Hi there! My name is Anvi, and I’m one of the Student Fellows working on the Bristol Skills Development Profile, which is a BILT project in collaboration with the Careers Service.
A little bit about myself – I’m currently in my second year studying law, a degree that requires me to rely on skills and application rather than just knowledge. Because of this, I’m very excited to work on this project alongside my colleague Inês and hope to produce high-quality research that sheds light on how students look at skills development! Outside of work and academics, I love reading (fiction, murder mysteries specifically), playing the guitar and cooking. Since starting university, my favourite pastime has been experimenting with new recipes (sometimes unsuccessfully) and trying new food.
I’ve joined the Bristol Skills Development Profile because I believe that a good set of skills can get you anywhere. Before I started my undergraduate degree at Bristol, I completed my high school diploma from a school that follows the Indian curriculum (the Central Board of Secondary Education), which has a very heavy focus on rote learning and memorisation. When I entered university, I was introduced to a teaching and assessment structure that was very application-based and skills-centric. This new system, a complete contrast to the one I followed in high school, forced me to reflect on how I was learning and brought big changes to the skills that I was utilising whilst doing so.
It was this big change that led to my interest in skills, encouraged me to explore the Skills Profile on mycareer and subsequently led to me applying for this position!
Another reason that I am interested in the practical aspect of skills development is due to my experiences in applying for schemes and placements. I’ve found that a good skillset is now necessary not only to improve a student’s learning experience but also to help set them apart in a pool of candidates and sometimes even takes precedence over experience and grades.
In my time working on the Bristol Skills Development project, I hope to understand what skills development means to students and discover the steps that they take to improve their skillsets. I also want to understand the problems that are faced by students in developing their skills and conclude how the university can help break down those barriers to make the process easier. Finally, I want to compare the outlooks of employers and students on skills and understand if there’s a gap between the two and why. To facilitate this research, my colleague and I plan on hosting focus groups for students to explain their views and share their experiences. I hope to see engaging discussions and look forward to deriving conclusions!
Last but not least, I hope to use this opportunity as a way to better understand the student body and represent the student voice. As a university student myself, I firmly believe that it is important for us to take the initiative to personalise our learning experiences and make the most out of the material provided. This is why I look forward to speaking to many of you and understanding what you like and don’t like about how skills development has been going for you. If you have any views, thoughts or questions, or just want to chat about reading or cooking, feel free to reach out to me at xe23278@bristol.ac.uk, or find me on LinkedIn!
Thanks for reading, see you soon! 🙂
