Hi everyone. My name is Grace and I’m in my third year studying Media and Communication. I think it’s so important for students to get the most they can out of university, but sometimes it’s hard to find where to start. So, here are the ways I delved into university life.

In my second year at Hope I became a Student Ambassador and it has to be one of the best things I’ve done so far at university. It’s made me so much more confident in speaking to people that I don’t know, and enabled me to make new friends throughout the university. Any job on campus; which are advertised on Hope Works, is a great opportunity as it allows you to meet new people and gain skills in a variety of sectors. I never thought I’d have had the confidence to speak to school-age students about my learning journey. Yet due to my role as a student ambassador; I’ve gained the confidence to do so.

SALA is the University’s Service and Leadership award which gives you the opportunity to volunteer with local organisations. This award is gained alongside your degree and will look amazing on your CV! Even being a course rep counts, which is another thing I recommend! SALA can be accessed through the Careers Centre and the Employability Hub in the Gateway. I’m currently about halfway through my SALA award!

Being a Course Rep and going along to SSLC meetings is very important to me. I like hearing how thoughts surrounding my degree can be solved and bringing up any student ideas to the staff who can take them on board is uplifting. The staff are always happy to hear reports back, and sometimes it’s lovely to include a compliment or two! If you’re interested in becoming a course rep speak to your tutor.

If you’re living in one of our halls of residence I recommend getting involved with your Hall Committee. I was a part of this during my time living at Aigburth, and I found it really nice organising events for my peers and being able to spend time together socially. Ask your SRT if you want to take part!

Societies are also a big part of university life. I assisted in the start-up of the Film Society with some of my course mates, and after a successful Freshers Fair I’m excited to see where we can take the society over the next academic year.

Hope Social always have events on around the university, and I think it’s great to get a bunch of your friends over to them. Our Place on Hope Park is a great social space and many of the events are held here. The Quizzes are my favourite!

Lastly, Hope Uni Blogs. I started writing these blogs about a year ago and I love reading fellow students stories. It’s great to hear things from the students’ perspective and read about a variety of different topics

I really recommend to all year groups in the university to get involved in some of the things that I’ve mentioned in this blog. I didn’t really start getting involved until my second year, but it’s never too late!