Abi Merchant
Chemical Engineering (UG): Departmental Wellbeing Representative
What more does our department need to help everyone thrive? What kind of support helps us perform at our best? These are the questions I’ve been asking myself while observing and learning from the previous departmental reps.
Hi everyone, I’m Abi, the current first-year well-being representative. My experiences over the past year have given me insight into how our department operates, instilled a passion in me to make it even better, and, most importantly, recognised how crucial your voice is. So, allow me to show you what I have in store for next year.
I would first like to introduce a more effective method of collecting feedback, not through occasional surveys, but through a short, engaging session at the end of lectures every two or three weeks, where students have the opportunity to voice their concerns directly to the representative team, whether openly or anonymously.
Secondly, in terms of events, I understand the role of low-pressure gatherings like well-being coffee in providing a space to relax and connect, so to expand on the idea I would like to introduce another event similar to it: “Pizza and Prep”, where students are free to gather, munch on snacks and help each other revise before tests and projects to make the upcoming challenge feel less daunting or isolating.
With your vote, I promise to use the experience, skills and connections I’ve made to build a better platform for you to share your perspective, represent your voice and act on our ideas.