The #1 Students’ Union in the UK

Written By: Haseeb Iqbal

Run for the students, by the students! One of the best highlights at the University of Sheffield is the Sheffield Students’ Union which has made its students proud by being ranked as the best SU in the country for NINE YEARS consecutively! So, what is the Students’ Union? And what makes ours better than the rest? Well, you’re about to find out.

Aim
The aim of the Students’ Union is to represent all the students at a local and national level, making sure all students are catered for in order to provide them with the best possible student experience throughout their time at Sheffield.

SU Officers
The SU is run by a fantastic team of SU officers which are elected every year by the 26,000 student population of the University of Sheffield. Their job is to make sure that the SU runs smoothly, and to represent the student voice!

Services and Facilities
The SU makes every possible effort that every single student has a wonderful time as a student in Sheffield. Hence, students are provided with a wide range of services in the SU and a few of them are as follows:
SSID: The Student Services Information Desk is your student guide at Sheffield, where the staff is always there to guide you if you are unsure about anything, literally anything!
Student Advice Centre: The SAC aims to provide support to students who are facing any difficulties during their time at Sheffield. Whether it’s mental stress, homesickness, or social anxiety, the SAC always offers a helping hand.
JobShop: This the place where students can go if they’re looking from employment during or after their studies. They are more than happy to assist you in job applications, interviews and even advertise vacancies for students to avail.
Activities and Sports Zone: This is the perfect place for students to get involved within the University, the SU and even the local community. You can choose from a list of activities to go for, all the way for volunteering for a local charity or learning a new language through our ‘Give it a Go’ service.
Box Office: The box office if our one-stop-shop to get tickets for all the events happening around the SU, whether it’s a day trip to Cambridge or a Give it a Go Salsa class.
Film Unit: The Film Unit organizes cheap screenings of both the latest movies and the old classics for a truly catered experience.
Foundry: The Foundry organizes the SU’s very own night outs, hosts competitions like the annual Battle of the Bands and has welcomed quite a few well-renowned DJs over the years. It has also been nominated for the ‘Best Night Outs in Sheffield’ award.

Societies and clubs
The SU also has a list of more than 200 societies ranging from cultural and sports so that all students, regardless of their interests and hobbies, can find a variety of extra-curricular activities and socials to be a part of. However, if you can’t find anything of interest, you can start your very own student society!

With a wonderful range of facilities provided by a friendly group of staff and students, the SU is the pride of all Sheffield students during and even after their time at Sheffield. With a diverse student population and an exposure which is second to none, the SU has provided the perfect platform for all students to gain a variety of skills while having an extraordinary time at Sheffield.

More information about the Sheffield SU: http://su.sheffield.ac.uk/

The Sheffield Malaysian Games 2017 by Muhammad Zainudin

Website : sg.smsa.org.uk

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/SheffieldMalaysianGamesSMSA/

The famous Sheffield Malaysian Games was initiated by SMSA, a Malaysian society based in the University of Sheffield under the Student Union. The first Sheffield Malaysian Games was in 1999 where only a few sports were played amongst the member of the society. It has now grown massively and has numerous events across the British Isles. There can be up to 2,000 spectators every year. Participants registering for SMG 2017, was at a staggering amount of more than 1,000 players in 11 major sports. These include sports like Badminton, Ultimate Frisbee, Football and various others. Aside from sport, SMG2017 offers exquisite delicious Malaysian cuisine such as Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice), Roti Canai (Pratha) and Nasi Ayam Masak Merah (Spicy Chicken with Rice). In addition to this, we provide a day-care service for parents coming to the event with children. There are also non-food booths selling shawls, concert tickets and free-to-enter games such as the cyber games and mini traditional games.

I can still remember when applied to become a committee member for the SMG2017. This took place in October last year (2016), just few days after I arrived in Sheffield from Malaysia. I received a call the following day for an interview in the Students Union with the Director of SMG2017 and the president of SMSA. I was competing against good candidates but I made it through and was elected as Vice Director (MASSOC) of SMG2017. This year was the first time SMSA had ollaborated with MASSOC (Malaysian and Singaporean Society) and Sheffield Hallam University, so three Vice Directors were needed to represent each of the societies.

