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Our Student Ambassadors give you the benefit of their experience!

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Motivation: Enthusiasm for doing something.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org

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We are all different. This means we all have different challenges to overcome, and the ways in which we overcome them will vary too. For some people, they may find it difficult to find the motivation to start a task, whilst for others they may struggle to keep going once they hit a bump in the road.

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Please complete our evaluation so we know what you think works, what is most useful and what could be improved!
https://kentems.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y58ZA0xnNSncwZ

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Remember that school staff are there to support you; reach out and use your communication skills to explain how you feel and what help you need. If you would like to speak to someone outside of school, there are local and national organisations and a whole host of online resources where you can find further support and guidance.

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Comments and feedback can be sent to us at outreach@kent.ac.uk

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You've completed the activities and listened to our ambassadors. Now it is time to reflect on what you've learnt and plan what comes next...

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Welcome to Mind The Gap from the Outreach Team at the University of Kent. Join us and our Student Ambassadors as we aim to support you to get back to learning and fill in the gaps you may have missed while you were away.

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On completion of this project you will:
- Have a greater understanding of how you can give yourself the best chance of success and how to access further support to help you to do so.
- Have a learning journey tasksheet, individual to you, with your next steps, to help you as you return to full-time study in September.

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- This Page is made up of four units.
- Scroll right to access each unit.
- Units can be completed in any order.
- You can print and complete any worksheets, or just use a pen and paper and make your own notes on activities; you don't need any special equipment!

Each unit contains resources designed to appeal to a wide range of learners. Written, audio and visual materials are included. If you require any additional material to facilitate participation please contact us on outreach@kent.ac.uk.

Each unit contains suggested activities. There is a final task to help you plan your next steps, a signposting section for finding additional support and an evaluation document.

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Communication: The act of communicating with people.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org

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It's a well known fact that as you get older you want to talk less to older adults (parents and teachers to name a few) and more to your peers. The communication is easier, you feel more comfortable and it feels that your points are easier to make and often less challenged.

The truth of 2020 however, is that communication with parents, teachers *and* peers is vital. Effective communication helps you to express what you are feeling, clearly state what you need in terms of support and crucially it helps you to stay connected amid social distancing, which helps with your own wellbeing.

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How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it) - Katherine Hampsten

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Communicating - Top Tips from Our Student Ambassadors!

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Communicating - Top Tips from Our Student Ambassadors!

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Mind the Gap | Communicating | Top Tips for Effective Communication

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Make a list of all of the words that you can think of which illustrate effective communication. Try to think of at least ten. If you aren't sure, re-watch the ambassador video for some words you could choose.

Rank your words in order of importance (this will be individual to you).

Get creative! You can create an online wordcloud for free at sites such as wordart.com, you could create a collage of your chosen words and make your own word cloud on A4 card or create a word cloud with nothing more than paper and a marker - you choose how you would like to present your work. Remember, the higher you ranked the word, the larger it will be in your cloud.

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Helpful resources

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Teacher/Facilitator guidance is available upon request. Please contact outreach@kent.ac.uk

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Organisation: The ability to use your time, energy, resources, etc. in an effective way so that you achieve the things you want to achieve.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org

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Self-reflection: The activity of thinking about your own feelings and behaviour, and the reasons that may lie behind them*
https://dictionary.cambridge.org

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Self-reflection is a way to observe, learn and ultimately grow as a person. This process is particularly important after a period of transition, or change, which has certainly been the case with the Covid-19 pandemic this year.

By taking time to reflect on how things have changed and how you have dealt with that change, you can begin to think about where you are now and where you would like to get to.

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Organisation skills are essential if you are looking to maximise your study time and catch up with anything you've missed. Using simple organisation tools can help you to plan how to tackle your workload, assess your priorities and use your time more effectively to keep on top of your work now you are back in the classroom.

Good organisation consists of:
Planning
Prioritisation
Time Management

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Watch these recommended TED-Ed Lessons and TED Talks:

How to manage your time more effectively (according to machines)
Human beings and computers alike share the challenge of how to get as much done as possible in a limited time. Over the last fifty or so years, computer scientists have learned a lot of good strategies for managing time effectively - and they have a lot of experience with what can go wrong. Brian Christian shares how we can use some of these insights to help make the most of our own lives.

How to practice effectively... for just about anything
Mastering any physical skill takes practice. Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement, and it helps us perform with more ease, speed, and confidence. But what does practice actually do to make us better at things? Annie Bosler and Don Greene explain how practice affects the inner workings of our brains.

