By Michelle Lillywhite

1^st year BU Student, BA (Hons) Social Work

When I enrolled at the University in September 2012 I was looking for ways to get involved in university life in addition to the academic side and the social scene.

I discovered a stand at the Fresher’s Fair all about being an ambassador and found out that there was the option of some paid work at Open Days throughout the year – and I thought this was exactly what I was looking for.

I completed an application form and was asked to attend some briefing sessions before working at an Open Day – we were told about the message that Bournemouth University wanted to share with prospective students and I knew that this was something I was really going to enjoy. I had found a way of being paid while getting enthusiastic about being a student here – I was in my element.

The first open day was quite an eye opener as just a year before it had been me walking through those doors as a nervous potential student and I wanted to make sure that everyone got a smiley welcome. Part of the role of a Student Ambassador at an Open Day is to give campus tours to people showing all the facilities we have available. On Lansdowne campus this includes the skills rooms for many of the NHS courses we have and being able to show people this side of things is a lot of fun.

In January 2013 I was lucky enough to be asked to become a Senior Student Ambassador and I now attend Higher Education Fairs on behalf of the university talking to prospective students about life at Bournemouth University.

I have also been able to have some ad-hoc work with the marketing team, blowing up balloons at a young person’s event that the university was sponsoring, there has been the opportunity to attend talks about the social work course I am doing and answer questions from mature students about the realities of student life.

While the work is not regular you do have the flexibility of working when you want to and a little extra income is always helpful!

For me coming to university and being accepted at Bournemouth has been a massive step forward for my career and so to be able to share my enthusiasm with other people thinking about Bournemouth as an option is a really wonderful thing to do.

So if you are coming to attend an Open Day at Lansdowne campus you may indeed see me and my fellow ambassadors in our bright pink t-shirts handing out goodie bags at the main entrance welcoming everyone.