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2 Messages Director’s message 2 President’s message 2 Sachin’s thoughts 2

3 Cogito Ergo Sum Khilesh’s interview advice 3 Aislinn’s interview advice 4 Dhruv’s interview advice 5 Kamal’s interview advice 6

7 Inspiration 7 9 Reconnect 9 with Imran Miah

11 Culture

World Affairs - Hersh’s blog 11 Local – World Peace Cafe 12 Book Review – Being Good 13

15 Think Think Riddle 14 Bear Adventures 14 Discussions and Announcements 14

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DIRECTORS MESSAGE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

SACHIN’S THOUGHTS

2011, for our Level One, Two and Three yet another year has passed, with young aspiring ‘geeks’ making their way through the Insti-tute. So, what’s been new and different this year? 1. The pilot of Level Three was success, preparing our teens to challenges at univer-sity and beyond2. Our Level One and Two parents attended parental workshops throughout the year; the aim was to team up with parents to bring out the best in you3. We will be introducing our first pilot of Level Zero, a foundational programme for Level One. All gearing around academic moti-vation and focus, as GSCE’s will be the first set of major exams for young people.Apart from us; all our students have embraced Star Plus in their own way and I can confidently say that for all our students a ‘new paradigm’ as opened up, one of focus, motivation, and ambition and so on...Now the really challenge is to focus for the next 6-8 weeks, focus on revision.

Across the pond in the US students prepare for Spring Break. It is the equivalent to our Easter holidays or reading week at university with the exception of a lot more beer, parties and promiscuity. I think it would be fair to call Spring Break an America cultural festival- a seven day green light for self indulgence and entertainment. Fun. Over here students also seem to suffer symp-toms of an extended hangover. However, not alcohol induced. Around this time zombie-faced students swarm around libraries devas-tating pencils into the late night with coffee-induced twitches as they anxiously prepare for the coming exams. Such headaches repre-sent the mounting effort needed to perform well at these exams to get onto the next stage of the education conveyor belt. Universities expect excellent grades and take them as a given- Star Plus students are high achievers anyway. However, the interviews are the golden opportunity to distinguish yourself from your competition. Some of our students have had their interviews and this edition features some of their experiences and advice. Many thanks to Khilesh, Aislinn and Dhruve for their contributions.

Why the very idea of a Nation-State should be questioned.

Which came first - the nation or the state?Click on the tree to find out:

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The best remedy for such anxieties is preparation. It’s best that you give yourself a set routine that you’ll enter once you have an interview, you will normally be told at the latest a week before inter-view, which is plenty of time to prepare. This routine will ensure that you will not enter panic mode when preparing for the interview and the structured approach will mean time will be used effec-tively.

Before the interview you must know why you are applying to study the course you’ve chosen, why at that university. Keeping up with news related to your subject area will ensure that you seem genuinely interested in the subject, plus it should be fun as you’re interested in area. I would also start to network with people already on or have completed your course at the university, this would provide good insight into what to expect from the admissions process but also information about interviews.

About a week before the interview, I suggest focussing on three things when rehearsing; concise-ness, technique and timing. Conciseness and timing comes with practice you want to make sure you don’t waffle but at the same time answer the question fully. With technique, it all depends on the type of interview (formal/informal), how many people are on the interview panel and the approach the interviewers will take. This will ensure that the interview flows and essentially you give then you at your best.

Most importantly, when you enter that interview room you must remain calm and confident. It is hard to stay on top of your nerves and they will expect you to be nervous at it shows how much the place means to you. However, staying on top of your nerves will allow you to give you best and hopefully you will enjoy it.

Khilesh Radia shares, a Star Plus Alumni shares some useful tips on interviews:Immaculate personal statements and good grades are taken as given these days by the top university admissions departments. It is very reasonable therefore to find interviews daunting for two reasons: 1) The general lack of experience of them2) The fact that your place at university depends upon your interview performance.

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Depending on which universities you apply to, you may be invited to a variety of different days. These can range from the traditional formal interview to an open day including a bit of banter with a professor or uni-versity fellow. I doubt that many would be free of nerves before an interview. We all know the signs: Sweaty palms, not being able to focus, losing your appetite or even biting your nails till they disappear!Here’s the secret: If you can give off the impression that you’re confident, chances are that you will feel confi-dent... the rest falls into place thereafter.

