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OCA wellbeing: On self-care thumb

OCA wellbeing: On self-care

Increasing online presence may result in online fatigue with visual and somatic symptoms. To Self- care and to be aware of changing habits and maladaptive behaviour patterns may overcome not only chronic ‘online’ disease but also negative impact on concentration, mood and emotions. 

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Notes on summer digital assessment – A tutor/assessor’s perspective thumb

Notes on summer digital assessment – A tutor/assessor’s perspective

Assessment can be a nervous time for many, whether it’s your first course unit or final degree qualification, the summative grading of your hard work underpins progress made and future direction, forming key milestones in your studies. This summer’s assessment was the first fully digital event at OCA, as students and tutors had to adapt during the height of the covid pandemic.

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OCA wellbeing: Community in lockdown thumb

OCA wellbeing: Community in lockdown

Miranda shares what she has found helpful during the pandemic so far. Miranda is new to the Student Services Team at OCA, and has had the challenge of joining the OCA ‘virtually’ during the lockdown period!

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OCA wellbeing: Pets thumb

OCA wellbeing: Pets

I have settled reasonably well into life in lockdown and I think it’s largely to do with my furry companion. I’ve kept my normal routine of getting up and walking to work, which currently means taking Enzo out and looping back home to log on.

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OCA wellbeing: Photography thumb

OCA wellbeing: Photography

I’d started up an Instagram account a while back, but I’d fallen into posting very sporadically, going months without and not making much of a contribution. So I decided to try out the whole ‘post an image a day’ and use some hashtags to get the message out that although we were in lockdown, we were still here.

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OCA new course: Material and Making: Approaches to Sculpture thumb

OCA new course: Material and Making: Approaches to Sculpture

This new foundation course introduces various key methods for material investigation, through approaches to making that challenge students to navigate, explore and respond to their three-dimensional environment. We encounter a vast range of materials and objects in our daily lives and this course enables students to exploit the materiality around them in creative ways, forming transferable skills for further study in different areas, primarily Creative Arts and Fine Art pathways. 

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OCA wellbeing: Volunteering thumb

OCA wellbeing: Volunteering

When I drop shopping off some people like to have a distant chat, just general stuff about the weather and how they are coping, while others are very regimented and want their shopping leaving at the end of the drive and they come and collect, everyone is dealing with this pandemic in their own way and has to do what they feel is right, I completely respect that.

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OCA Wellbeing: A trip to the bibliotherapist thumb

OCA Wellbeing: A trip to the bibliotherapist

Imagine going to the doctor’s and coming out with a prescription – for a good book. It’s really not as daft as it may sound. And what’s more, the notion that our mental wellbeing can be improved by something other than pills is far from new.

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OCA wellbeing: Running thumb

OCA wellbeing: Running

I realise I am very fortunate to be in my running group.  It has opened my eyes to all the virtual experiences that people can now engage with.  Lockdown has resulted in the creation of so many activities to connect people – virtual running competitions, online courses, online counselling – the list goes on.  Being removed from family and friends is difficult, but having a great group of people online has kept me going.  I can’t wait until we can run together again.

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