Before the interview, one of the band is asking members of the tour crew if they’ve seen the clippers; for “shaving heads” apparently.

This, in fact, turns out to be one of the Cheshire band’s tamer hijinks – bassist Nic Montgomery gleefully describes scenes involving an onstage Jono Yates that are too rude to publish, whilst Yates turns an altogether noticeable shade of red.

With an electric live show that seeps energy from every sweaty pore of the venue we’re in, they play with a slickness that goes far beyond a band with only one full length and another, mini-album to their name.

That’s not hint at disapproval – their late 2012 offering, Never Die, is strong, succinct and the type of record you keep on repeat until your neighbours complain.

“Wild Hearts” is a particular highlight – at the album’s middle, it winds the tempo right down and provides a respite from a beating tempo that would have a hummingbird struggling to keep up – that is to say before it kicks back into overdrive again, with the high octane tone that is stamped across their music.

With an hour to think it over, you still wouldn’t be able to place the band’s sound – each listen brings out more influences; Kids in Glass Houses is the only certain one (they’re actually meeting them for a drink after the show).

“Me and Nic have been in a band together for twelve years – we were in a punk band, then we went heavy, then indie and now we’re in Blitz Kids,” says Jono.

What’s best is that it seems like it’s a natural progression to them; Never Die built upon their first, heavier, album Vagrants and Vagabonds.

If they continue with this trajectory, they will be big. This is a band that has the raw talent, yet a humble attitude that can win the ears of listeners and hearts of the media.

Many students across the country faced deportation to their homeland without the money to finance their degree. There was also the threat that students could be arrested on their return if they supported the opposition government in the country.

Ministers encouraged universities to suspend fees and help students with hardship funds.

Swansea University’s Students’ Union international officer, Mahaboob Basha said: “Syrian students affected were advised in January they could approach Student Services for emergency financial contingency assistance, which some students have accessed.

“We would like to thank Student Services, ISAS and MASO for acting so quickly to help students.”

On average, English students get from 5-10 hours contact time, depending on their modules – far fewer than students on many other courses. Students in the College of Science and the College of Engineering, for example, have more than 20 contact hours per week.

English students’ concerns included lack of lectures, little communication and an excess of independent study time.

Kelly Jervis, a second-year English Literature student said: “It feels as though we’re not especially high on the university’s list of priorities. For example, although they tried to increase our contact hours, last term making a two-hour film screening fortnightly
compulsory did not seem like a fantastic use of time or our money.

“Although I do love my degree, it really is disheartening when compared to other subjects in the same university, who seem to get a lot more for their time and money.”

Rob Abrams, a third-year Politics and Social Policy student, said: “The contact hours in the Arts and Humanities department have been absolutely shocking. For the last term and a half, I have had essentially one hour of lectures a week and my research group had to wait for our tutor to turn up from Portugal, in the meantime very few instructions were given on what to do.”

Clare Enevoldsen, a third-year English and TEFL student said: “I would love more contact time, more close analysis of the texts. There is definitely a difference between the knowledge we receive and those studying a science degree for example.”

Sarah Gamble, the Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, said: “An arts subject like English does not aim to feed students the ‘right’ answers: instead, students need independent study time in order to not just read books, but also to formulate
their independent responses to the subject matter.

“This independence of thought is precisely what employers value most highly about English graduates. The important thing to note is that these are ‘formal’ contact hours; students always have the opportunity to ask for one-to-one consultations on any aspects of their coursework.”

Not all English students feel alone in their degree. Second-year student, Olivia Rosenthall recognises a need for fewer contact hours because of the reading demands: “I think at the end of the day, we are given less contact time as English students because we are meant to be using that time to read extensively. Who applies for an English degree and doesn’t expect to spend the majority of their
time in the library?”

However, level-two English Literature subject rep, Laurence Atkinson plans to raise the topic further at the next meeting with the course heads: “Whilst I respect and understand that timetabling is an issue for staff and students, I am aware that many people feel that they could have had more support with certain modules this year. We will be looking to raise this at the next staff/ student consultancy.”

