Making the most of your University Experience
By Megan from the Student Team
Studying at University is a unique experience, very different from our time at school or at the workplace. It comes with a mind-boggling range of opportunities, many of which are exclusive to University of Manchester students. Here are some things I’ve discovered during my time here, give them a try and don’t miss out!
Industry years
A number of courses offer various placements for students who want to gain professional development while working. These can either be paid or unpaid, and vary in length from a few weeks to a full year. Having a placement on your CV is highly valuable if you want to build a career in that field, and are a great opportunity to build confidence in your subject area.
Some of these placements are offered only to our University, so taking such opportunities is what will make you stand out to employers after graduation. Don’t assume that placements are reserved for only certain degrees, there are ones on offer for everyone from Art Historians to Accountants. Ask your Academic Advisors for any opportunities within your department.
Applications advice
The Careers Service offers advice for a range of applications including CVs, covering letters, application forms, personal statements and even LinkedIn profiles. Each session is 15 minutes, however you can book up to four in any 30 day period.
The advisors are extremely helpful as they’ve seen thousands of job applicants. They provide feedback on the layout, content and structure of your application, giving you a better chance of securing that ideal role upon graduation.
Some faculties offer these appointments as a separate service, but if that’s not the case for your faculty, contact the Careers Service in the Atrium to book an appointment. Don’t forget, even after you leave University, you can contact the Careers Service for guidance up to two years after graduation.
CareersLink
CareersLink is a service exclusive to students and recent graduates of The University of Manchester. It advertises job vacancies, internship opportunities and volunteering placements all in one place — what a dream! It also allows you to filter searches, meaning you can focus on finding specifically part-time work. There are also flexible internal vacancies available, such as Student Ambassador roles, which look brilliant on your CV and assist with stretching your loans out a little bit longer.
Don’t be kept in the dark about these opportunities, be sure to create a CareersLink profile and check it regularly!
Alternative Study Spaces
Though we love and appreciate it dearly, there is more to studying than the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (or Ali G)… why not take a look at our other library sites? During exam time in particular, smaller faculty libraries such as the Art and Archaeology Library and Stopford tend to be a lot less busy than the Main Library or the Learning Commons.
If you’re after a study room, booking ahead is usually the best way to guarantee a room. Bear in mind that groups always take priority over lone students in the study rooms, so to avoid any unpleasant interruptions, it’s best to bring a friend along!
If you’ve forgotten your trusty laptop, the Main Library and the Learning Commons offer laptop and iPad loans for up to 6 hours and there are other libraries on site that offer iPad loans too — just ask at the desk. Thanks to these loans, busy PC clusters need no longer be an issue… just don’t take up a PC space while you use your laptop, not cool!
Library Resources
Save your pennies! A staggering number of textbooks are available across the Library sites as well as online versions of many popular course books, so there’s no need to buy the textbooks yourself. To find what you’re looking for, use Library Search — and failing that, get in touch with the Inter-Library Loans service, who can borrow books for you from other libraries.
The University also run an innovative idea called Textbook Rescue. This involves graduates generously donating their old textbooks to pass along to the next generation of students, saving new students a huge amount of money. Really usefully, you can request the purchase of books not already owned by the Library, which would save you money and allow other students access to that resource.
Although 9am starts are history for me (thankfully!), I still do my best to use the resources available at the University, discovering more and more as I progress through my degree. Everyone’s university experience is unique, and you may have your own favourite tips. Whatever you do, have a go at the tips above to make your time even more worthwhile!
Useful Links
Find out more ways to seize your time at University here:
