New year, new you!

What is it?
The end of January sees the return of Freshers Fortnight timed to coincide with modules starting in February. But Freshers isn’t just for new students – any student can come along to get a re-fresh about everything the OU has to offer. With events, giveaways, and competitions – come along and get to know your OU community.

When is it and how do I join?
23 January – 5 February. Find out more and register.

Student Hub Live will be running a special re-Freshers Orientation on 1 February and a social night on 2 February. Sign-up here.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
The Freshers FAQs cover everything you need to know about joining a Freshers event.

Great for
Meeting other OU students
Understanding the OU’s support services
Having fun!

What is it?
The new year is the perfect time to take up a new hobby or develop an interest. There is a huge range of OU student clubs and societies so there’s certain to be something that sparks your interest!

When is it and how to join?
View the full list of Clubs and Societies and here’s a taster of some of the clubs meeting over the next few months:

• Pagans, witches and spirituality monthly moot – first Friday of every month, 7 – 8pm, online.
• Book club – takes place every 4 weeks, 7 -8 pm, online. Upcoming dates: 10 February, 10 March, 7 April.
• OU Make Club – Craft & Chat session – second Monday of every month, 7 - 9.30pm, online.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
Please read each club’s code of conduct before joining.

Great for
Learning something new
Making new friends
Relaxation and unwinding

What is it?
Do you dread referencing your TMAs? Referencing is often the least enjoyable part of writing assignments, but with the right support you can make citations a breeze. Come along to one of the OU’s training sessions to save time and get confident.

When is it and how to join?
The Why and How of Referencing is an interactive 45 minute session taking place on 2 February, 28 February, 22 March and 26 April at various times. Join via the OU Library or watch a previous session.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
The training takes place in an online room on Adobe Connect. View the guidance about online rooms if you need to check your settings and access.

Great for
Improving your academic skills
Building your confidence
Becoming a pro at referencing!

What is it?
If 2023 is the year you want to change in your career, then come along to the OU’s live workshop Explore your Goals. The workshop will help you explore your readiness for changing careers and provide practical advice on what to do next.

When is it and how to join?
Explore your Goals takes place on 1 February and 10 May at 12 noon. Register via Opportunity Hub. This is one of many events and workshops the OU runs to support career development.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
If you’ve not logged into Opportunity Hub before you’ll need your OU username, password, and the email address we use to communicate with you.  

Great for
Career planning and development
Discovering new opportunities
Getting inspired

What is it?
OU academics and ageing experts are running a series of public talks about how to age well. The way ageing demonstrates when we are over 65 depends on the choices made over our life span. These talks provide the chance to hear from health experts as well as learning about how to enrich our lives.

When is it and how to join?
Relationships and intimacy while ageing is on Wednesday 15 March from 11am to 1pm.
Let’s talk about sleep is on Wednesday 19 April from 11am to 1pm.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
The events are held on Zoom.  You can find out more about the team running the public talks and browse our ageing resources.

Great for
Building life skills
Improving your wellbeing
Free guidance from health experts

What is it?
FASS Speakeasy is a new series of events for students and staff in the faculty to connect with each other. You’ll get to meet some of the faces behind your courses as well as your fellow students in a relaxed and informal setting. It’s a great opportunity to share how your studies are going, ask questions and give your suggestions about how the OU can best support you.

When is it and how to join?
FASS Speakeasy is taking place on Wednesday 8 February from 6 – 7pm online. To attend you’ll need to book your place by 25 January via EventBrite.

Anything I need to know beforehand?
This event will be held in Microsoft Teams, so you’ll need to join as a guest on the web using either Edge or Chrome. You will need to join using a personal email address, and not your OU email address. If you’d like to suggest a topic for discussion, then please email: FASS-Speakeasy-events@open.ac.uk

Great for
Getting to know your faculty
Meeting staff and students
Getting advice and support
Giving your feedback