In 3 years’ time, I’ll be graduating from Imperial as an undergrad. Today I got to see behind the scenes of the big day, by volunteering at the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony.
Abigael Bamgboye
One of my highlights this year at Imperial has been the honour of holding the role of Year Representative. All in all, it has been a lot of work. But it has been immensely rewarding nonetheless.
Here’s the actual job description for a Year Representative:
- Act as a voice for your Year Group in Staff-Student Committee Meetings
- Collect feedback from your year group
- Inform your year group of the department’s response
- Liaise with lecturers about tutorials and any other matters
- Organise summer revision sessions
Your reward: Free Lunch during Staff Student Committee Meetings (Twice a Term)
Here’s what I’ve got up to, with the help of my fellow Year Rep, Anthony (AKA A Bold Ant):
- The actual roles stipulated above and…
- Setting up in an informal events committee
- Starting a Weekly Update (newsletter featuring tutorial work, exam dates, social opportunities, puns + a fun picture showing what members of our year have got up to that week)
- Obtaining content for the weekly update
- Emailing the Student Office
- Visiting lecturers officers if they haven’t replied to an email
- Messaging MatSoc Committee members to check when events will be happening
- Creating polls to help MatSoc know which events our year are interested in
- Promoting said events via the Weekly Update
The truth is, you put in as much as you get out.
Everyone has a to do list.
A list of dreams, ideas, and tasks that just have to get done.
But we rarely finish our lists? Why?
Some goals are not SMART? They’re not Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic or Time Framed. But some goals are SMART and we fail to achieve them anyway, or we achieve them inefficiently.
Today I’d like you to stop. Stop making excuses for why you haven’t progressed on the side project you started a few months. Stop deliberating about how to start a dream – just start. And stop doing things just because everyone else is; nobody ever changed the world because they did what everyone else did.
Instead take charge.
Despite having taken many pictures outside the Royal Albert Hall, I’ve never once been inside (the auditorium). It’s such a beautiful and iconic venue to study and live right next to, so I can’t wait to actually see the main hall, where concerts, the BAFTAs and Imperial Graduations take place.
Yes, that’s right, Imperial Graduates trace the same paths as red carpet walkers 😆.
Outside the Royal Albert Hall on Commemoration Day 2016
Undergraduates also, rather unusually, graduate in the October after they finish their degree, rather than that summer. Since Imperial’s student pool is so international, it will be lovely to see everyone when they return for graduation. This October graduation also has a special name: commemoration day, and during my Fresher’s fortnight, it also had a snapchat filter 😁
Princes Gardens on Commemoration Day 2016
I’m not graduating for another few years, but I will be volunteering at the Post Graduate Graduation Day this May.
Here’s to a term that’s brought me so much joy,
Materials Trip to the Culham Nuclear Centre
That’s taken me beyond my limits and expanded the shores of my life.
RSM Spring Dinner 2017
Here’s to a term that’s taught me life skills,
Election Campaign for RSM Regalia Officers
Challenged the way I think and taught me what not to sacrifice.
Group Trip to Santander, Spain, Jan 2017 (Yep, it was during term time, but we didn’t miss a minute of a lecture!)
Here’s to the people that have surprised me,
Friends who came to watch me perform in Afrogala
Inspired me and absolutely mesmerised me.
Some days… throw yourself into the deep end
There are some weeks when life overwhelms you and you can only just keep your head above the water. Even after you’ve recovered, it somehow takes monumentally higher courage to get back into the water.
Today, I jumped in. And it was fun.
After living in halls for four months with the world’s most zealous kayaking enthusiast, I finally bit the bullet and came along to a session. After back to back lectures, a lunch time committee meeting, labs and a Horizons French lesson, the thought of trying kayaking vs work was a no brainer.
