Coming to College can be a daunting experience. There will be lots of new faces and this could be the first time you’ve been split up from your friends since primary school. This short guide will hopefully make everything seem a little bit easier...

Talk!

On your first day you will find that lots of people will be in the same boat as you, so you will not be the only nervous one. Although most of our students have friends from school that come to the College, they might all be in different classes - or even different campuses! When you start your course don’t be afraid to talk to people. Your class mates will appreciate you making the first move and this can be a quicker way of getting to know the people that you’ll be spending the next two years with.

Set a goal

Challenge yourself to talk to a new person every day, whether this be at the bus stop, in your class, or in the library. The more people you chat to the more likely it is that you’ll find someone with similar interests, and make friends. By talking and hanging out with different people, you’ll get to meet their friends as well and this will be a great way to expand your social group.

Get to know people outside of class

When your class finishes see if anyone wants to hang out in the canteen, or go to one of the College's cafes for a Starbucks or Costa. This can be a great way of getting to know each other in a more relaxed environment, and also means you won’t be hanging around on your own while you wait for your next class. If you take the initiative by asking your class mates then you can build connections and you’ll soon make friends.

Join a club

There are lots of sports teams and clubs which you can join when you come to Weston College, and this can be an effective way of meeting like-minded people. You will already have something in common and if you don’t bond with the people on your course, then this can be another great way of meeting new people.

Be yourself

You'll be studying alongside people with the same interests and ambitions of you, so just be yourself and you'll naturally bond with the people on your course. Don't forget - if you ever want to talk to someone at the College or need help settling in - our expert welfare and pastoral support teams are on hand to help!

Step 1: Purchasing your bus pass

1. Go to the college website www.weston.ac.uk
2. Click on ‘Payments’ (at the top of the banner)
3. Click on ‘Bus Passes’
4. Scroll to the bottom, click on ‘Read More’
5. Select desired bus pass
6. Click ‘Add to Basket’
7. Click ‘Shopping Basket’
8. Click ‘Proceed to Checkout’
9. Log into existing account / Crete new user account
10. Enter ‘Student ID’
11. Click ‘Continue’
12. Select payment method
13. Enter payment and billing details
14. Continue through until payment complete

Step 2: Access your Student Email

1. Google search 'Office 365'
2. Select https://www.office.com/
3. Sign in with Weston College email and password (sent out with enrolment information)

You will receive an email confirming your bus pass purchase code to this email address.  Please note: it can take up to 24hrs offer enrolment for the email to come through.

Step 3: First Bus m-Tickets app

1. Download the First Bus m-Tickets app from the app store
2. Search for ‘Weston-super-Mare’ under region
3. Select ‘Buy Ticket’
4. Select ‘Student Travel’
5. Select the bus pass you have purchased a voucher code for. Please ignore the cost listed as this is the rate charged to the College, not the subsidised rate that the learner pays
6. Add the bus pass to your basket
7. Select pay now, where you will be asked to create an account
8. Enter voucher code purchased from the College

How to use your mTicket:

Your mTickets will appear as 'purchased' under 'My Ticket Wallet' in your App.

When you want to use it, choose the ticket you want (they are listed from oldest at the top to newest at the bottom) and select 'Activate now' – just to double check, you'll be asked to confirm that you want to activate this ticket.

When a ticket is 'Activated', the App will generate a moving image ticket on your phone's screen; this will stay active for the amount of time the ticket is valid for.

You need to show this to the driver when you get on the bus so they can check the ticket.

With £2.7 billion sitting unused in apprenticeship levy accounts, it’s clear many organisations aren’t taking advantage of the funding they’re entitled to.

Here are three simple ways that you can make the most of your levy:

1) Upskill existing staff

The apprenticeship levy is essentially a training fund, which doesn’t have to be used on new recruits. You can upskill existing members of staff – in areas such as leadership or management – to develop a stronger workforce.

2) Fill a skills gap

The apprenticeship levy can be an effective way of bringing fresh talent into your organisation, particularly if there is a specific skill that you need. Remember, apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers – you can employ higher and degree-level apprentices, who will be capable of making an immediate impact on your business.

3) Share your levy

You can now share up to 10% of your levy with another company. A popular way of doing this is by sharing it with organisations in your supply chain.

If you would like advice on the apprenticeship levy, get in touch with our Training Solutions team.

You can email apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk or call 01934 411 594.

Alternatively, you can find out more on the team’s webpage.