However, I have recently tried something that I only thought existed through the Daily Mirror sponsored brain of my grandmother.
This therapeutic option is known as floating; it involves lying in a salty bath for an hour as your body naturally rises to the surface. When I was first asked to do this for our student paper, I was confused how it was ever going to be beneficial to my health in anyway aside from mastering swimming without nearly drowning, for once.
On my first visit to the Lazy Frog, situated in Uplands (opposite Sainsburys), I was told not to drink coffee that day, which was already detrimental to the way my body functions, and to come with an open mind.
When I was first shown in to the float tank, I stood and stared at the water thinking “that can not hold me afloat”. But little did I know, 400kg of dissolved Epsom salt genuinely can lift anyone’s body.
After the first half an hour, I managed to calm myself down and I soon started to see why there was hype around floating; I slept for the last half an hour and came out feeling like I had been drugged. It was almost ethereal and I later found that floating has been known to bring out ‘eureka!’ moments in many people, because of the affect if has on the brain.
After three sessions, sleeping after stressful days had become effortless and my general wellbeing had been enhanced.
The centre also has infrared sauna facilities and gift sets to buy for those who want to experience a floating experience. Lazy Frog is offering students £10 off their first float, so an hour’s float will cost £25.
Although I wish there was a DIY version of this but I don’t think my student budget can afford 50 bags of cooking salt. So, next time you’re feeling stressed, float it out.
www.lazyfrogfloatcentre.co.uk

The film is being directed by a Swansea University lecturer. Jimmy Hay, the writer and co-director of the movie, co-founded Long Arm Films after graduating in Film Studies at Swansea University.

High Tide tells the story of one final day during which a mother must mend the broken relationship with her son. It is described as a moving, powerful and tender portrait of a vital twenty-four hours in two people’s lives.

The national actress, acclaimed for The Catherine Tate Show and Doctor Who, will play the role of Bethan in the movie.

Jimmy, who teaches film studies at the university, said: “We’re delighted to have Catherine play the role of Bethan.

“The character requires an actor of real quality, but also of subtlety. Most people know Catherine for her excellent work in comedy, but some of the scenes in Doctor Who, and the

work she has done with the Royal Shakespeare Company, prove what an incredible serious actor she is.”

The feature will be filmed along the Welsh coastline this summer to capture the essential nature of the city and its surrounding countryside. Jimmy is codirecting the feature with filmmaker James Gillingham, his partner in Long Arm Films.

The pair want to challenge to stereotypes about Swansea and want the local community to become involved.

“Having Catherine on board means that this film will have a large profile. It does not mean that we are compromising the ethos with which we set out to make the film. We want this to be an independent film in the best sense of the word, and we hope the people of Swansea will want to be involved and help us achieve this,” said Jimmy.

Students at Swansea University are being encouraged to apply for the internship programme on the film, which is offering two placements for people aged between 18 and 24.

For more information, visit www.longarmfilms.co.uk/interns on how to apply.

There are also opportunities to star alongside Catherine on screen, offering opportunities to young Welsh talent, that will be released in the coming weeks.

The film company is raising some of the money for the production through crowdfunding and is inviting anyone to donate to the film’s production to support independent filmmaking.

Donations are rewarded with badges, web credit, name on the film credits, signed posters, a preview copy of the DVD, or an onscreen appearance with Catherine as an extra.

“There are loads of great incentives on offer in return for a donation (and who wouldn’t want a Long Arm badge?), but more than anything else we hope that local people will see worth in what we are trying to achieve.

“Very few films are made in Swansea. And this is a shame. Swansea is not only perched on the edge of some of the most beautiful countryside that you’re ever likely to find, but it is stuffed full of brilliant, creative people, many of whom we’ve signed up to work on High Tide.

“We want to make this film with the support of the local community,” said Jimmy.

For more information on Long Arm Films and its people, visit www.longarmfilms.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter (@longarmfilms) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/longarmfilms).

For more information, visit www.longarmfilms.co.uk/interns on how to apply.

There are also opportunities to star alongside Catherine on screen, offering opportunities to young Welsh talent, that will be released in the coming weeks.

The film company is raising some of the money for the production through crowdfunding and is inviting anyone to donate to the film’s production to support independent filmmaking. Donations are rewarded with badges, web credit, name on the film credits, signed posters, a preview copy of the DVD, or an onscreen appearance with Catherine as an extra.

“There are loads of great incentives on offer in return for a donation (and who wouldn’t want a Long Arm badge?), but more than anything else we hope that local people will see worth in what we are trying to achieve. Very few films are made in Swansea. And this is a shame.

Swansea is not only perched on the edge of some of the most beautiful countryside that you’re ever likely to find, but it is stuffed full of brilliant, creative people, many of whom we’ve signed up to work on High Tide. We want to make this film with the support of the local community,” said Jimmy.

For more information on Long Arm Films and its people, visit www.longarmfilms.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter (@longarmfilms) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/longarmfilms).