It seems that recently, many upcoming Universities are taking a so called ‘informal’ approach to interviews, where they’d typically invite you to an open day or an interview with a tour. A piece of advice... Don’t be fooled! You must:

- Dress sharp - Know your personal statement - Read around any key areas highlighted in your personal statement - Rehearse your body language - Know your terminology

During your interviewDon’t feel you ought to be in a rush to answer any questions; it’s perfectly okay to ask for more time to construct your response. At the same time, avoid waffling. Be concise, be smart and conclude on a point you’d like the next question to be based on.

Don’t let your nerves show; if you can give off the impression that you are confident, you’ll not only convince others, but you’ll also convince yourself- and that will translate into your body language.Don’t fidget. Gently clasp your hands in front of you on the table. Keeping your hands in front of you will beat off the temptation to fidget and you’ll focus on the interviewer instead.

Remember your manners at all times and maintain eye contact. Smile often when appropriate! Ask the interviewer questions; it’s an opportunity for you to show off any extra reading or knowledge as well as exhibiting a keen interest.Finally enjoy your time and learn as much as you can- you could be spending the next 3-5 years of your life at that university!

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At the moment I am studying my A levels at Groby Community College where I am taking the subjects Biology, Applied Science, Art and Graphics. The reason why I have chosen these particular subjects is because I enjoy both the sciences and the arts, and I really wasn’t sure about what I wanted to do at university, and therefore I decided to keep my options open and go for a broad range of subjects so my doors to go into the arts of sciences are still open to me.During the course of last year I was really interested by a particular profession, osteopathy that had a very individualistic and holistic approach in treating patients.

Osteopathy is a form of drug-free non-invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Interviews are a very stressful part of being able to progress whether it’s getting a university place or even trying to get a job at a workplace. Since osteopathy is a patient centered course like any other medical profession you need to attend interviews. This can be a very fearful prospect for some as you have no idea about what to expect. Preparation is the key. I contacted people that were already on the course and asked them what I should expect and how I should prepare. The simplest way to get in contact with someone is through researching and contacting him or her either over email or Facebook.

The Star Plus Alumni really helped me get my thoughts into action about how I am going to come across to the interviewer. Having the qualities star plus gives you such as soft skills, interpersonal and presentational skills are vital. These qualities will really make you stand out regardless. There were lots of techniques that I used such as visualization techniques - visualizing myself in the interview. I went through all the variations of questions or situations which might arise at the interview and I visualized how I’d deal with them. This type of scenario plan-ning made the real thing seem less new since I had ran it through in my head already. As a result, I was able to express my views across to the interviewer a lot more effectively.

The outcome has been brilliant, as I have received offer from all the universities I have applied to. My advice would be to really brush up on the soft skills and show off those exemplary skills you’ve learnt at Star Plus!

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There are three types of interview questions:1. Standard questions - these are questions you know and expect to be asked and can therefore prepare for. (for example, ‘Why have you decided to study ...’, ‘Why do you want to study at this university?’ etc) 2. Competency questions - these are types of questions you know you will be asked but cannot neces-sarily prepare for. (for example, ethical based questions for medics, questions about the content of the subject you’ve applied for, case studies, the ‘Tell me about a time when you demonstrated ...’questions etc)3. Black Swans - these are questions you can’t prepare for because you have no idea you will be asked them until you’re actually in the interview. These are the types of questions that most students are afraid of.

How to deal with:

Standard questions:• These are not hard to identify, so be hot with these; they’re the easy marks.• Revise your personal statement. • Practice. I used to sit in the Leicester University cafe and start conversations with university students talking to them as if I was studying the subject at the university. I would know how prepared I was based on how believable I came across. (I would tell them what I was actually doing in the end!)

Competency questions:• Identify trends in the type of questions that have been asked previously.• Contact students at the university and ask them for advice/clues.• Have a standardised structure or methodology of how to deal with competency questions. The most effective one is:Situation – briefly explain what, where who when why about the scenarioTask – describe the challenge Action – outline what you did to overcome itResult – tell them the outcome• Pair with someone you know who is applying for the same course who knows there stuff and practise with them

Black Swans:• You can’t really prepare for these, but you can find out the nature of the questions by doing your research on previous interviews.• Since there’s not much you can do with these questions, don’t irrationally spend too much time worrying about them. This will actually help you deal with them.• The state of mind you’re in at the time pretty much determines your answer. • Make sure you’re sharp, honest and forthright with your answers.