A lot of hard work and organisation went into making this year’s Sheffield Malaysian Games a successful one. It took a tremendous amount of dedication and effort, from the committee of SMG2017, which began in October 2016 right through until the day of the event, 18^th February 2017. We held fund-raising events, approached various sponsors, promoted SMG2017 through social media by making videos and had numerous meetings in between. Fortunately, we received generous funds from two sponsors, Chaffinch and MABEC. I was responsible for the Major Games, the Protocol Unit, the Equipment Unit and the Volunteering Unit as I was the PIC (person-in-charge).

On the day of the event, all the committee members arrived very early at the venue (King Edwards Lower School VII) at 6 am in the morning! We set up the food stalls, the sports equipment and signage to guide the players and spectators. At 7am, players began to arrive and the food vendors began serving their food. The Games then started at 8.30am as some players were coming all the way from Ireland and Scotland.

I was stationed at the Football Astroturf field to supervise football matches, as they were the most popular with numerous fixtures that needed managing. The Games were a great success with all the  sports running smoothly.

The event ended at 4pm and prize-giving ceremony which was presided over by our VIP guest, the Head of MARA UK, a government body that sponsors Malaysian students to study in the UK. He carried out an inspirational talk, acknowledged the great organisational work carried out by the SMG2017 committee and was very complimentary about the event. The Games officially ended with the presentation of medals to the winners from each sport.

I was very happy with the first event I successfully managed during my first year at the University of Sheffield, supported by a dedicated team. I learned so much from this event such as working with groups of different people with different backgrounds, communicating with sponsors and managing the committee to ensure everyone was doing their job. Even though I had a more senior role, I worked very closely with the advising them and was hopefully a good mentor.  I hope that SMG will continue its great legacy and approach more international participants in the coming years. 

MEET OUR INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING AMBASSADOR: ELSIE BADERINWA

My name Is Elsie Baderinwa and I’m a first year electrical and electronic engineering student. I’m from Nigeria, but I’ve been in England for a little over 2 years now because I was doing my A-levels in Brighton.  

What was your favourite subject at school?

I’ve always enjoyed maths and the sciences the most!

How did you decide which course to take?

Deciding which course to take was actually very hard for me. In fact when I applied to the university, it was for medicine. I was then offered a place for biomedical science, which I knew I didn’t want to do. So it was a very stressful an confusing period for me. But I’ve always really enjoyed maths so I KNEW I definitely wanted to do some sort of engineering, but deciding which in particular, was the problem. I finally settled on electrical and electronic engineering after several- very long- conversations with my dad. And I can honestly say I’m very happy with the path I ended up choosing. :D

What advice would you give the people about to choose a university course?

Think long and hard about it, and make sure it’s a field or subject you really enjoy, because even after university, you’re going to be doing it for a very long time.

What or who inspired you to follow this route?

My father actually was the one who supported me and gave me advice and as much information as he could. He is actually an electrical and electronic engineer as well, haha. 

How is studying your subject or method of learning at different at university than at school?

The major difference is the complete independence. You have to decide for yourself to do the work and put the effort in because no one will put pressure on you to do it. It’s your decision to go to lectures, pay attention, ask questions, do your work and hand them in on time. But if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with the consequences on your own. 

Best job/ most fun/ most fulfilling/ changes

To be honest, what I find the most challenging so far, are the labs. Well at least initially. When I try to read the lab sheets beforehand, I usually don’t really understand anything and I get a bit overwhelmed, lol. But it’s okay, because once you actually get into the lab and start doing it, after a little while,  you begin to get into it and actually understand a bit more, what you’re doing. 

What do you like to do when you’re not working on your degree?

I’m a bit of a homebody, so I like to stay in and read a novel or watch some tv shows. But I also really enjoy being around people so I like to go out with friends. I really like to be active as well so playing a friendly game of rounder’s or basketball, just generally any sport that involves a bit of running around with friends  :D.

Meet our International Engineering Ambassadors: Sindoori Muhunthan

Name: Sindoori Muhunthan 

Course: Bioengineering

Nationality: Sri Lanka

A little bit about myself first! I am Sindhoori Muhunthan, currently in my first year of Bioengineering at the University of Sheffield. I have lived my whole life in the tiny town of Kandy, in Sri Lanka where I attended an international school that follows the British education system.

