Last but not least, we hear from our President, Hannah about what a day in her shoes looks like! From meetings to filming social media content to working on campaigns, it's jam-packed.
SO HANNAH, HOW DO YOUR MORNINGS TYPICALLY START?
Well, I tend to wake up at around 8.30am and rush up the hill to get to work for 9am. I know what you’re thinking and yes, it is usually a rush. However, sometimes when I’m feeling organised and go to bed early the night before, I’ll head to the gym or go for a run around 7.15 am and be ready for work by 8.40am.
WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TO THE SU OFFICE?
Every workday starts by getting into the office just before 9 am. If it’s a Monday or Friday, I have a 9am call with Senior University staff members and our SU CEO. This call is to catch up on anything that has emerged over the weekend or in the week. After, I’ll scan my emails and reply to anything urgent.
RUN US THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY
Most of my day will be a mixture of committee meetings, internal SU catch-ups, and 1-2-1s with University staff or students about projects or issues.
On a Monday, I always have a 1-2-1 with Tony (SU Chief Executive Officer) in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we have a meeting called Officer Group which I usually chair. Officer Group is the designated period when the officers and middle managers across the SU teams meet to discuss upcoming awareness dates, matters arising, and any projects or manifesto points we want help on.
My days aren’t just meetings though! Every day is different - I’m often working with the Marketing team to film and create content for our social media pages or running events for campaigns.
I also make sure to set time aside each week to work towards my manifesto goals and our current projects. For example, at the moment I’m working on my NeverOk (tackling sexual harassment and misconduct)..
WHO DO YOU WORK WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?
The people I speak to most in the SU are the sabbatical officers (Sharanya, Nisha and Alastair) and my staff support such as Laura Black, Student Voice Manager.
I also work with members of staff across the University, in particular, Nick Barratt, Executive Director of Student Journey and have a regular catch-up with Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Additionally, I check in with Senior Management staff about issues internal and external to the SU.
WHAT SORT OF MEETINGS DO YOU ATTEND?
As an SU President, I sit on a range of different committees. To name a few such as Estates Planning Committees, University Education Committee, Joint Executive Committee and Academic Board.
Every meeting is different, however, sometimes I do see papers twice. Some meetings can be quite daunting as they’ll be a perfect opportunity to push for something important to students and you know you want to get your voice heard, therefore, I will be sure to prepare beforehand. Whereas some meetings have less interesting agendas.
The top meeting I attend is College Council, chaired by Margaret Hodge who is the MP for Barking. College Council is responsible for the overall strategy and policy-making governing body of Royal Holloway. It's the highest-level meeting I attend but don’t worry, you don’t go alone, the VP Education also attends.
Another important meeting is Trustee Board. As a Sabbatical Officer, not only are you a staff member and student-ish, but you’re also a Trustee of the organisation. Additionally, as President, you’re the Chair of the Trustees and will chair the Board meetings. This is a big responsibility however you will be supported in the planning and preparations of these meetings.
As President, you can be pulled in many different directions so it’s incredibly important to learn to say no and use your time wisely - I'm still learning how to do this. DO DELEGATE DUMP.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF BEING AN OFFICER?
Hmmm, I can’t just have one favourite aspect, so I’ve listed a couple.
Every day is different
One day you could be talking to students in the library, another you’re attending meetings with people twice your age and then meeting new people at conferences. The job never gets boring.
Representing students
The job is all about representing students and making sure their voices are heard.
Responsibility
This job has really aged me, quite literally I now have grey hair. In all seriousness, I have learnt a lot and grown up very quickly in both my terms as a sabbatical officer.
SU Family
The SU is one big family. Everyone is always happy to support and it’s nice that all the teams work together.
WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF BEING AN OFFICER?
I’ll be honest, knowing I can’t please everyone. It took me a while to understand that you won’t be able to make everyone happy, especially when you need to make hard decisions.
People will ask you to have a voice on things, especially when it comes to politics. As much as I'd like to, you need to remember you’re in a position of power and you’re here to support all students.
And just to add another thing (not to be negative), the workload. You will need to write papers, lead a team, reply to a ridiculous number of emails, attend meetings and be visible to students. That is just to list a couple of job responsibilities. Being a sabb becomes your life, you can’t switch off but maybe that’s just because I love the job so much.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE END OF THE DAY TO UNWIND?
I spend most of my time outside of work swimming and playing lacrosse. I also love socialising with my friends – just very typical stuff really!
AND FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT NOMINATING THEMSELVES?
I highly recommend that you nominate yourself for the next RHSU President. You learn so much at an incredibly fast pace and meet so many interesting people. And, who doesn’t want to spend another year in Egham, right?
Always go with your gut instincts, if it feels right do it.
Nominate yourself