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llwyn on reservoir, Brecon Beacons, Wales, 2010

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Imran Miah graduated from the Star Plus Programme in 2007. Upon finishing an Hon -ours degree in Law at Leicester University in 2008, Imran has gone onto complete the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Birmingham. Imran has had experience working as a clerk for a large litigation firm but is now looking to go into teaching in alternative education. Imran is a well grounded person and a warm character to be around. I recently interviewed him and it’s clear he has some interesting thoughts and experiences on university life to share. What do you do currently?Currently I am tutoring law students in Birmingham on a one to one basis. The level of teaching is from AS/A Level Law up to undergraduate law.

What was your initial experience of university life?My first weeks at university were quite daunting. I had never lived away from home, the thought of bearing all the responsibilities such as preparing my own meals, washing, paying bills etc. things that I took for granted when living at home because my parents took care of it all. This was a bit scary at the beginning however, in the first weeks you learn to make friends that are in the same boat and are all supportive of each other’s needs. The university provides so much help and assistance in all aspects of student life from accommodation to money management, there was a mentor scheme in place when I started my law degree that supported me throughout my first year to make the most out of it.

What did you make of the student life in Leicester?Leicester was a vibrant city, with a diverse student population with a reputation for a friendly and up and coming place. Entertainment came in abundance; there is a plethora of activities, groups and societies to get involved with. While acclimatising to the university student life, I sought entertainment which was positively stimulating. Consequently, I and a few other course friends set up a debating society.

What were the challenges of university life that you faced and how did you overcome them?The social life at university is lively everyone seems to find their niche. Though balancing the social life with academic pressure was vital. The biggest challenge that I faced was meeting the demands of my law degree and balancing it with the numerous other responsibilities I had taken on. University education was a full time job, with classes, studies, exams, activities I was involved – all in addition to my part time job to help support myself. Getting into a disciplined routine was essential to keep up with deadlines. Finding the right support was also helpful; developing a good base of friends to rely on in times of pressure and need helped me get through a lot of difficult and stressful times.

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What would you say was the most valuable lesson you learnt from Star Plus?Star Plus has been invaluable to my development. Before Star Plus I had no knowledge of the ‘self’ in the way it was taught at Star Plus and how I connected to the wider world. Since its inception, my understanding of myself and others around me has been ever developing and ever evolving. Before Star Plus I had only what I would call a text book example of learning, a dry and dull approach to learning.

Going through the programme taught me the value of real learning and more significantly how learning should be approached. This was something I found profoundly distinctive about the course, since no school, college or university class highlights what you could call attitudes to progressive learning. For me the most precious reward reaped from the course is how it has broadened my view of the world. The opportunities around us to help the world at large, the need to explore and not take things for as they appear and above all to realise ones potential to aim for great things is what the Star Plus programme has helped me uncover.

How has Star Plus helped you overcome your academic challenges? Before I enrolled on the Star Plus course I felt that I lacked a lot of self confidence in many areas. To mention one, I was not self-reliant when it came to studying. Star Plus equipped me with the self assuring ability to tackle academic barriers and taught me to rely on my own initiative to achieve goals. I would say this was a hurdle that I learnt to overcome and a great achievement for me.

If there were any three piece of advice you could give to current Star Plus students applying to University what would they be?

Advice for students applying to university:1) Know what you really want to do. It may well be that your interest lies in Law because you have heard the pay packages are great. That’s fine, but to perform well I think you have to have a genuine passion and interest in what you want to do. So research, ask lots of questions, go on open days, talk to students in the field you are looking to study in and then decide what you want to do.

2) Go out of your way to stand out. Thousands of pupils across the country apply for university places, I think it’s worth thinking about what would make your application stand out, extra-curricular activities, responsibilities and travel are all looked at highly.

3) Consider gap year. If you do not get into the place of your choice, consider taking time out and doing other great things such as placements and travelling. This will not only increase your chances of getting a place at the university you want but it will also widen your perspectives on the choices you need to make. After all, gaining experience and matu-rity will only help you at university.

Students wanting to get in touch with Imran can contact me at kamal@globalchange.org.uk.

