Learning Abstracts

A student in the School of Chemistry 

During middle school, I had complete disregard over anything related to computer science. Although I played online games, I wasn't much interested in how anything is implemented to achieve them. After my first year at university, I used many programmes in chemistry, and physics: 'Mestrelab', 'ChemDraw', 'Citrix' and more, and progressively got more appreciative of how any of these programmes might be made, having enjoyed using them. This, along with noticing that many internships needed coding, gave me the idea to give computer science a second chance. I didn't delve into the chemistry-coding intersects as much as I thought I would, but I certainly maintain the interest of possibly doing something along those lines after graduating. Scrutinising my thought process during my newly-developed interest gave me a second chance at reviewing my study habits from the last year - an unexpected collateral benefit I hadn't realised I needed. Acquiring a new interest, after university felt wrong to me; I was in the mindset of thinking "This is what I chose to do, and I can't be straying from it". Upon reflecting over my blogs, I realised it's good to have a new interest, and having it doesn't directly mean I'll be straying from my interest in my degree. Most importantly, I lost the feeling of being intrusive in an area meant for others. This was a hurdle I suspect I had to get over, to give me confidence in choosing something I think I'll enjoy doing, later on in my life. 

A student in the School of Mathematics

I carried out a research project in an area of mathematics I might specialise in. I am considering a career as a researcher and want exposure to research mathematics to give myself a strong foundation in formal research later on. In particular, I wanted to hone my skills writing a full research paper. This involved learning how to structure the paper and providing commentary on the body of work, which I have little experience in. Furthermore, it also required me to be far more organised than I usually am when doing mathematics. It also involved developing softer skills such as being proficient asking for advice and summarising the research in a succinct manner. These skills would be useful for many careers - not just for a career in research mathematics.  Working on the paper gave me the opportunity to develop such skills. I developed organisational habits that will be useful to me when I do research in the future and for my general studies. I often consulted other mathematicians for advice on how to solve problems. This required me to be proficient in communicating the key concepts of my research to other mathematicians in a succinct manner. I found that I was able to phrase questions clearly and this allowed me to get the advice I needed. However, I realised I needed to develop some interpersonal skills as I was sometimes unsure about how to challenge the feedback I received from a far more experienced mathematician.

A student in the School of Biological Sciences

I initially chose my experience over something that I believed would not become too difficult, the study of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, using a Python course to learn to analyse data that I would acquire from an in-person course. This project was made to revolve around keeping the work habit I had during the semesters at the University of Edinburgh. I was hoping that creating a research project on the said topic would help me perfect a skill and perhaps aid me in the future. Most regrettably, a lot of factors that I was unable to do anything about affected my project, many of them related to the COVID-19 pandemic and made me shift the focus of my SLICC. At the last minute, the in-person course was cancelled, and the online Python course was not as helpful as I hoped. In the end, I managed to scrounge up some data, but with an unclear objective I felt I would not be able to deliver a project worthy of a SLICC. So, I shifted my attention to something I already knew from experience: galaxies. I had worked on a project previously, and I believed I would be able to develop a much better SLICC by expanding on a scientists' work as well as adding more to it, mainly by adding more parameters to analyse. This shift of focus from something I had been struggling with into something else I believe was my best course of action when creating the SLICC.

A student in the School of GeoSciences

My SLICC experience is a self-directed research project investigating the representations of poverty in the UK and its associated drivers/implications. Focusing predominantly on representation in reporting and TV/Film, it provided opportunity to analyse the meaning behind these portrayals and further investigate the mechanisms informing them. This experience aimed to formalise my interest in understanding poverty in the UK. Primarily, I want to deepen my comprehension of its complexity and secondarily, equip myself with the information required to generate awareness of the implications of poverty representation and the need to re-evaluate opinions towards those experiencing it. I have actively challenged my own positionality towards poverty throughout my SLICC, and I hope you are able to evaluate my progression throughout the project. The experience acted both as an opportunity to conduct research and improve my ability to read academic writing, but also a project for acquiring new skills. Prior to undertaking my SLICC project, actively reflecting on my work was not a formalised part of my learning. However, having taken particular interest in improving my intellectual autonomy, and secondarily my outlook and engagement poverty, the reflection process has become invaluable. Not fully expected, they have allowed me to view my thinking through a new perspective and visualise the processes that inform my thinking and how I react to information. Undergoing this SLICC has affirmed the importance I place in investigating complex and at times uncomfortable subjects, and furthermore has enabled me to develop skills that will aid my future academic studies.

