, as they show commitment to the field. "The more internships, the better. You do one every holiday, you'd have five or six by the time you go to university,' she said. Both of Sarah's internships lasted five days, which she felt was enough to gain insight into each role. Neither Sarah nor Aloysius was paid for their internships, but both said the experience was more valuable than financial compensation. SUPPORTIVE PARENTS, CHALLENGES FACED Parental support has been key for both students. Aloysius said his mother had "no qualms" about his decision to intern, knowing he was passionate about the cause. Though she doesn't speak English well and found it hard to fully grasp the nature of his work, she gave him full freedom to pursue it. Sarah also received support from her family – particularly from her father, who helped her secure her first internship. Primary school teacher Evelyn Wu, a 47-year-old mother of three, remembers her own internship experience well. When she was in Secondary 3, she did a week-long work attachment in a lab that studied bacteria, fungi and viruses. That one week, she said, was unforgettable and confirmed her decision to pursue science. Ms Wu, who teaches science and math, now encourages her three daughters to pursue similar hands-on experiences. But securing internships can be challenging for secondary school students. Her eldest, 15-year-old Nadia Sze en Shahnawaz, said she hopes more companies would be open to taking on secondary school students as interns. The Secondary 4 student from CHIJ (Toa Payoh) wanted to intern at a pet shelter during the June holidays. She applied to various organisations but was told she had to wait until she was 16. "I basically could not find anything at all," she said. "There was nothing for me to do." Nadia hopes to become a marine biologist and is aiming for a research scholarship in polytechnic – a key step towards her dream university in Australia. She was willing to take on any internship or work attachment to build experience, even outside her area of interest. "I'm completely aware of the fact that there might be some problems in taking in secondary school students, because I mean, we aren't adults yet. So I can understand from that point of view,' said Nadia. "But I wish there were more opportunities for me to do certain things that I wanted to do, because there really isn't a lot that I can do as of right now to build up my portfolio." Aloysius landed his internship at Make the Change after he wrote to the organisation and cleared two interviews. Sarah's journey was more difficult. She spent four months applying to hospitals and clinics, all of which turned her down. She ended up enlisting her father's help, who linked her up with a doctor he knew at the primary care family clinic. She asked that the name of the clinic not be published as she was unsure if it was open to taking in other student interns. Her second internship at the dental clinic was easier, thanks to support from her school. RGS encourages its students to explore work attachment opportunities through its Work Experience Programme. Year 4 students are invited to apply for attachments with partner organisations across different sectors. "These experiences help them gain greater clarity about their interests, values and strengths, and how these may align with different career pathways," the school said. The programme is supported by alumni, parents and the wider school community. While participation is voluntary, the school said interest has remained strong over the years. Participants are required to complete a reflection exercise after their attachment to process what they have learnt and consider how it may shape future choices. What age can you start working in Singapore? In Singapore, the legal minimum working age is 13 years old, with restrictions. Those aged 13 to 15 may only engage in "light work in a non-industrial setting" such as serving drinks or cleaning. They may work in industrial settings like construction or manufacturing only if family members are also employed there. Between 15 and 16, they may work in both non-industrial and industrial settings. But in industrial settings, employers must inform the Ministry of Manpower and submit a medical report within 30 days of their employment. LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Make the Change, where Aloysius interned, has seen an increase in applications as schools encourage students to learn outside the classroom. 'We are one of the few that allow secondary school students and offer them a great experience, enabling them to learn and make an impact," co-founder Pedro Aguirre said. The social enterprise, which focuses on community empowerment through design and education, introduced its Young Changemaker internship programme in 2018 after receiving requests from schools and students. The programme is open to students of all ages, but the majority of secondary school students who apply are from upper secondary, said Mr Aguirre, who oversees the programme. Make the Change hosts about 40 student interns each year, mostly during the June or end-year holidays. Around half are referred by schools, while the rest apply on their own. Internships typically last one to three weeks – what Mr Aguirre describes as the ideal duration for the "best learning experience".
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘I almost had my leg amputated because of medical malpractice'
When Grace Ofori-Attah was a teenager, she was a keen netball player with a big group of friends. She was involved in student film, and she loved to write, having her first novel picked up by an agent when she was just 20. Then, as she was studying for her final exams at the University of Cambridge, she became 'increasingly out of breath', with pain in her legs and across her hips so severe it prevented her from sleeping at night. As a medical student, she respected the judgement of the GP she consulted, who wrote her symptoms off as stress, anxiety, asthma, sciatica, and then just 'that I wasn't healthy'. But 'you know when your body is dying,' she says, 20 years on. 'I was very, very ill, but these doctors were telling me that there was nothing wrong.' Eventually Ofori-Attah was left unable to walk, and was given a wheelchair by her college. The day before her medical exams began, 'my next door neighbour, who was this wonderful mathematician who I'd never spoken to, carried me with another student to the GP'. This time she was seen by a different doctor. 'He said, 'You have to go straight to the hospital. You can't sit your exams.'' It was deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There were clots all over her body, a 'huge one' near her heart. 'As someone who's a real geek, I just started crying. He said, 'If you don't go to the hospital now, you probably won't live to the end of the week.'' Today, Ofori-Attah know s that what happened to her as a student was medical malpractice. Her college doctor's negligence could have cost her a limb, or even her life. For a time, doctors at the hospital she was treated in 'thought I had lung cancer, because the clots were so extensive,' she says. 'They were also unsure whether or not they were going to have to amputate the leg.' Her parents had cause to sue, but the family took no action, and accepted the practice's apology. 'They're both very Christian. Eventually they just said to me, 'Look, you're going to be a doctor, and you're going to make mistakes too.'' Ofori-Attah recovered, without losing her leg, and she did go on to qualify as a doctor. She moved to the University of Oxford to finish her medical degree and eventually became a consultant psychiatrist, specialising in addiction. Experiencing malpractice herself, 'really did inform how I felt about medicine going forward, and how I saw the medical education I'd had,' she says. She decided to leave the profession five years ago. There was no dramatic exit. She became a doctor for the same reason that she is now a full-time screenwriter: that she was 'always interested in people, and why they do the things they do,' she says. Her most successful drama, ITV's Malpractice, is directly inspired by what she saw over the course of her medical career. At the start of the hit series, a man walks into the reception of West Yorkshire Royal Hospital with a gun. Angry and covered in blood, he demands that main character, Dr Lucinda Edwards, immediately treats a man who lies motionless on the floor next to him, with a bullet hole in his chest. It sounds far-fetched, but when Ofori-Attah was in Dr Edwards' shoes as a junior doctor working in A&E, 'there were two bodies, not one', she says. She declines to go into specifics, out of doctorly respect for her former patients' privacy, 'but whatever you see in Malpractice, the truth is probably worse.' The crisis leads to the death of a young woman under Dr Edwards' care who has had a drug overdose, leading the doctor to be investigated for malpractice, despite her impossible position. Ofori-Attah's parents were right: under the pressure of acute disasters, or just the day-to-day churn of patients who desperately need help, real-life doctors do make mistakes. It has only become more frequent since their daughter left university. Between 2023 and 2024, the NHS received 13,784 new clinical negligence claims and reports of incidents, compared with the 11,945 cases reported in the year up to 2014. Serious mistakes are common. Research suggests that one in twenty hospital deaths are avoidable, and are therefore a result of malpractice. Doctors have called for the General Medical Council (GMC), which investigates complaints about practitioners, to be scrapped. The British Medical Association (BMA) – the union that represents two-thirds of doctors in Britain – has pushed for the overhaul as it believes that the GMC is 'failing to protect patients'. At the same time, victims of malpractice often want to see doctors be held responsible publicly. The families of three people murdered in Nottingham in June 2023, have asked that the doctors who approved the release of killer Valdo Calocane from a psychiatric ward be named in the press, to provide accountability for 'poor leadership and bad decision-making'. Ofori-Attah believes that doctors should not be named 'until proven guilty'. The GMC will never be scrapped, she believes, but 'the way that they investigate doctors seriously needs to be looked at'. The process 'goes on for months', she says. 