Well done Edinburgh Award recipients

The School of History, Classics and Archaeology is delighted to congratulate 24 undergraduate students on achieving Edinburgh Awards this year. (Published 27 June 2014)

The Edinburgh Award recognises involvement, experience and transferable skills gained in a range of voluntary extra-curricular activities. Participants receive a certificate and the award is included in their Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR).

The award, an employability initiative at the University, aims to help students capitalise on their strengths, get the most from their experiences and stand out from the crowd.

Head of School, Professor Ian Ralston, congratulated the students on their success.

These awards represent a commendable achievement on top of a busy programme of study.

Stand out from the crowd

Some of this year’s recipients explain what they gained from participating in the scheme.

I had been involved in sport at Edinburgh since my first year, and last year I completed the Edinburgh Award in Sports Union Club Management as Badminton Club secretary. I found the process very rewarding as it forced me to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in this role; I became more confident in my communication and more willing to act on my own initiative. While providing me with something beyond study to focus on, I believe that the award also forced me to be more critical of my essays and structure my revision more productively. I would recommend the award to anyone, if only to take advantage of the CV workshop.

I achieved the reward for working in the History, Classics and Archaeology Student Research Rooms as the Book Collections Intern. It was a project run by Employ.ed on Campus and gave me invaluable experience in a field which I am aiming to work in once I graduate. The award allowed me to reflect on skills which I had to work on and by the end showed me how far I had improved which increased my confidence. Overall the tasks to complete the award and the internship itself was excellent and really worthwhile.

Holding a part time job at university is something that I found rewarding, but to have the University of Edinburgh recognise what its students do outside of their academic lives is something I think is wonderful. The best part about the award is that it made me more reflective in my work so that I could improve in areas that I was weaker in, benefiting both my job and my studies.

The Edinburgh Award not only made my volunteering efforts feel recognised by the University but also complimented them through the exercises in reflection. This prompt consideration of how your actions affect the organisation you are volunteering for and the people you interact with, a process which naturally leads to personal improvement. The extra-curricular activities, including the voluntary role that lead to the Edinburgh Award, have been the most formative experiences of my time at university.

I gained my Edinburgh Award through participating in Sports Union club management as secretary of the Polo Club. I found the scheme very helpful; not only did it help me recognise my strengths and weaknesses but enabled me to work on the latter. It was also insightful to discuss how others in similar positions dealt with management dilemmas.

I was offered the award as I was 3rd team captain and as a result sat on the Netball Club's committee for the year. The course was enjoyable, constructive and interesting. I really did benefit from the different sessions, building on the skills I needed to lead my team efficiently. The course was also very helpful with discussing how the skills we used in our positions would be useful in our lives post-university, for example it has been a point of discussion in interviews I have had since graduating.

I learnt so much from my experiences with the Edinburgh Award. It helped me discipline myself to set goals and reflect on my progress. I took on two volunteering posts; Abbot House Heritage Centre and the Scottish National War Memorial archive. As well as the usual skills of communication and organisation these positions gave me the opportunity to work independently, developing my own ideas and provided invaluable insight into the heritage sector. The award also improved my networking (something I usually avoid) through their workshops and award ceremony. I strongly encourage others who are interested in working in museums, archives and heritage to make the most of their experiences by combining work experience with the Edinburgh Award.

Get involved

To find out more about the Edinburgh Award visit the University's Employability web pages.