1st Year Psychology rep, Alexander Endean, has been working hard this year to represent the academic interests of students in the School of Life Sciences and the Environment. After noticing that student engagement wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, Alexander had the idea of creating a Psychology Student Magazine (The Cortex), which is a collaborative piece aiming to connect students, foster inspiration and share ideas.
1st Year Psychology rep, Alexander Endean, has been working hard this year to represent the academic interests of students in the School of Life Sciences and the Environment. After noticing that student engagement wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, Alexander had the idea of creating a Psychology Student Magazine (The Cortex), which is a collaborative piece aiming to connect students, foster inspiration and share ideas. If you’re a member of the Psychology department, keep an eye out for the first issue release later this academic year…
Why did you want to become a rep?
At the time of applying, I was hoping it could support my academic experience, and it has! I saw it as an opportunity to advocate for student voices, and I had done some volunteering work with Sutton trust as an Alumni, so it was quite similar, and I thought I’d enjoy it! It also felt like a way to get more involved with the Psychology department which I was really keen on!
What have you been doing so far this year and are your plans for next term in the rep role?
As a first year, and a new rep, this year has really been all about getting to know what goes into the work a rep does. I felt slightly intimidated at first, or worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the role well. But I remember the first SSAM meeting we had, and the other reps were so supportive – everyone pitched in and did their bit. The staff were also super friendly, and genuinely kind. It went from scary to fun in a matter of minutes! The first-year reps that I work with specifically have been amazing, we’ve got a real good team and have been experimenting the best ways to get feedback from our fellow students. I just think it has been so beneficial to not just attend lectures but critically think about the way the content is delivered or exam support for example. Being able to provide feedback to the staff has been excellent, especially when you can tell that they genuinely want to hear what the students think! I’ve also tried to do something more creative to connect staff and students, which has been a Psychology Magazine. We’ve got a great team coming together and that’s going to be super exciting – our first issue should hopefully come out next term.
How do you see being a rep impacting your future?
Well, considering how positively the rep role has affected my student life during my first year, I am very excited to see what the future brings! I don’t really have any plans set in stone, but I just want to keep working hard, with the other reps to get feedback and support students the best way we can. I do genuinely look up to the senior academic reps, and the possibility of progressing into a role with more responsibility does excite me – it actually seems quite fun to chair a meeting!
What’s the best thing about being a rep?
Honestly, the connections I’ve made with students and staff alike. Just that feeling of knowing
students can bring any feedback, or question they have to you knowing that improvements will be made! It’s also great to celebrate the achievements of the department, and it feels great to tell staff that they’re doing an excellent job.