'It's not uncommon for doctors to commit suicide before the end of an investigation. Often when that happens, they're found not to have committed malpractice in the first place. It is so, so stressful.' Then there is the ordeal of the coroners' courts, which most doctors must face at some point. Here, grieving family members can cross-examine doctors who give evidence. So extreme is the situation that 'people assumed I must have made it up when it happened to Dr Edwards in Malpractice,' Ofori-Attah says. She would know. While working in a psychiatric hospital, Ofori-Attah herself was criticised by the grieving family of a patient who had taken their own life following a stay in the hospital where she worked. 'It was one of those situations where the whole team had been in agreement that this patient could leave the hospital. It was my job to approve a more junior doctor's assessment,' she says. After the patient was discharged, they were admitted to a private hospital, which they later left, before they died. Their parents wrote a letter to the hospital, which 'singled out my name in the notes due to its origin,' she says. 'They queried my competence and ability to speak English, and my qualifications, having never met me, and assumed that these factors must have contributed to their relative's suicide. 'It was unusual, and hurtful, that the parents took objection to me specifically. They wrote to the trust about this 'foreign doctor', who presumably didn't have good qualifications, and they wanted to know where I'd studied. I had to go to the coroner's court to give evidence on the stand, knowing that this family was going to be there with all these presumptions about my lack of ability.' Once her patient's parents heard her speak in the stand, however, they came to her and apologised. 'Because they had now heard me speak, they knew that I was not what they had imagined, and they understood that I had done my best for their child. I was so shocked, because I was only expecting anger from them.' In the end, no claim of medical negligence was ever pursued. Her ITV drama showed viewers what she knows about malpractice: that doctors inevitably make mistakes under pressure, no matter how well-trained and experienced they may be. But she also wanted lay people to know that 'anyone can be accused of anything', including a doctor whose Old Bailey trial she sat as a juror for, before she quit the profession. 'I was sitting there listening to the evidence, and I knew that there was no physiological way that what that doctor was accused of could have happened.' The doctor had already been named in the press. 'It's so unfair that this can happen, until there's evidence to support it.' How the public sees doctors has shifted dramatically in the last few years, Ofori-Attah says. Once, she and her colleagues were put on a pedestal. Now – thanks to a combination of an increase in real failures caused by pressure on the NHS, and pay strikes by junior doctors – 'we don't have the same support any more'. It's part of why many of her Oxbridge-educated colleagues have left the profession, or have moved abroad to continue practicing. 'You're there for patients, and if patients don't trust you, then it's very difficult to do your job.' As a writer, Ofori-Attah now finds that she can speak to patients in a way that she never could as a doctor. At the end of one exhausting day early in her career, 'I went to see a short film about depression that some of my sisters' friends had made,' she recalls. 'I'd been in the hospital all day, trying to get patients to follow treatment plans, and it's a function of being a doctor that they're not often that interested in what you have to say.' Seeing how her sister and her friends could reach people through their work 'was life-changing'. She then turned her hand to writing dialogue, having never been able to finish her novel. The script she wrote in two weeks, in a 'kind of creative manic flurry', became Malpractice. Despite all of her own trials as a doctor, and as a patient, Ofori-Attah can see herself going back to medicine one day. 'Leaving in the pandemic made it easier, because everything was so awful, but I really miss speaking to so many people from different walks of life, being there with them in some of their hardest or most important moments,' she says. 'There's no way of quantifying what that feels like. It's a real privilege.'
