I’ve Spent My Summer Working At My University And This Is Why You Should Too

It’s really common to get summer jobs when you’re studying at uni. Lots of people opt for internships or shadowing opportunities, but what about working at your own university? This is a real thing and trust me, after working at my university, it’s actually really useful!

I spent the summer of my second year as an undergraduate student working at my university. I completed what is known as a fellowship, and I know for a fact that a number of universities across the UK offer fellowship opportunities. What is a fellowship, you may ask? It varies between departments, but most fellowships grant you the opportunity to help one of your university researchers with their project. They may assign you different tasks depending on the difficulty of the topic at hand, but either way you’ll be responsible for conducting lots important research.

As a literature student, I worked alongside one of the English department researchers to help him with his long-term project. He is currently working towards publishing a book, and I was responsible for conducting research at the British Library to gather relevant material for his work. He set me weekly tasks that covered the texts that I had to read and the information that I was supposed to record.

I am immensely grateful for this experience and I think that everyone would benefit from completing a fellowship. Even if you’re not interested in academia and don’t want to continue your studies, a fellowship is still a great alternative to the usual internships and placements. Here are my reasons for why I’ve spent my summer working at my university and why I think you should too:

1. Greater exposure to academia

As I mentioned above, the fellowship gave me the chance to work closely with academics and gain a better understanding of the world of academia from the inside. Obviously we all interact with respected academics during out studies, but it’s not quite the same as being able to work alongside them. It has taught me a lot about the profession and has even motivated me to continue my studies.

2. Better understanding of research

As students we are obviously faced with various research tasks that aren’t limited to essay writing. However, the kind of work that we do at undergraduate level is still quite far off from more advanced research conducted by academics. The fellowship that I completed has taught me a lot more about the rules and regulations that apply to conducting academic research, as well as the various ethical questions that are often raised as a result.

3. Unique atmosphere of academic research

Working in your uni library alongside other students is one thing, but conducting research in one of the greatest libraries in the world is completely different. Of course not all fellowships will entail working in a library setting, but they will definitely introduce you to a different type of research atmosphere that is just so different to regular uni studying. It’s definitely worth immersing yourself in this unique kind of work mode. This is a super interesting perk I learned about while working at my university!

4. Better acquaintance with your department

Working with academics from your department comes with the added benefit of being able to socialise with them more often. Most of our lecturers will have dedicated office hours, but they’re just not enough when there are so many students around. A fellowship will let you spend time with these academics and find out more about their interests. This will enable you to better understand your department and learn more about your field of study.

5. It’s a challenge

Believe me, this is a good thing – deliberately seeking out challenges to improve your academic performance is a great way to get the most out of your university experience. What’s more, employers really value applicants who have gone out of their way to learn something new and difficult, which is why a fellowship will always look great on your CV. It will also teach you lots of invaluable information that you would not necessarily cover during your normal classes.

Working at my university has been great, have you had similar experiences? Let us know in the comments below!

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