Three reasons why you should become a Course Rep
Whether you are a fresher who has just arrived at LJMU or a final year student looking for ways to prepare for the graduate world, becoming a course representative is a fantastic way to enhance your CV. But, when there are so many amazing opportunities to choose from, why should you become a course representative? Here are our top three reasons.
Actively Make Change
When studying at university, the student input on likes and dislikes about courses is vital for streamlining your departments curriculum. Not only does it make the course more engaging for future and incumbent students, but it makes better use of everyone’s time, as it directly influences student engagement and attendance - that’s why we’re here, after all!
Having these conversations and attending each semester’s Board of Studies meeting on behalf of your cohort gives you a seat at the table for representing those most affected by these decisions, giving you the opportunity to advocate for your fellow students and enact change.
Not only is this beneficial to you and those on your course, but it is an amazing example of initiative and leadership which can bolster your CV in a way in which can fit manageably around your studies and other commitments.
Engaging With Your Course
One of the benefits of becoming a course rep is that it encourages you to become more mindful about aspects of your course which you may have overlooked. By actively evaluating the course structure, its material, and how this impacts your studies and your fellow students, you will develop a propensity for evaluating the usefulness of the material provided to you. Honing these evaluation skills can directly influence the quality of your academic work as you progress throughout your studies and is a skill highly valued by employers.
Alongside this, engaging with your course’s teaching staff helps you to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of your department and builds a stronger relationship between you, your cohort, and staff. This means that any issues you or your peers have can be communicated back to course leaders effectively, so change can be made efficiently.
It also helps you to get to know your course mates more, and is a fantastic way to network and socialise, whether that be encouraging you to chat with your fellow seminar/lab students or with other course reps at events and meetings.
Events and Awards
Being a course rep is a brilliant way to build experience and confidence; a role that fits perfectly around your studies and personal life but is still a rewarding and integral part to university life.
The effort you give being a course rep is directly appreciated by us and the University, and to thank course reps for dedicating their time, we always throw fun events and amazing awards nights! Each year, we hold a series of prestigious awards nights: ‘Student Experience Awards’ event and ‘Societies and Volunteering Awards’. As a course rep, you would be eligible to attend both events and win awards for your participation in the course rep programme.
We host smaller events throughout the year to make sure our course reps get the training they need and feel a sense of community within their academic studies. These events include this month’s course rep training pizza parties!
If this sounds like something you would love to get involved in, then sign up here to become a course representative, and make sure to attend one of our course rep training events to get started!
If you have any more questions, please email our Student Voice team for more information.
✍ Izzy Hoyle, JMSU Content Creator
