Tag: Higher education

My Writing

PosAbility magazine article

Caroline Butterwick

I have spent this evening curled up listening to the summer rain while drinking (decaf) coffee and reading through the 50th issue of PosAbility magazine.

This wonderful disability lifestyle magazine has been around for five years now. I’ve been a subscriber for part of that time and always enjoy reading each issue, from travel features to advice on disability related topics. This 50th edition sees the magazine have a total redesign, making it look much more modern and engaging.

PosAbility article

And I’m very happy to have a feature in this special issue of PosAbility! I talk about disabled student support (which seems to becoming my area of expertise!), reflecting on my journey from nervous fresher to completing my MA.

I write about disability a lot as it’s an area where I have a lot of lived experience to draw on, and I love sharing my experiences in the hope that they will help others who are going through similar things.

My Writing

Able magazine article

Caroline Butterwick

I’m happy to have an article in the July / August issue of the wonderful magazine Able. In the piece, I share my experience of being a disabled student and accessing support at university.

Disability is one of the key areas I write about. I am also passionate about higher education – I work in HE, and really believe in its transformative potential. I’ve written before about being a disabled student, and it’s good to be adding Able magazine to my portfolio.

You can read my article in the print magazine or their digital edition which is available here.

MA, My Writing

Handing in my final MA assignment

Caroline Butterwick

It’s taken a while, but I have handed in (well, emailed…) my final assignment for my MA in the Teaching & Practice of Creative Writing!

The assignment was really interesting to write. It’s a mix of my own creative work and research into life writing, especially in relation to mental health. I, like many others, find writing cathartic and it has helped me through some very difficult times. While working on the assignment I came across a word for this: “scriptotherapy” – the therapeutic value of writing about traumatic events, and crafting your own narrative to explore your life.

After doing this MA for so long, it feels weird to think that it’s done. It’s going to be a strange feeling no longer being a student – I have some thoughts about progressing further with my studies, but for now it’s a case of just waiting to see what happens. I’ve found that’s a common theme in a writer’s life: waiting. Waiting to hear back on assignments, on pitches, on submissions. Being a writer is a lesson in patience!

Still, if all goes to plan and I haven’t spectacularly screwed up this last assignment, I should be graduating this July.

 

My Writing

Guardian article on supporting disabled students

Caroline Butterwick

Today I have an article published by the Guardian where I share my experiences of being a disabled student.

One of my long term writing aims has been to be published by the Guardian so I was very excited when this piece got the go ahead! The article explores some of the challenges I faced and talks about what universities can do to better support disabled students, especially during their transition to HE and the first few weeks of student life.

My Writing, Uncategorized

Article in SEN magazine

Caroline Butterwick

Wow, it’s nearly a year since I posted on here! Since then I’ve started a new job, which I’m enjoying, have begun working on some new writing projects, and have nearly finished my MA in the Teaching and Practice of Creative Writing – just my final year project left to go.

My article, Transitioning to Higher Education, was published in the March/April issue of SEN magazine, and is available to read on their website. It was inspired by my experience from nearly eight years ago when I started at university as a disabled student, and also my roles working in disability support in HE. So much has changed in my life since I started my undergraduate degree in September 2010, and university was definitely a positive, transformative place for me.

I’m planning to update my website more regularly (promise!).