Before going off to university you think of Freshers’, societies, making friends and accommodation, so why before going off to college do we not think of these things nearly as much? I’ve found moving to UCB essentially going to university two years earlier as new college students have to deal with a lot of the same issues as first year undergraduates do. Being a college student I never thought much about the relevance UCB’s Guild of Students had for me. But, while looking at the sports clubs and societies I could join at UCB when progressing onto higher education, I ended up looking at the student guild page. As a college student I don’t really know much about the Guild, but what I saw was there is actually a representative for the college students: Amee Plimmer.
So, after contacting Amee she agreed to a short interview to highlight her involvement with the Guild and the upcoming plans for UCB’s college students.
“Hi Amee. So first, what exactly is the Guild?”
“The Guild is like an organisation within the university that looks after everything that is non-academic. This can be to do with your wellbeing; it could be to do with any support or university life, if you are struggling with living away from home or just be getting your opinion across to the council.”
“As the FE representative, what are your responsibilities?”
“My responsibility is to look after the college section. Really, anything that is going on within the Guild such as any events or anything that I think is relevant. This includes the Course Representatives scheme, which we offer to the college students, so it’s my role to get the word out to all FE students…”
“…is your responsibility to do with organising or planning?”
“Usually, it can be a bit of both”
“What is the course representative scheme?”
“The course rep scheme is where each class, ideally, should have two course reps and they attend the annual general meeting, and then there are other board meetings like the food board meeting, which took place recently. If there are any issues, it doesn’t have to be an issue; it could be something you want to praise about the college, which is what they take forward after talking to their class at the meetings.”
“…Did you start the role this September?”
“Yeah I’ve only been doing it this year, I did my Level 2 and now I’m doing my Level 3…
“…In that case, did you start it this year?”
“Yeah last year I was a course rep and I moved up from course rep this year.”
“What is your favourite thing to do as part of the Guild?”
“I think just listening to people’s opinions on certain aspects… like what people want to improve about the college and what they think is good. I think that’s really interesting and you can see the improvements so it definitely helps.”
“Are there any upcoming plans for the FE students?”
“At the moment I’m trying to organise a ball for the Level 3 students mainly, that should get organised soon and we can start selling tickets. There isn’t loads going on at the moment as they are organising Freshers’ for the HE students but I’ll be starting to get students involved soon, and maybe organise a meeting with the course reps to see what they think can be done.”
“What is the plan or kind of style for the end of the year Level 3 party?”
“I suppose a prom in a way…”
“…Yeah I think everyone will like that! So what are the facilities available in the Guild for the FE students?”
“The door is always open and people can always come in and have a chat if they need anything, even if it seems trivial like where to park in Birmingham if you drive in and things like that. Also, it’s free contraception for all students, which is a big thing, because obviously you want people to be safe. We offer sign posting, so if you have an issue, which can involve health and wellbeing, or maybe the library if it is an academic issue. We can help with people that you need to get in contact with, that can be useful because a lot of the time people don’t know who to go to.”
“Amee, what’s your favourite thing about studying here?”
“I like that as a college student, you’re treated very maturely, and you are treated like you’re a university student. That’s probably my favourite thing.”
“Yeah, that’s a good point. Also, why did you want to be part of the Guild in the first place? Was it the natural progression from being a course rep last year?”
“Yeah, I liked being a course rep, and I went to a few meetings last year, and they do notice problems. For example, if you mention something they listen and try and change it. I just wanted to get involved with that at a higher level.”
“Is there a main reason you would give as to why a college student should get involved with the Guild?”
“…Because it can enhance your college experience. It means you’re not just coming to college and going home again, and you find out what’s going on around college and that can make the whole experience a lot better. You make friends as well. I found that other people in the Guild are really nice…”
“…Is it good because you get to work with the uni students as well?”
“Yeah, because you can see what uni life is like, if you’re not sure whether to go on to uni, it’s easier to make up your mind because you can see what it’s like.”
“How do you get in touch? Is it that you can get in contact via the website or the office?”
“Yeah, those are the main two ways.”
“Thank you so much for speaking with me today. I hope everything goes really well with the Guild!”
End of Interview
If you want to get in contact with the Guild, the office is on the first floor of the Summer Row building. The email address is guildinfo@ucb.ac.uk and the website link is https://www.ucbguild.org.uk/
R.B
You must be logged in to post a comment.