A student in Edinburgh College of Art

My SLICC experience was a self-directed research project with the aspiration of understanding the development of the Third New Town of Edinburgh with a specific focus placed upon the role of William Henry Playfair. Whilst architecturally focused the research explored other fundamental drivers; be that economic, historical, or the role of specific individuals. The experience was chosen as a means of exploring the possibility of a career in academia and as an opportunity to conduct further research into an area of existing interest in a formalised way. The experience not only enabled research to be conducted but importantly acted as a tool to learn and develop skills. Perhaps the most interesting learning area for me personally was the importance of reflection. A large part of the SLICCs experience is accessed on an ability to reflect and develop upon skills. Prior to undertaking the project, I had done little formalised reflection. Whilst at first, I was pessimistic as to point of constant reflections, the act of active reflecting became an area of great enjoyment. Interestingly, it invites me to consider areas of strength as well as weaknesses, ultimately enabling a level of reassessing and the implementation of new methodologies, be that for research, time management, or written communication. The SLICCs experience affirmed my interests, enabled me to develop skills and ultimately gave me a purpose/ reason to undertake research in a formalised manner.

A student in the School of Biological Sciences

I wanted to do the SLICC course to develop skills required for independent and online research learning within a defined framework. My research topic is focused on the R programming language and its applications within biology. I chose to look into this subject as I enjoyed learning about programming in my university courses, and using R has been recommended by teaching staff and researchers.  My main plan was to follow a course by the coding club to learn more about the R programming language, and do independent research to explore the different ways it can be relevant to my University course work and biological research. I have been surprised by how useful the R language has been to use, and its benefits for using it to manipulate data. I have also been able to use more techniques, such as flashcards and attending webinars, to help my learning. I was also keen to develop skills and attributes related to personal effectiveness, such as time management and focus. Through regular reflective blogs, I have been able to gauge my progress with improving these. With extra research, I have been able to recognise others such as resilience that are important skills as well. Dealing with change has also been important, as my chosen mindset to explore went from 'outlook and engagement' to 'aspiration and personal development'. Doing this has helped me to understand the techniques that I can use to improve these, and the countless benefits this has in many different areas.

A student in the School of Engineering

My initial goal was to build a student club for video shooting, which is geared towards any age group, including teamwork, video editing, and social media management tasks. We would regularly release new shooting themes and explore the culture, life, and scenery of the entire Edinburgh and even the entire UK during the shooting. I planned to improve my leadership and communication skills during this period, so as to better manage the team and become a competent club chairman. After more than a month of experience and self-reflection, I have a more detailed understanding of the establishment process, understand the existing problems, and I have improved the details of the original plan. If the choice of this topic comes from a temporary interest, then I have now transformed this interest into a mature development plan. In the process of improving my leadership and communication skills, I also have new ideas. These new ideas made me understand what leadership and communication skills are, and how I should improve these two skills. For example, for leadership, I should pay more attention to authority and motivation in my future position, be fully aware of the importance of leadership rights, and always motivate team members. For stronger communication I should pay more attention to the characteristics of coordination, adjust relationships between team members, avoid the occurrence of conflicts, and enable the harmonious development of the entire team.

