Hi everyone!

I want to start off this update by thanking everyone who has supported me the past few months, through your emails and by answering my endless questions regarding this role. Having this position whilst slowly working my way through the logistics of life at university has been a challenging but rewarding experience. I also want to appreciate all the programme leads and lecturers who I have had the pleasure of engaging with during meetings, making them a less nerve-wracking experience as a first-year student.

The opportunities that I have been gifted with include:

1. Chairing the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) meetings. Accepting this opportunity before knowing what SSLC stood for was a brave move on my part, but the meetings have been the perfect way to get familiar with how the university runs and for students and lecturers to freely communicate issues regarding all the courses within the Biomedical School. Concerns with timetabling, strikes and assessments are some of the points that have been raised in previous meetings. I am honoured to have been given this opportunity, since my main aim as school rep is to ensure there is clear communication between students and staff.

1. Being invited to attend the Assessment Working Group (AWG) meetings. This was an amazing experience since it was my first time going to a research park and being able to interact with so many important figures of our education, such as senior assessment administrators, directors of assessments and other leads across the Faculty of Health. I was able to address issues about the lack of clarity of some assessment and module briefs and shed a light on some of the struggles that first year students are facing. I was given an action from the first meeting I attended and managed to fulfil the task I was given by contacting the relevant module leads to further the conversation and resolve any confusion.

1. Attending the Faculty of Health: Teaching, Learning and Quality Committee (TLQC) meetings. These meetings have also given me a greater insight into how the university runs and what kind of advancements are being made to support students across the Faculty of Health.

1. Partaking in Union Council Meetings. I am so appreciative of my mentors at the student union for being very receptive of my ideas about increased student inclusivity during lectures, with the use of Menti. It has also been great to collaborate with other course reps by exchanging ideas and advice.

Thank you to everyone who has personally approached me about feedback regarding the course, university life, and treating me like a point of support and trusting me to provide any help. I have been able to voice your opinions and I hope to maintain your confidence in me. I look forward to engaging more with course representatives in the drop-in sessions and take part in more campaigns that all of us are passionate about.