From the lowliest committee position to being on the Exec or even being JCR President, there are good reasons to get involved in the JCR. Each position will have its own benefits, but here are some that apply to all of them. Check the announcements page to see what positions are currently up for election or interview. It's Fun!Being involved in the JCR is a great way of meeting people from other years, other friendship groups, even other colleges! You get to work together to achieve things you think are important, and do things you enjoy. Most committees throw regular socials, and all of them provide the opportunity to do something worthwhile during your time here - something which isn't just studying or partying.It's Great For Personal Development.You can really learn a lot about yourself and about what you can do when you're part of something. Can you work in a team? Can you speak in public? Can you think creatively? Can you solve real-world problems, not just the ones given to you by your lecturers? Can you resolve conflicts? You might not think you can do any of these things, but JCR positions provide you with the opportunity to learn how to do all of this and more. The simplest positions can drastically improve your confidence in all sorts of areas, and you get to have a real impact and make a real difference to life at St Mary's.It Provides Employable Skills.Employers will not be impressed if all you did at university is study and get drunk. They want to see that you have a range of skills. Holding a JCR position shows this, as it shows you can work in a real-life environment, and you don't just look good on paper. You can get used to meetings, taking minutes, controlling finances, liaising with other people - depending on the role, you may develop a whole host of skills!Not only that, but nowadays in interview situations employers like to ask a lot of "Can you think of a time when..." questions. You might not be able to answer questions like "Can you think of a time when you had to make people accept a decision they didn't like" and "Can you give us an example of a time you've had to motivate other people" with just your experience from tutorial groups and bar crawls. But answering these types of questions is a lot easier if you've sat on a committee or two, or had an exec position. It Won't Happen Without You!Finally, you should get involved in the JCR because otherwise, none of the things that make Mary's such a great college to be a part of would happen. We wouldn't have social events without a Social Secretary, Soc Comm, Midsummer Ball Committee, the Bar and all the other committees that help us have a good time. We wouldn't have a gym without the Team Durham Reps. We couldn't run Live Lounge and the Panto without the Arts Society, Drama and Dance groups. Without a Treasurer we wouldn't have any money to do anything! Without Welfare reps, we'd all be really sad!The Next StepSo what's the next step? Well, check out the announcements page to see which positions are up for election and interview at the moment. Talk to the current person who holds that position, or the head of the committee. Talk to the JCR President for information too. Have a look at the Standing Orders to see exactly what the job entails. And talk to the Chair, (look under exec to find out who is this year's chair) who can tell you exactly what you need to do to stand.Good luck, and have fun! |
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