February 25, 2021, by Matthew Lumley

My highlights as an Advantage Award student representative

By Vandita Singhal, BSc Hons Finance, Accounting and Management 

I completed the Nottingham Advantage Award in my penultimate year. This meant that in my final year, I wanted to make a positive impact on other students’ journeys on the scheme.

This led to me deciding to become a student representative. I was able to share useful insights into the benefits of the Award and convey the voice of the student community.  

Here are my top highlights of the Nottingham Advantage Award student representative role. 

Make valuable contributions

Primarily, you will become a member of the Award steering group, who aim to provide a strategic overview of the scheme.

From a student perspective, contributing in this setting may seem slightly intimidating at first. However, your opinions and suggestions will be highly valued by the team. For instance, in the third meeting I was part of the end of year moderation to review a sample of current Award modules. It was rewarding to contribute towards decisions to adapt the modules to cater students’ expectations. Thus, this would be an enriching experience for prospective students.

Broaden your skills and experience

Throughout my student representative activities, I continuously applied my strengths and improved my areas of weakness. These included problem-solving, team collaboration and self-awareness.  

The University open days and promotional roadshows were a great way to enhance my communications skills. Effective communication is a desirable attribute for employers. Through sharing my experiences, it made me feel much more confident in presenting myself to an audience. That is why I think you can really tailor your own experience by how much you engage in this role. 

Additionally, the practice of representing the Award team will give you a positive and meaningful volunteering experience. Another benefit is this role can also contribute towards the hours required for the Part-time jobs, vacation jobs and volunteering module. 

Take on various responsibilities

The Award team kept regular contact with me throughout the year about their opportunities and activities. Clearly, the team wants you to feel confident and comfortable in all your interactions and tasks. Learning more about the Award from the team meant I was well prepared to have meaningful conversations as well. 

You will be surprised to see the diversity of the role. I supported the team at Refreshers’ Fair and ran pop-up roadshows around campus with fellow student representatives. There are many ways you can contribute to the Advantage Award. 

Alongside fulfilling the responsibilities, the role is a great way to expand your network at the University. It was exciting to be sharing time with fellow student representatives and gaining memorable experiences through discussions with the steering group. 

My final advice  

When applying to become a student rep, I encourage you to begin by reflecting on your own Advantage Award experience. By doing this, you can show your motivations to learn more about how the Award works.  

Overall, I believe this is a unique role with no limits for personal development. You also get to make a valuable impact within the University community. 

Find out more about becoming an Advantage Award student representative.

Contact and Follow us

You can keep up-to-date on the Nottingham Advantage Award via social media, so please like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Want to speak to one of the Award team then please contact us at nottingham-advantage-award@nottingham.ac.uk

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