Milla Rasanen (Sweden)

I’m Milla Räsänen from Sweden, studying MSc Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology. In addition to studying, I work as an international student ambassador at BU. This means that I help out on open days and I get to write blogs like this one! Getting paid is a big plus when you are a student, but there are so many other benefits to being a student ambassador.

Making new friends

I’ve made new friends by meeting the other student ambassadors. The great thing about it is that the ambassadors are such a diverse group of people. I spend a lot of time with my classmates and it is nice to meet people from outside my course as well. I’ve met ambassadors from all over the world –from India, USA and Thailand, just to name a few. These people have enriched my time at BU so much! I even got some of the other Student Ambassadors to participate in my research for my dissertation, so being a student ambassador has actually helped in my studies.

Valuable work experience

Being a student ambassador is also a great job to put on your CV. It provides such a valuable work experience because it shows you have carried out many different tasks. Working on open days gives you customer service skills and event experience, and writing blogs shows you have good written communication skills. Personally, I am interested in writing. Getting paid to do blogs is not only a great addition to my CV, but it also gives me confidence and helps me practice my writing skills.

Balancing work and studies

As with all other jobs, being a student ambassador brings about the challenge of balancing work, study and free time. Working whilst being a full time student is definitely not easy, but with good planning and a bit of self-discipline I have been able to make it work. I just make sure that I plan all my days and keep to my schedule. When you succeed in this, it is another great asset for your CV because it shows you have excellent time management skills.

Being a student ambassador has definitely enriched my time at BU – I’ve made new friends, gained valuable work experience and I’ve even got a gorgeous free pink BU hoodie to remind me of my time at BU.

Milla Räsänen, Sweden, MSc Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, 2017/18