Posted on Fri 04 Aug 2023 at 15:08 by
Amber Snary Hello lovely people! Can you believe that it is August already ? The weather has totally settled into the onset of spooky season, and I both love and hate it in equal measure. On that note – this is what has happened in the second half of July !
The Good
Undoubtedly, graduations have been an absolute highlight of the past fortnight. I was able to take part in six ceremonies (including my own!), speaking in half of them. As well as this, sticking around for the start of the 10th ceremony (hello maths!) meant that I was able to meet both Prince Edward, our Chancellor, and amazing astronaut Anne McClain. I’m not sure what I expected to happen when I met an astronaut, but she was so incredibly inspirational and, like many Mums at graduations, her own Mum was so proud. Some things never change huh?
As well as working with current students, I was able to help out the SU in summer school programmes, both Pathway to Bath and Step into Bath. It is so surreal to see hundreds of students in a similar situation to where we were years ago, and I just want to wish everyone applying good luck!
The Bad
Building up the Top 10 means a LOT of emails, meetings, and very little breathing space in-between. It has been great to see how much knowledge and history there are around my manifesto points, but knowing that the roll out of curriculum transformation could affect what we have to choose is horrific. My manifesto was mainly influenced by you, the students, and I aim to keep it that way as much as I can.
The Ugly
The dreaded marking boycott continues! Case studies of students are slowly coming through to me through our feedback form, or just from them, or their friends, emailing me, and the pure havoc some students have faced is heart wrenching. From facing homelessness to not knowing if they can continue on their academic path – each case is so incredibly nuanced. My current focus is signposting you to those who know the most about your case and can best help you out, chasing senior staff, and keeping an eye on the form to make sure I can get back to you ASAP.
TTYL !
Amber x