Choosing the correct university for yourself, is one of the most important decisions of your life. I found it to be one of the toughest too. So how did I decide? Since our school followed the British curriculum, we had annual visits and education fairs from some of the best universities in the UK. This was one of the main things that helped me decide which university I want to go to.

Before this though, I had to decide which course was the best for me. I knew I wanted to be a part of the medical environment and contribute to healthcare, however, I did not see myself working in a clinical environment for the rest of my life. This led me to Bioengineering. Bioengineering is a diverse field, though relatively new, which attempts to solve biological problems that have persisted throughout history using engineering principles.

Once I knew which course of study I wanted to pursue, I had to find the best place for it. After a lot of research and tough decision making I decided on the University of Sheffield, and I am happy to say I have not had any second thoughts about my decision after arriving here. The most exciting thing about my course is the diversity of it. One minute you will be sitting in an electronics lecture, and the next you will be examining cadavers in the anatomy lab. We also have talks from guest lecturers who are a part of the bioengineering industry. This is one of the most valuable aspects of my course as it helps us stay in touch with the current trends and progress within the industry. Some of the main things prospective students should think about before picking their major would be to choose a subject they like and can see themselves working on for the rest of their professional career.

I must admit, leaving home and learning to live by myself for the first time scared me! I did not know what to expect since I am from a country with a completely different culture and different traditions. However, after coming here I realized that it wasn’t as scary as I expected and the transition was not too challenging. There is also an active Sri Lankan society here that helps me to stay in touch with my culture and makes me feel at home.

University work can be really challenging at times, but there is an abundance of things you can do here to relax when the work load gets a little bit too much! Joining societies and meeting new people is always a stress- reliever! You can make a trip to the Peak District and do a little bit of hiking and walk along with nature, or watch a movie at the Students’ Union (which is THE place to go to if you want to just grab a quick bite to eat or hang out with your friends) or maybe even engage in some sort of sports. However, you never need to worry too much about not being able to catch up with your studies. The Information Commons, which is a library, is open 24/7 and also, the lecturers here are always willing to help.

I am really happy I chose Sheffield and got accepted here! The city is lovely and safe and also an ideal place to do all your shopping. Living costs are also much lower when compared to other major cities in the UK. Overall, the experience I have had at the University of Sheffield have been amazing so far and I cannot believe I have already completed one semester here! Time sure flies by fast when you’re having fun! Honestly, I cannot think of a better place to live! 

Who said you can’t play sports during winter?

Written by: Min Q Lee, MEng in Bioengineering

Are you a sport lover? Afraid that you can’t exercise due to the freezing weather? Don’t want to play sports under the strong wind and cold? Don’t worry; Sheffield has great sports facilities for those who like to play sports. Sport Sheffield, is the University’s sports department: it offers a lot of facilities including swimming pool, sauna steam rooms, bouldering wall, squash courts and many more. 

Sport Sheffield also offers some sports that are exclusively FREE for the residents who live in University student accommodation. The programme is known as the Residence Sport. I have been involved in a few sports that I would like to share with you.

Every Wednesday, Sport Sheffield organises a table tennis social in Stephenson Activity room. It was indeed fun and I learnt to play a new sport. It was actually my first time playing table tennis in my life. (It is exclusively free with Residence Life)  

On Friday night, I will book my place online for a swimming session since I am not a party go-er. Swimming on a Friday night is the best way to release stress and relax.

This is the Olympic sized, 33m indoor-heated pool. The temperature is kept constant at 28 degrees. Lifeguards are also always on duty, supervising the swimming pool.

Changing rooms are also available. The changing rooms include lockers, shower rooms with shampoo, hairdryers and also a cool machine to dry your swimsuit (on your left).

If you prefer extreme sports, consider bouldering. Bouldering is rock climbing without ropes. Do not underestimate bouldering, it is not as easy as it seems. Every session of bouldering has a professional instructor to guide and explain some simple rules to you.

Bouldering was considered tough to me (because I am small sized and do not have enough upper strength), yet it was challenging and fun. 

David, he is a very professional instructor. He gave me a lot of useful advice and tips for bouldering. 

These are some of the sports organised by Sport Sheffield in which I have been involved so far and they are all exclusively free for residents living in University accommodation (how cool is that?!). Sometimes, after a long day of classes and studies, it is good to relax and give yourself a break.