A student in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

This SLICCs project is the self-led research into Literature as a Medium for cross-cultural dialogue. Its main area of concern is Literature in Translation, in which I aimed to establish the tools as well as ways of introducing the international exchange of thoughts. In order to be able to find the current trends and areas in which this dialogue is led, I focused on the award-winning fiction positions from the past ten years that serve as my primary sources. The goal of this project was to write a paper that would conclude the research process as well as develop research skills and techniques, improve time-management skills, notice and develop ways in which my personal skills influence my academic abilities, develop my academic autonomy, and understand the processes that help me improve my researching abilities. As a result, I managed to create a blog ("About the Lit") which not only summarises my research progress but also will serve the purpose of the platform to exchange opinions and spark the cross-cultural dialogue about literature. I focused on the development of time-management skills and research techniques. The development of my managing techniques influenced my work progress and the quality of my research immensely, enabling me to gain a lot of opportunities to learn from the difficulties and failures I experienced. Furthermore, this project enabled me to understand the importance of reflection as a way to improve academic results and one's approach to work and academic challenges.

A student in the School of Economics

Initially I chose my SLICC experience because it seemed like a great opportunity to develop my research skills which will be useful throughout my degree and future career. Specifically, I chose to look into topics relating to environmental economics because I wanted to broaden my knowledge in an area that interests me, relates to my degree, and it is a field I would consider pursuing a career in. Environmental economics is a particularly relevant topic in current news and an area of economics that I have always been interested in. I initially wanted to develop my research, enquiry and analysis skills through this experience. Following my Interim Reflective Report, I realised it would also be beneficial to me to use this process to develop my reflective skills. Throughout this process I have learnt a lot of striking statistics across every stage. More importantly I learnt a lot about research, enquiry, learning, analysis, and reflection. Very early on I learnt that research benefits from opinion pieces instead of facts alone. When it comes to learning it is very beneficial to include your own opinions and insight in your notes, whereas previously I would only consider facts. Initially I anticipated self directed research would be challenging as I wouldn't know where to start or what questions to ask. I did not expect to find self reflection as challenging as I did. I realised it is something I have never implemented much before but is an extremely useful tool.

A student in the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences

I initially chose this experience because I both enjoyed the subject of oncology in my course and wanted to challenge myself in a way that I hadn't before. The project was perfect for that, as it focuses on bladder cancer treatment, but also requires me to work on data analysis and presenting which are both things I find challenging. From this experience, I wanted to improve "hard" skills like data handling, review writing and knowledge acquisition, but also "softer" skills - namely self-motivation and time management. Whilst the project was supervised, it has been my responsibility to set deadlines, solve problems and motivate myself to put the work in. So far I have learnt a lot. While anticipated, I have become proficient in using completely new software, and already built knowledge on ways to use excel to handle data well. On top of this, I have learnt more about the way I work, what motivates me and where my weaknesses still are. Unexpectedly, I have also learnt about adapting to challenges and maintaining motivation through adversity. This was due to some unforeseen obstacles along the way, but I feel that dealing with these issues has actually made this project a more potent and helpful learning experience.

A student in the School of Economics

We are currently in a global pandemic which is having a significant impact on the global economy. I'm eager to learn more about how this pandemic affects different economies and to compare the impacts between different types of Covid restrictions on the economy. The main reason I'm interested in conducting this research is mainly due to my own curiosity; there is currently lots of research on how this pandemic may lead to a global recession and the possible growth afterwards, but there is a lack of research focusing on the comparison between different Covid restrictions, from lockdowns to travel bans. Therefore, this makes me even more willing to gather data on this and analyse the impact of it. Another main reason for conducting this relatively short SLICC is because I would like to develop an efficient learning method as well as learning to stop procrastinating so that I do not have limited time to finish my project. I have had a lot of highs and lows during this experience - from struggling to find the relevant sources, to discovering different study habits that could help me to beat my habit of procrastinating. I have understood how to prevent myself from feeling burnt out and gained skills on problem-solving. "Stay calm and keep going" is the important wisdom that I've learnt during this experience, and I will remember this motto in the future without a doubt.