Try something new for 30 days
Is there something you've always meant to do, wanted to do, but just ... haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.

Don't have 10,000 hours to learn something new? That's fine- all you need is 20
Writer Josh Kaufman shares his own tried-and-tested technique to learn a new skill by putting in just 45 minutes a day for a month.

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? As the director of 75-year-old study on adult development, Robert Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

My year of saying yes to everything
Shonda Rhimes, the titan behind Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, is responsible for some 70 hours of television per season, and she loves to work. She has a name for this feeling: The hum. The hum is a drug, the hum is music, the hum is God's whisper in her ear. But what happens when it stops? Is she anything besides the hum? In this moving talk, join Rhimes on a journey through her "year of yes" and find out how she got her hum back.

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How to gain control of your free time - Laura Vanderkam

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There are 168 hours in each week. How do we find time for what matters most? Time management expert Laura Vanderkam studies how busy people spend their lives, and she's discovered that many of us drastically overestimate our commitments each week, while underestimating the time we have to ourselves.

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Consider these questions carefully, add up your 'Yes' answers to get your score and see where you can improve.

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Getting Organised: Watch our Student Ambassador Harriet demonstrating the 'Pickle Jar Theory' of Time Management!

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Mind the Gap | Getting Organised | The Pickle Jar Theory

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Helpful resources

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*Adapted from Stephen Covey's First Things First model of Time Management

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We are going to create a Motivation Poster to help you achieve the goals you have for this academic year.

Having a clear goal will help you to find the motivation to keep going when things are difficult.

You can either print the poster and write on it, type into the document and print it, or copy the structure onto a piece of paper and create it by hand. If you are writing by hand, why not use your creativity and use different colours and pictures where you think it would help!

Watch the video below to hear from our student ambassador Lily, who will explain an important part of the poster - how to create SMART goals!

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Creating a Motivation Poster - Instructions

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Mind the Gap | Staying Motivated | SMART Goals

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Helpful resources

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If you are struggling with the changes caused by the Covid pandemic -

Young Minds
https://youngminds.org.uk

NHS School Health Service
(You can self-refer to the School Health Team to request additional support)
https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/forms/school-health-service-referral-form/

If you want further help with learning and tools for achieving your best during your GCSEs

GCSE Bitesize
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Seneca
https://app.senecalearning.com

Quizlet
https://quizlet.com/features/learn

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What has the last year taught you? What would you like to have been told by future you at this point last year about the year you had coming up?
What would you have told last year's you would be needed to face 2020?
Watch our student ambassadors read their 'Letters to Last Year's Me' and then have a go at writing your own. Think about what you have learnt and what you will need to keep moving forward through the new school year...

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Reflecting: Our Student Ambassadors reflect on the past year with their own 'Letters to Last Year's Me'...

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Reflecting: Our Student Ambassadors reflect on the past year with their own 'Letters to Last Year's Me'...

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Mind the Gap | Reflecting | Letter to Last Year's Me

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Helpful resources

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An opportunity to reflect on the 2020 pandemic.

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SELF REFLECTION WORKSHEET PANDEMIC SPECIFIC July 20

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This quick ten minute exercise can be completed every day to help you to reflect on how things are progressing...

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If you need any of the resources included in this Padlet in an alternative, accessible format, please contact us at outreach@kent.ac.uk. Transcripts and audio/subtitled versions will be made available on request.

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How will this help me with my GCSEs?

This resource has been created to support you in your studies following the extended period of time away from classroom teaching during your GCSEs/upcoming GCSEs, due to Covid-19. It is intended to provide you with an opportunity to reflect, assess, plan and stay motivated to achieve your academic goals.

How long will this take?

The activity itself is made up of four units and a final evaluation. It is designed to be completed within 1-2 hours but if you want to take longer or complete more than one task per unit, you are more than welcome to do so!

Can I complete it myself or do I need a teacher to help?

The units within this activity can be completed in a self-guided format or with additional support where you feel this would be beneficial. Our team of Co-ordinators and Ambassadors are on hand to help with any questions or comments at outreach@kent.ac.uk

How can I give you feedback?

Feedback is always welcome and we'd love to hear your views on how helpful you found the activity, what you found most useful and what you think could be improved. Please complete the evaluation at the end of the activity and if you'd like to you can send us a message at outreach@kent.ac.uk