The university is in negotiations with potential buyers at the moment.
Charlotte Britton, the students’ union’s welfare office expressed her concerns about the development of the student village in the future:
“The village houses are to be sold before the Woodside flats, but how that happens the university haven’t actually decided yet.
“The students’ union has been involved in talking to the university before they go for a meeting to negotiate how it’s going to be sold off.
“We have said there has got to be a shop, a social space, a launderette and a bus service and all of them are completely non-negotiable.”
Students who live in the Woodside flats next year may face a situation where they have to walk through or past a building area.
“We’ve said that the university needs to be very careful about students living in the village so they don’t feel they are in some kind of ‘ghetto’.
“Also, the situation I am specifically concerned about is that I don’t want anyone who has to live in the student village, because that is the most affordable university accommodation, to feel like they are second class students because that’s all they can afford and there’s a real danger of that potentially.”
Another situation the students’ union have raised is transport links to and from both campuses to the student village. Business, economics and engineering students who live on the village because of financial limits may have to face two bus journeys to reach the second campus on Fabian Way.
It is also believed that the new campus may not accommodate family rooms or provide a nursery for student parents.
A Swansea University spokesperson said about the sale: “A decision will be made shortly and an announcement made, until then we cannot comment as the negotiations are commercially sensitive.
“Providing an outstanding student experience is an integral part of the thinking behind the Science and Innovation Campus. There are ongoing discussions about the campus, including the student accommodation, and we will be working with the students’ union on these.”
Katie Williamson, a second-year student chose to live in the student village houses last year because of cost and community:
“I chose to go to the village because it was cheaper and I didn’t want to be restricted to campus for all of my first year. There is a really good community spirit with people popping into neighbours’ houses all the time.
“However, you are disadvantaged by the distance from university with the only option being a 40 minute walk or an expensive bus pass. With the new campus being further away and more
expensive, you get the worst of the both sides.”
Likewise, Hannah Davies lived in the student village in 2011/12 due to the cheaper living costs:
“I moved to the village because it was cheap and affordable and it allowed me to not worry about cash.
“I also felt a larger sense of community there and liked to the idea of being able to get away from university after lectures.”
The new £450m campus will be built over the next five years, with the first bricks being laid this month.

With fees rising to £9000 a year, prospective university students may feel extra pressure to think about graduate employment before they step through the doors.

The reputable university guides include percentages of employability statistics or ‘career prospects’.

These terms have ambiguous meaning for many students. The blanket term includes full-time employment and further studies; and searching for this information can be difficult and include jargon that feels like an algorithm is needed to work it out.

The Guardian University Guide has a career score that is the percentage of graduates who have graduate level jobs, or are studying further, within six months of graduation.

For 2008/09, 91.3% of Swansea graduates were in employment or further studies and 78% were in graduate level jobs after six months.

Judith James, the strategic projects manager and part of The Employability Academy of the university, explains how Swansea University gathers graduates employment status after six months:

“All universities are required to complete a survey of their students six months after graduation.

“This survey is called the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education and collects information about what those completing their higher education experience go on to do.”

The record is split up into two parts: an early survey and a longitudinal follow-up later on. In the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2009-10 survey, 92% of students who graduated from Swansea students were in full time employment or further study. Judith explained how this is calculated:

“All universities manage this survey by contacting their own graduates and asking them what they are doing at a particular point in time, six months after graduation. The information is then ‘classifed’ by staff who have experience and expertise in using the ‘Standard Occupational Classification for Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions’.”

The classifications decide what constitutes a graduate level job and makes the results from all HE institutions comparable. HESA then checks the classifications are accurate, collates and publishes the results.

“The university does not work out the statistics and we have to wait for the information to become available, as it is published for all universities on the same date.”

Not all students enter the employment market immediately as many take gap years to travel, or get part time work to fund living independently or take an entry-level job to climb up the ladder to a graduate level job. As Judith explains, six months is not an ideal time to follow-up graduates’ career paths, but it is a national measure to ensure students can be contacted:

“We also need to remember that students who go on to further study are not included in this result. It is a national measure and as it is difficult to get a response after six months it may be impossible after a year or two!

“The target for each university is an 80% response rate, so it can be hard work for staff who are responsible for the survey and every response is very helpful.”

This year’s Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education results saw that 9% of Welsh graduates were assumed to be unemployed six months after leaving.

The highest bracket of full-time paid employment is in the associate professional and technical occupations.