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
‘I met my best friend': two students on the many benefits of joining university clubs
There are few times in life better suited to trying new things than your student years. In fact, many people would say that's the whole point of going to university. Higher education is about more than just the subject you study – it's a time to meet new people, step outside of your comfort zone and discover new things about yourself. And one of the best ways to do that is by joining student clubs and societies. Now in the third year of his philosophy degree at the University of Lincoln, Thomas Woodcock is a member of no less than seven student societies – ranging from archery to animal sciences, the book club to bellringing, and Kin-Ball to philosophy. The 22-year-old's choice of societies perfectly illustrates the huge range of clubs on offer at universities – whether you're looking to keep fit, learn or maintain skills, dive deeper into your degree subject or simply socialise, there will almost definitely be something that ticks the box. While many of Woodcock's activities are new to him, the hobby that's proved most meaningful is one he's had since childhood, and has continued at university. 'I joined Lincoln University Guides and Scouts (Lugs) at the start of my first year, having been Scouting since I was six years old,' he says. 'Although it's a relatively small society, the community I have because of Lugs has really contributed to my enjoyment of uni. Many of the friends I have made are from Lugs, and I don't know what my experience would have been like if hadn't joined, but I do believe I would have been worse off – that's how important this society, the community, and the people within it have been to me and my student experience.' It's a sentiment that 19-year-old Maya Mathiou-Rose, now in the second year of her psychology degree at the University of York, can relate to. Unlike Woodcock, Mathiou-Rose has channelled her time and energy into just one passion – volleyball – but she has also found that the impact on her university experience has extended far beyond the court. 'Joining any society allows you to find like-minded people and form lifelong connections,' she says. 'I can personally attest to this – having met my best friend, Aurelie, during the team tryouts in first year, we've been inseparable ever since. I also met my three current housemates through the University of York volleyball club (UYVC) and the James College volleyball club. Playing volleyball has not only brought us together, but also strengthened the bond between us.' Woodcock and Mathiou-Rose are far from alone in feeling that their university experience has been enhanced by joining a club or society. A study released by British University and College Sports (BUCS) in May 2025, covering the previous year, found that almost 94% of students agreed that being involved in sport gave them a sense of belonging to their institution and its community. Another recent study, conducted by the University of Lincoln students' union, found that students who were members of a society (of 17,414 students, 4,351 were involved in an activity) were more likely to complete their studies. 'Of the 1,774 who have withdrawn this year, only 86 (5%) were activity members,' reads the report. 'This means that just 2% of activity members withdrew, compared to 10% of non-activity members, highlighting that students involved in sports or societies are five times more likely to continue their studies than those who are not activity members.' Joining a society (or seven) isn't just a great way to enrich your university experience, it can also positively affect your life post-graduation. Extracurricular activities don't only look great on your CV – adding depth and breadth to your life experience – they're also a great way to learn new skills and build your confidence. This is especially true if, like Woodcock and Mathiou-Rose, you go one step further and take on a leadership role. 'As the secretary of the UYVC I've developed key skills which are directly relevant to the career I want to pursue in human resources,' says Mathiou-Rose. 'It's given me real, tangible experiences to reflect on in interviews, like managing stakeholder relationships, handling logistics under pressure, and maintaining clear and professional communication.' As for their advice for the next generation of students about to embark on their own higher education journeys, Woodcock says: 'Go to the sports and societies fairs during freshers' week and talk to the committees and members. Register your interest in those that sound good, and go to the taster sessions. I promise you it will be worth it. The communities and support I have built have massively helped me over the last three years – I can't recommend joining a society more.' Mathiou-Rose recommends not just joining societies, but getting involved in their structure and management. 'It's through this deeper engagement that you gain experiences and lessons that you'll cherish for a lifetime.' For more guidance on the right course for you, check out the Guardian university league tables for 2025. The Guardian league tables for 2026 will be out on 13 September in print and online
