Featuring contributions from:
- Miyambo Kabwe, BILT Student Fellow, BSc Biological Sciences
- Emilie Poletto-Lawson, Lecturer in Academic Development, Bristol Institute of Learning and Teaching
It has been brilliant to hear the thoughtful informal reflections from different people within the UoB community in response to the scenarios which Alex and Nadia experienced.
In this month’s write-up, we hear some insights from Miyambo Kabwe, who opens up the student experience aspect of Alex’s scenario, while Emilie Poletto-Lawson provides some perspectives from considering the personal tutorial dimension of this scenario.
Alex – a student thinking about what ambition means to them in their degree programme
First reflections on Alex’s experiences come from Miyambo Kabwe:
“I think Alex’s situation is relatable to most students! I know for me anyway, I sometimes feel there is a need in university to gain all these opportunities, hone lots of specialist skills, and know the subject inside out like I plan of doing a highly specific PhD or further research. But I think, especially undergrad, most people will not go down that path. In that way, it can feel slightly confusing navigating the rest of your time at university if you are someone who just enjoys your subject and topic area, but you’re not completely committed to exploring it past undergrad. One thing that has stuck with me for years was a conversation that I had in secondary school with my maths teacher, and he said that only 1/6 people go on to complete a career in what they studied in university. I have no idea if the statistic still stands or is even accurate considering this was many years ago, but the sentiment is still there! There is no need to push yourself into a mould if it doesn’t resonate with you. and as first year there is no reason for a student to feel like they should have formalised their future yet.
If Alex feels comfortable, they could talk with their tutor about having a couple minutes during the session to focus on some key soft skills. It might even be helpful outlining all of the skills that their subject is allowing them to acquire, and then doing their own research on the types of careers that it could lead them down. If your tutor is adamant on having sessions on applying skills that are directly linked to their programme, possibly find another lecturer they feel comfortable with to talk about other possibilities that their degree can lead them. Even the careers service might offer some helpful advice! But it’s important to remember that first year is formative, and it is designed to explore areas you find interesting, what skills you have and what you may want to develop. So although it doesn’t sound like Alex is completely dismissing their tutor, maybe also engaging in the material their tutor is advising them may enable them to see their subject from an angle they didn’t know was possible.”
Also sharing a reflection on this scenario is Emilie Poletto-Lawson:
“I feel there will always be a tension around what we think universities are for and external pressures. There is much to reflect upon in this scenario. My first thought would be to kindly challenge the statement “There are some people on the course who just seem to have a feel for the subject”. Perhaps it is the case but it is also very possible this is just Alex’s perception. As an educator I would want the time spent in those tutorials to best serve the students and would want to hear from them what it is that might help. What are these “other topics”. I would perhaps also dedicate some time to explaining why the focus of the tutorials is moving on to disciplinary thinking. I believe having a plan is important and being prepared to be flexible just like in teaching is key.
From discussing personal tutoring sessions with colleagues across the institution I would suggest explaining ahead of the sessions what will be covered and why might be helpful practice to encourage students to attend and also to manage expectations. This might help engagement but also ensuring the sessions are as helpful as they can be building on the tutor’s academic expertise.
I do wonder if there is a need to explore the tension between what will help the student “do well on [their] course” and what will help them beyond their time at University. I am not sure these are necessarily at odds but it can be hard to see until one starts their professional life. This has been the feedback of some alumni, looking back on their course and realising why certain things were taught when at the time they could not necessarily see the point. Again this is difficult if you are in a discipline that can lead to many different roles in the work place. This also brings us back to what do we think universities are for?
The reference to general skills is interesting. One might argue that this is exactly what we do, we support students to develop a strong set of transferable skills as the world is ever changing and knowledge develops rapidly. Anything else would not be preparing them suitably for life beyond university. Is it therefore that we need to support them more in this area? The study Skills team has put a lot of work into this and perhaps more signposting is needed?
In the scenario, there is no mention of whether the session will be an individual conversation or a group one, this might be an important element to consider, which topics to tackle 1:1 and which are best discussed as a group and why.”
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So, huge appreciation to all of our contributors for offering these reflections regarding March’s scenarios. Please feel free to comment below if you have anything to add to these reflections based on your own experiences.
For more information about the series as a whole, you can find out more here.
If you have been inspired to contribute to the next scenarios blog, more details can be found here. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you in April’s final edition of the current series of ‘Picture This’.