The lowest was process, plant and machine operatives and skilled trades occupations.

The Destination results for 2011/12 will be released in July.

Kylie Hearne, 26, set up Stardust Boutique, a clothing store specialising in women’s gowns, whilst looking for work after leaving the university.

The young entrepreneur won the Princes Trust Young Ambassador of the Year Award in November 2012 for her business, situated in Sketty, and has reached the finals of Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards, hosted by Ant and Dec and the Prince himself.

The Classical Civilisation graduate began her own business venture in 2010, six months after leaving university.

“After six months I began to struggle in the job market. So I started renting out dresses to people on Facebook. That began to go really well and I went on the Explore Enterprise programme with the Princes Trust which taught me vital skills such as marketing, advertising, pitfalls, perks and tax regulations.

“After this, it escalated and turned into a full-time job. I never intended to open a shop but in 2011 I had to open a shop in Sketty .

“Since then, I have hired a full-time member of staff and have volunteers helping out and my dresses have appeared in Miss Wales and Miss World pageant competitions, and I met Prince Charles too!”

Kylie encourages students to think about entrepreneurial careers, especially in the current employment market:

“I think that opening my business has shown that you don’t have to do something based on your degree title.

“You can apply the skills that you learn in your degree in any job, without even realising you have learnt them.

Stardust Boutique is on Eversley Road, Sketty and at stardustboutique.com.

Melissa Chisholm, 20, invited students to the event in Xtreme Lounge, Union House on Facebook and an abundance of clients turned up:

“We didn’t expect such a great turnout. It was great to talk to loads of people and explain what we were doing for charity. We had to turn a lot of people away as we were just so busy.

“We are raising money for Link Community Development as we are hitch hiking to Morocco over Easter to raise money for the charity.”

Over the nine hours, 21-year-old hairdresser, Lowri Williams cut 40 students’ hair, raising £270 solely for the charity.

The charity aims to improve sustainable education in Africa by inviting students to responsibly hitchhike to Morocco or Croatia with friends.

Each member has to raise £375 for charity, so four members came together to put on events.

The students, Duncan Moreland, Carys Thorne, Laura Beaumont and Melissa have also started a kitchen-cleaning venture to add to their funds.
Organising it on www.facebook.com/Charity KitchenCleaners, they have so far raised £170, bringing their charity pot to £440.

Melissa added: “We hope to do another similar event soon. Thanks to everyone who turned up.”

Around 3,500 students who bought the Welsh Varsity package online were told to pick up the tickets from the Varsity marquee on Monday 18 March from 1 – 5pm only.

Many students waited for hours only to find that tickets had run out. They then had to return the following day to queue again outside Fulton Outfitters to pick up their packages.

Students were also told to collect their tickets with their friends to ensure that they were seated together and some missed lectures to ensure they could be allocated groups of seats.

The annual Welsh Varsity is organised by the University Varsity group from Swansea and Cardiff.

The students’ union Marketing and Events manager, Russell Wade said:

”Unfortunately when 3,500 students are collecting packages on one day there will always be a queue. We were asked by the University Varsity group to arrange a collection on one day and due to limited storage space for the volume of t-shirts this was the only way it could be carried out.

“Reports show us that we completed ten collections a minute and managed to sit every student with their friends, an achievement we are very proud of.”

However, Leigh Moss, a Marine Biology student, waited for three hours to be told she could not be seated with her friends: “Three hours wait and I didn’t even get seats with my friends. We’re students, this is a stressful week of deadlines, vital lectures and practicals… We don’t have time to queue for so long.”

Students have suggested spreading the collection out through the week to relieve the queuing system.

A second year English Literature and History student, Ina Pace, said: “I waied four hours and having it on one day is ridiculous. They should anticipate the queue and spread out the collection through an entire week.”

Michael Simmons, the Entertainment Co-Ordinator of the students’ union said match tickets ran out because the high demand was unexpected and because staff illness prevented more tickets being made available quickly.

There were also problems in the online sales when the ticket website crashed due to a fault within the Athens log in system.

Some students have suggested buying the tickets from Ticketmaster in future due to convenience and the option to have allocated seats at time of booking.

Michael Simmons said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our students who queued that day for being so co-operative and patient. It’s not ideal and it’s obvious that we don’t want you to be queueing for that period of time, it’s purely unfortunate circumstances and an overwhelming spike in sales that we could never predict. The good news from all of this of course is that come the 24th April, the streets of Cardiff will well and truly be overtaken by the Green and White Army of Swansea University.”