Preface
My three years as class representative for Computer Science is coming to an end. In that spirit, I would like to leave three tips for those looking to take up the role.
I have learned a great deal during my time, however I’m trying to keep this post short, so feel free to contact me for more info.
The Three Tips
Selflessness
As a class rep you get certain benefits:
- Leadership experience
- Improved confidence and communication skills
- Something to
brag about to employers put on your CV
- Time that you’ve logged volunteering appearing on your transcript at graduation
Regardless of these, it should be something that you want do to improve the experience for your fellow students and those that will come after you.
Keeping on Top of Things
The most significant piece of advice that I can give is to be proactive.
During my time I would hope for problems to simply fall into my lap, which I could then tackle. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
It is up to you as a class rep to keep track of what’s going on and how students are feeling. This means being active in group chats, creating polls or surveys when necessary, and most of all, just talking to the people on your course. This was one of the areas that I struggled with the most, but the more you do it, the better you get.
Leveraging Technology
Take advantage of the fact that you have access to nearly everyone that’s registered on your course, be it through email or group chats.
Consider some of the following:
- Creating a group chat on WhatsApp where only the admins can post (to reduce spam)
- Creating surveys/polls to gauge the opinions of students (be careful of sampling bias)
- Make your meeting notes with staff available on Google Drive for students to read
One Last Thing…
If you can, go the extra mile; students will appreciate it.