Charlotte’s Blog – A New Academic Year Has Begun!

Following the hectic schedule of Welcome week and Network week, the start of teaching has
heralded the return of calm to the GSA office! However, this new peaceful atmosphere belies the
daunting pile of box files full of papers now sat on my desk, and the number of committees to which
they pertain. Now, the real task of representing postgraduates has begun! Luckily for me, the
reintroduction of our weekly Tea and Coffee club (1-2 on a Friday in Vanbrugh S/GCR), provides a
welcome distraction at the end of the week 🙂

It’s been lovely to meet so many of you at our events over the past fortnight; we hope to see you
again at our various trips and events this term. If you’re interested in being involved with planning
events or giving feedback on our Welcome events, email communications@yorkgsa.org to get
involved in the GSA events focus group (The Events focus group this Friday provides free pizza – sign
up quick!). As you may have seen on from our emails and Facebook pages, nominations are
currently open for our council positions; roles which enable you to have a say in how the GSA
functions. These roles encompass sport, equality, events, colleges and much more – click here to
find out!  (I’m also informed that free pizza is a staple of GSA Council proceedings…).

The beginning of a new academic year can be tough, as the excitement of Welcome Week fades
away and modules begin anew. If you need any technical or information-finding support, the library
is running its set of ‘Digital Wednesdays’ events, providing a series of workshops on some of the
most common problems faced by postgraduate students. The library is also offering its ‘Living
Library’ day on Tuesday 10 th October to coincide with World Mental Health Day. Mental Health is
such an important topic at this time of year, where the stress of starting a new academic term can
exacerbate problems. Don’t ever suffer in silence! The GSA has its own advice service, and the
University runs a Mental Health team – Open Door – so whether your problem is academic or
personal, there is always someone to help. If you’re new to York and just want to see a friendly face,
do come along to our Tea and Coffee on a Friday; I will be attempting to create some cake
masterpieces to bring along 😉

 
The weather has turned cold, daylight is fading and the Geese are beginning to form protective anti-
freshers gaggles……
On the bright side – it’s only 11 weeks until Christmas!