A student in the School of Economics

A work shadowing programme at an international financial services institution inspired me to pursue a career in the field of finance, which was what initially brought me into studying Economics with Finance at the University of Edinburgh. Before deciding to participate in SLICC, to dedicate my summer specifically to gaining insights into the financial industry and to develop professional skills, I participated in a trading and investment club to simply further explore my interest. This experience then provided me with some basic skills for working as an Equity Research Analyst, such as presentation skills, analytical skills and the ability to interpret the company's financial statements.  These foundations allowed me to proceed smoothly with my summer experience: finance-related virtual courses at Forage, and my interest in finance kept me engaged whilst attending several insight events hosted by companies from the industry. From which I was able to not only gain insights into the industry expectations towards the employees, but also insider's life lessons and tips to increase competency as a potential employee in the industry. These experiences differed from what I initially planned in the sense that it eventually got into more breadth, and was not only limited to developing a professional mindset by attending virtual programs on Forage but also attending the Insight events and developing my time management skills.

A student in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

I chose the topic of difficulty in poetry, because I am passionate about promoting poetry-reading as a hobby to young people, which I do through an online forum. I wanted to understand the main factors that make a poem harder to understand and how readers overcome them. Through this, I wanted to explore a mindset of structured enquiry to achieve the goal of planning activities for the forum's reading group. I wanted to develop my ability to think critically and synthesize what I was reading as well through designing a future study to be carried out in the field of poetry research. One key thing I learnt was that both difficulty and narrativity are complex and sometimes controversial as concepts, and many perspectives need to be considered. In terms of learning mindset, I had to rethink my ideas of what 'structure' means, as the interdisciplinary nature of studying poetry requires a lot of skills to be used at once, for example literary analysis and analysis of quantitative data, so a linear plan to learn things one-by-one rather than in parallel would not work for this topic.  My ideas of what critical thinking is have changed, as I used to think it had to be a solitary affair. Now I understand that not only ideas but people have to be linked together. Finally, I've learnt how challenging it can be to reflect effectively by separating fact from judgement and to put my reflections into practice.

A student in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

My SLICC topic was chosen so that I could complete an independent research project about a period of French history that has always fascinated me. I chose to write a paper based on the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette’s reign to answer questions that have divided historians for decades. I sought to reach my own conclusion about whether Marie Antoinette deserves her reputation as a carefree and frivolous monarch; whether the causes of the French Revolution have been pinned on her; and the reasons for her fall from popularity amongst the French public. This project was also to allow me to gain valuable insight into my own learning process. I wanted to understand my strengths and weaknesses through close analysis of my work, allowing me to improve myself and find new methods of working. Many of the issues that I predicted facing in my Proposal have cropped up, particularly time management. However, through my weekly reflections I was able to see that the origins of my time management issues do not lie in laziness but in ineffective working. Problems with slow reading and long, disorganised notes had been restricting the progress of my work. These were unexpected challenges that I faced as I believed in my Proposal that being selective and analytical were strengths of mine rather than weaknesses. Through each stage of my project I have challenged myself to develop these skills in new ways, proving to myself that I can overcome issues and maintain a positive attitude towards working.

Also listed under 'Work and volunteering experience'

A student in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Students have felt especially isolated this year because of online learning: I needed a social and instructive experience. Doing an internship this summer was a necessity for two reasons. For one, I want to have professional experiences in relation my degree, and secondly, internships are highly valued experiences in the professional world. I applied to my internship because the company creators advocate values that I admire: rendering culture accessible to all and promoting young independent artists. With this experience, I hoped to learn the basics of journalistic writing, mediating culture, and communicating with its actors. I especially wanted to see how the cultural world is continually adapting itself to the pandemic. Later in July, new governmental sanitary measures prompted another wave of radical transformation of the cultural world. I realised the salient role played by social media in preserving culture at times of crisis. I had not anticipated that I would be given so many responsibilities and trust. Since the first day, I was assigned multiple articles every week, I was sent on the field and expected to report about it. In fact, my academic research skills and perseverance have been key to making the most out of this experience. Moreover, the internship also encouraged me to develop my personal tastes and creativity.  Overall, an internship is a wonderful opportunity to combine academic skills with professional ones, and to increase one’s potential. I would not have thought that this would be such a life-changing experience.