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“This may be the umpteen argument written on the Libyan crises, but let me share my view of the situation.

The issue is not longer about a protest to overthrow the Libyan Government, that move proved to be suicidal. It has now become an armed revolution led by the people of Libya. They should not be referred to as the ‘rebels’. The term rebel creates a per-ception of a minority fighting an establishment, when in fact it is Gaddafi’s forces who are the rebels in a country which has abandoned him as a leader.

The international community has accepted that Gaddafi must leave, but also know he is not going to leave without a fight. Yet, we are hesitating to intervene. The Libyan people are engaged in a civil conflict to bring democracy to their country but cannot match the armed capabilities of Gaddafi; hence it is our moral duty to intervene!

Remember, we supposedly went into Iraq to overthrow Saddam under the SUSPICION that he had weapons of mass destruction and we quite rightly went into Kosovo to stop the Serbians massacring the Albanian population. These operations led to a con-siderable military involvement, but were by no means more serious. Yet, the west is hesitant to even push for a no fly zone in Libya. It doesn’t add up, the condition are perfect – if ever there was a reason for intervene in a foreign nation, Libya is that nation! The revolutionary council in Libya is not calling for a full-scale military inva-sion, nor do they want our troops, all they want is a no fly zone to protect the people of Benghazi. So why is it not being enforced?

America for a start has not seemed to put its full weight behind an intervention, Cam-eron has gone from saying we “should” have a no fly zone, to we “can” have one, but has again done nothing substantial about it. France has gone a step further to actually recognising the revolutionary council as the sole authority of Libya and would almost certainly support such intervention. What is interesting about France’s recognition of the council is that no one has followed their lead...”

Read the rest of the article click on the Wordpress logo below:

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Tucked away in the Leicester City Centre we know lie many different hidden gems. I bumped into the first ever Buddhist Cafe in Leicester. It’s a meditation centre and a cafe.

It’s worth seeing, the vegetarian World Peace Cafe in Leicester offers a peaceful environment to unwind and chat to friends.

You must try their cinnamon and apple tea! They also serve vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free foods, fresh coffee, speciality teas, homemade cakes and healthy snacks.

The World Peace Cafe in Leicester is now open 11am to 5pm every day except Sundays.

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BEING GOODBY SIMON BLACKBURNSimon Blackburn, a professor in philosophy, aims to simplify some philosophical ideas in his book ‘Being Good - A short introduction to ethics’.

Blackburn, discusses the presence of a moral and ethical environment at alltimes, shaping our emotional responses, allowing us to acknowledge what is expected from and by us, as well as determining what we find acceptable or unacceptable. At this point it is essential to distinguish the difference between ethics and morals. Morals define personal character, while ethics stress a socialsystem in which those morals are applied.

The part in the book ‘the Death of God’ is described as a threat to ethics. Blackburn asks the question, do we need ‘divine permission’ to be good? He argues “The Death of God is a necessary clearing ground on the way to reveal ethics for what it really is.” He points out a reality where religious books allow people to think obedience equates to reward whereas a punishment would be the consequence of disobedience. Thereafter, he discusses a few flaws, in religious scriptures such as the Bible. A key quote - “ thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Old testament) helped burn down thousands of women across America and Europe.

Although the book raises some interesting questions, the difference between morals and ethics was unclear until I broke down the terms according to Blackburn. I came to the conclusion ethics were ‘belief’ in right and wrong, whereas morals are more instinctive, based on human exploration/experience and myths. Ultimately, Blackburn leaves us with a thought provoking quote: “If God is dead, is everything permitted? It might seem true: without a law giver, how can there be law?”

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Bear Standard

OPSHOP

Bear AdventuresTH

INK ‘The blivet portrays two irreconcilable

perspectives at once: descending from the top are two bars with rectangular

cross-section, while ascending from the bottom are three cylindrical rods’

Answer to last edition's riddle:Because there are more of them

DISCUSSIONGet involved with Hersh’s blog and Sachin’s thoughts:

Hersh’s blog - For once the Arabs are crying out for the west, so where are they?

Sachin’s Thoughts: Why the very idea of a Nation-State should be questioned

ANNOUNCMENTSCongratulations to all students for complet-ing their programmes.

The Open Dreams Foundation has intern-ship opportunities in Public Relations and Media. See the link below:

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