Thursday 04-10-2018 - 14:36

Nasra Ayub, Undergraduate Education Officer

 

First years, it’s time for you to stand up and make a real difference to your university! Nominations are open for course reps for all first-year undergrad and taught postgrad courses, and your course mates need you.

Course reps represent their year group, bringing students’ issues and opinions to the right people: people who can make the changes we need to see. As a course rep, you’ll be a crucial link between the university and the Students’ Union, and be responsible for improving the academic experience of students at Bristol.

Being a course rep not only benefits your community, but also benefits you. Here are just 5 of the many reasons you should run to be a course rep:

 

1. Be the change you want to see!

Let’s be honest, you’ve just started your course, and the chances are you’ve already found some things that could be improved. As a course rep you can actually do something about this! Rather than just having a moaning session after lectures, you can take what your course mates are saying and bring it to the right people in the university. Past course reps have secured better access to mark schemes, a system for getting full exam scripts back to students, access to microwaves on campus, and much more stuff that is now a standard part of your university experience.

 

2. Network & meet new people

Course reps attend meetings with university staff, meaning you can talk directly to key staff members in your faculty. These are also a chance to get a better understanding of how things work in your department, so you can be in the know when it matters. You’ll also get support from faculty reps (like a course rep-plus who represents all the subjects in their faculty), and have forums and socials with other course reps- more on this later!

 

3. Develop your skills

Course reps naturally become more confident in communicating: talking to the students they are representing, and the senior staff that they bring issues to. You’ll get support from the SU throughout the year, including training on how to have effective meetings, and generally live your best (student rep) life.

 

4. Boost your employability

Being a course rep is something you can put on your CV! I know you’ve just started your course, but it’s worth remembering all the communication, time-management, leadership and negotiating experience that you’ll get as a course rep. You’ll also be part of the SU’s rewards and recognitions scheme, which includes LinkedIn recommendations!

 

5. Pizza

Ok, so this part is mainly about the Course Rep Conference… but it does involve free pizza! All course reps elected this month will be invited to a conference at the beginning of November, where there will be workshops, key note speeches, and the chance to chat to other reps about their ideas and priorities (and there will be a social afterwards). Course reps are all part of the SU’s Education Network, and you’ll get to go to socials and events organised by the network (which may or may not involve more pizza) throughout the year.

 

If this sounds good to you, come through and nominate yourself (or recommend a friend) by going to www.bristolsu.org.uk/elections. Nominations close at 12pm on October 16^th, so get on it!