A student in the Business School

Learning the Python 3 Programming Language was chosen because of its easy applications in real life, especially in business. Various high-level business figures have advised me to develop this skill as soon as possible as it would prove a real advantage in my future career. Furthermore, Python 3 is a programming language with a wide variety of uses (including machine learning and AI) meaning that it would not be difficult for me to find situations where I could apply my knowledge. I wanted to learn tangible skills that I would immediately be able to apply in my daily life and studies. This meant that I set out to learn the real, hard programming skills from day 1 of my SLICC. I have now completed 3 Python programming courses from the University of Michigan. I am now able to apply my programming skills in a range of contexts and I am even able to draw on databases made by Google and Twitter to help me analyse and extract the data that I want. Over the course of my journey, I have, however, not only learnt these anticipated hard skills but also various important soft skills. I have made major progress in my problem solving and time management abilities. Furthermore, I have also become more patient, reflected critically about my sources of motivation, and increased my willingness to persevere. Most importantly, this SLICC has shown me what the world of programming can offer. I look forward to exploring it further.

A student in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

When a fellow student asked for some help with the psychological basis of a research investigation into consumer behaviour and influencer marketing I jumped at the opportunity. As someone particularly interested in consumer behaviour, I had already interned at the Research Department of a marketing company, supporting a consumer behaviour research project. I was therefore eager to take part in this experience, anticipating the application and expansion of my basic researching skills and the learning of new ways in which psychology can help us understand marketing research, which is a field I would love to get involved in in the future. I hoped to learn more about how social media influencers are used in marketing and to find out and whether the reason micro-influencers (1000-100,000 followers) are considered more effective than macro-influencers (100,000+ followers) is because of differences in people’s perceived credibility of them. We therefore decided to conduct our investigation into whether people perceive Instagram users they follow with fewer followers as more credible than Instagram users they follow with many more followers. Although I didn’t end up collecting all my data in time to analyse it, I learnt about how one plans such a research investigation, and that it is not as straightforward as it may seem. During my preliminary research, I have also learnt about the characteristics that make influencers effective promoters and I have developed researching skills including critical analysis of journals and academic writing.

A student in the School of Chemistry 

Most people do not expect coffee to be associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, decrease live disease, and have potential anti cancer properties among many other health benefits. People also do not expect speciality coffees to have flavour descriptors such as "blueberry" or "passion fruit". There are also potential uses of coffee by products for weight loss remedies, natural flavouring, and anti-cancer drugs. As such coffee offers a great scope for a chemist to try and understand these mysteries. I fundamentally chose to do this SLICC out of interest of the topic, however I also recognised this was an opportunity for personal development. Given lockdown conditions I was limited in my choices of what I could do and saw myself wasting away the days. The SLICC offered a short term project which I could do to fill my many free hours. By actively reflecting on my learning I have realised active reflection to be an effective method of assessing my own progress. I have also developed my own personal strategies for independent learning including using my bullet journal and making comprehensive notes on the topic I am reading. By questioning my mindset towards learning I have realised I am very capable of conducting my own independent reading in the future and have overall found the SLICC experience very beneficial on an academic and personal development level.

A student from the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences

As a medical sciences student, it is important to understand reproductive health inequalities due to the poor health outcomes faced by many individuals in this health sector, mainly those in low and middle income countries. My current career aspirations consist of a Masters degree in public health after my undergraduate degree, in the hope to one day act as an epidemiologist. This research project was therefore perfect for giving me an insight into maternal, child and reproductive health as a part of a global campaign to try and improve the lives of mothers and their children, in line with the sustainable development goals for 2030. The experience was eye-opening. The sheer number of maternal deaths per year is heart-breaking, especially when I learned that approximately one quarter of them are preventable by increasing access and quality of care. Due to my future goals, global health is an area I feel extremely passionate about and I am very grateful for having had this research opportunity through both my online course and independent research. The process allowed me to develop important personal skills such as prioritisation and time management along with a better understanding of how I study best. The experience has been invaluable and something I will look back on when deciding whether a career in research is right for me.

