Accessibility statement

Benjamin

The more varied and diverse the SAs at York are, the more prospective students will be able to find someone that they can relate to at university.

A group of student ambassadors and attendees at the Shine event, on campus East

Your degree: Natural Sciences Specialising in Neuroscience

Your college: Derwent

Your year of study: First Year

Your hometown/place you lived before coming to York: London

What type of school did you attend: State school

Fun fact about yourself: I have a black belt in karate

Favourite place in York: Campus West

Tell us about something you’re involved with outside of your studies…
I’m part of the jiu jitsu society committee. While what the society has been able to do during the pandemic has been limited, I’ve still been able to learn a lot about the martial art during my first year, and am eagerly awaiting the chance to learn more in my second year.

Why did you choose the University of York?
I chose York because of the course and the campus. York was the campus that I felt most at home in when I came to the open day, and I really like how much nature is around the campus, from the trees to the lake to all the ducks and geese. As for the course, it includes both chemistry and psychology, which I really wanted, as well as other subjects, all combined in a way that appealed to me.

What’s your favourite thing about the University of York?
My favourite thing about York is its campuses, namely Campus West. The campus is really nice, with lots of beautiful scenery, as well as being very easy to navigate. It also has loads of places to meet with friends, either for leisure or work, and excellent facilities that greatly enhance my degree experience.

Why did you decide to apply to become an SA?
I decided to become an SA because in school I enjoyed working with prospective students on open evenings, and being an SA seemed to involve similar things and more, as well as giving me a chance to get some more money to help me at university.

What did you think it would involve and how right was that prediction?
I assumed that being an SA would involve meeting with students and answering their questions about different aspects of university. While this is correct, SAs also do a lot of things, such as helping to facilitate events and helping staff work with prospective students.

Did you have any concerns before applying or when starting and what were they?
I was concerned about being able to juggle being an SA with my degree. This worry was unfounded, however, as you have complete flexibility over which jobs you accept, and a large number of the opportunities are outside of timetabled hours, such as Wednesday afternoons and weekends.

What is it like being an SA?
Being an SA is a lot of fun. You get the opportunity to talk about your personal experience at university, as well as inspire prospective students to come to university. You also meet a large variety of people, both fellow SAs and the students you work with, which is also an excellent part of being an SA.

What types of SA work have you been involved in? 
I’ve been involved in a large variety of SA work. This includes working open days, working outreach programmes aimed at college/sixth form students, helping students choose their course, open days, and much more.

What would you say to encourage those of other genders, backgrounds, ethnicities to apply?
I would encourage anyone and everyone to apply, as there are a wide variety of people applying to university who want to find someone like them. Therefore, the more varied and diverse the SAs at York are, the more prospective students will be able to find someone that they can relate to at university.

How do you think you have benefited both at University and how it may help you in your future job search/career?
Both university and being an SA have given me the opportunity to meet a diverse crowd of people, improving my communication skills as well as my teamwork skills. Also, during my SA work, I have the opportunity to help facilitate certain events, which has improved my leadership skills. 

Are you glad you became / are an SA? Would you encourage others to become an SA and why?
I’m glad I became an SA. So far it’s been a very fun experience, and I’d recommend anyone who likes working with people to apply, especially if you want a bit of income to help you during your degree.