After a (relatively) quiet summer, University of Northampton’s (UON) Waterside Campus buzzed with fun and exploration during the annual Welcome Fortnight.
Welcome Fortnight runs until Saturday 3 October and helps thousands of new and returning students ease into university life. Students build connections and discover the experiences and opportunities available to them throughout their time at UON.
Big events this year include a night of magic and immersive theatre, a Peaky Blinders-themed interactive murder mystery and a Bridgerton Masquerade Ball inspired by the popular Netflix period drama.
Two of the University’s newest students finding their feet are Shumi Plastow and Evan Anderson, mother and son who are studying (respectively) Special Educational Needs and Inclusion (MA) and Psychology (BSc).
Shumi has two other children who have autism and ADHD, with both acting as adult carers for them. Both are looking forward to diving deeper into their respective subjects to bring further insights to their caring roles and raise awareness of the needs of people who are disabled and/or neurodivergent.
Shumi said: “I can see lots of scope for us helping each other along and encouraging each other. We are already adult carers for my two younger children, so it’s good to know he is ‘in the same boat’ as me and that we can meet up after a busy day and share things. We both see how the knowledge we’ll gain from our different degrees will add to our experience as carers.
“I’ve met the head of the course; the modern campus has a friendly vibe; everyone is smiley and helpful. This is very different to when I did my undergraduate course, which was not at Northampton, by the way!”
Evan added: “Everything has been going very well so far. I’ve been making friends, going to each other’s dorms, playing games and generally getting to know the University. The welcome talks have helped me feel good and at ease; I feel this is a supportive, open place right from the start.
“I’ve always had a big interest in psychology, always been curious about the human mind and why we do things. I guess it ‘called to me’; this is where I wanted to be. The lecturers are all friendly and approachable; with their support – and Mum’s! – I think I’ve got this in hand.”