Also listed under 'Work and volunteering experience'

A student in Moray House School of Education and Sport 

The pandemic restrictions made me feel isolated during my first-year undergraduate experience which led me to question myself. I lost confidence in my abilities to cope with my studies which created anxiety and apprehension about facing a second year on a campus I didn’t know, with people I had not met. Therefore, my SLICC was designed to explore coping strategies that would support me to manage feelings of anxiety, isolation and worry so improving my sense of personal wellbeing. My SLICC had two learning opportunities. The first was completing the Yale course ‘Science of Wellbeing’, designed to build productive habits and increase happiness. The second was completing volunteering activities at a Primary School and taking part in the NHS Step2Stretch programme. However, my biggest challenge was learning how to reflect. This was completely new to me, and I struggled at first as I had to learn to become more self-aware by slowing down my thoughts and feelings. I had to change my mindset to become more curious and ask myself what? instead of why? I was surprised how much insight I gained into understanding my feelings from doing this. Through reflection and the ‘Science of Wellbeing’ course I have identified my four most effective positive habits and strategies which include: making social connections, aligning activities with my core values, being kind and savouring. Productive habits have value as a toolkit to help focus on managing challenging or unknown situations, but the way I reflected on how these habits were used led to the development of resilience.

A student from the School of Physics and Astronomy

This summer, I wanted to work on my self-confidence, self-awareness, and skills like time-management to use in my future years at university and beyond. To do this, I enrolled in a few online courses, and set out to make a pamphlet with useful tips. Having a prior interest in psychology, I decided to engage with the science of wellbeing, a truly current issue during the pandemic. In addition, I decided to explore the science of learning to gain a better understanding of knowledge acquisition, and valuable learning skills. Finally, as a woman in STEM and perfectionist, I decided to examine and tackle my feelings of inadequacy and fraudulence, better known as imposter syndrome. This turned into a SLICC experience after I realised just how beneficial reflecting on my learning may prove, and so it did. As my project progressed, several of my beliefs were challenged by what I learnt, ranging from how important adopting a growth mindset is, to how happy talking to a stranger on the bus can make you. Examining my study techniques, biases, and the imposter cycle I often fall into, has been eye-opening for me in realising why I work the way I do. Additionally, I learned that by being effortful and intentional, I can implement many beneficial habits to increase my wellbeing, and enhance my day-to-day experiences and studies. Most importantly, through both intentional and subconscious reflection activities, the SLICC experience has helped me raise my self-awareness substantially.

A student in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

I initially chose to complete my SLICC experience focusing on developing an understanding of commercial awareness because as a non-law undergraduate student applying for experience with law firms across the country, I feel this area is always somewhere I feel less confident having not been exposed to such awareness regularly. I wanted to learn about commercial awareness in general, although throughout my SLICC I have learnt so much more about it, including its importance, how to actively develop it and possibly the most important point, how to apply it in a professional context. By completing two virtual experiences, with well-reputed law firms, I have been able to follow a learning journey by completing tasks set with the intention of learning more about commercial law and applying knowledge and awareness to set situations. My SLICC journey has been better than I thought it would be in terms of personal development, professional skill development and topic-based understanding. Completing regular reflections has enabled me to create a timeline and a picture of my experience which has, on the whole, been extremely positive. Having experienced certain time management issues at the start of my SLICC, I am pleased I have been able to work on organising my time much better and I am also pleased that I used my summer wisely to develop knowledge and skills in an area that will benefit me both in my future studies and in my career choices.

A student from the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences

I decided to take on this experience as I felt I needed a head start on my 3rd year in Biomedical Sciences. Unfortunately, with COVID my actual laboratory internship was cancelled and was moved to an online bioinformatics project. This was daunting at first as I was very unfamiliar with bioinformatics and not having had classes in 3 months I did not know if I could apply myself enough. In starting the internship online, I decided I would take this opportunity to better myself in a field that I always avoided. Upon reflection, I can outline the topics I learned from this project in 2 areas. Firstly, I had a proper introduction to bioinformatics and image analysis. With my supervisor's help, I endeavoured to learn not only how to manipulate the programs, but to truly understand how they work. Secondly, I appreciated how the analysis of the data tied into the wider biological context. This fundamental understanding took a while to achieve but through communication I finally grasped the hypothesis. Through this internship I have understood the complexities of managing a project as it does not rely solely on oneself. It is a constant back and forth between people and so, communication is key. Moreover, carrying out this project “virtually” was a challenge in itself as communication was irregular due to distance. Thanks to this challenge I have however become comfortable in the professional scene.

A student in Moray House School of Education and Sport 

I chose to partake in this internship because I believed it would be a great opportunity for me to get the first-hand experience of what sport management is like in practice. With this internship, there were a number of things that I wanted to learn about and expand my knowledge on as a student pursuing a degree in Moray House School of Education and Sport. I wanted to attain knowledge on sales and management departments and how they operate. Furthermore, I wanted to understand how different organisational departments collaborate to achieve certain tasks and goals. Conversely, I also wanted to learn about the skills and attributes that an individual is required to have in order to succeed in a career and more specifically in the sports industry. Throughout my journey, I have learned a number of valuable lessons. I have learned to be patient and open-minded when it comes to failure. Many of the tasks I was asked to complete were difficult due to the lack of resources I had, but as a result of my patience and open-mindedness I was able to work even harder and more efficiently. In addition, I have learned the importance of communication and collaboration in a working environment.

Also listed under 'Developing an academic, professional, or personal skill'

A student in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Students have felt especially isolated this year because of online learning: I needed a social and instructive experience. Doing an internship this summer was a necessity for two reasons. For one, I want to have professional experiences in relation my degree, and secondly, internships are highly valued experiences in the professional world. I applied to my internship because the company creators advocate values that I admire: rendering culture accessible to all and promoting young independent artists. With this experience, I hoped to learn the basics of journalistic writing, mediating culture, and communicating with its actors. I especially wanted to see how the cultural world is continually adapting itself to the pandemic. Later in July, new governmental sanitary measures prompted another wave of radical transformation of the cultural world. I realised the salient role played by social media in preserving culture at times of crisis. I had not anticipated that I would be given so many responsibilities and trust. Since the first day, I was assigned multiple articles every week, I was sent on the field and expected to report about it. In fact, my academic research skills and perseverance have been key to making the most out of this experience. Moreover, the internship also encouraged me to develop my personal tastes and creativity.  Overall, an internship is a wonderful opportunity to combine academic skills with professional ones, and to increase one’s potential. I would not have thought that this would be such a life-changing experience.

A student in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

My path to tertiary education has not been straight forward and I have faced many barriers along the way, including homelessness. For my SLICC I chose to volunteer for a charity focused on alleviating the causes and effects of homelessness in Edinburgh. I used services like the one I volunteered at myself as a young person and now, from my privileged position as a full-time student, I'm very happy to be able to give something back in the form of my time and energy. I had an investigative aim for this experience, around the impact of Covid-19 on the homelessness sector in the city, and a more personal aim too, which was about reflecting on the process of becoming a volunteer having had lived experience of homelessness and it's connected issues. My learning experience has been quite intense and demanding, and I quickly found that the focus had to be upon the role itself and my reactions and reflections to and around it. Subsequently, there has been little space for the investigative element in my timetable, which I've had to work hard to accept. I've also discovered that this is work I enjoy, and I am good at, and I plan to continue as a volunteer after my SLICC is finished.

A student in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

I have spent the last 75 days in the backcountry in Alaska. I chose this experience because I wanted to develop my leadership skills, my knowledge of environmental sciences, and my ability to travel and live comfortably in a minimalist way. I also chose this experience because it offered the opportunity to live without technology, completely disconnected from the rest of the world. I also wanted to make new friends, explore a new environment, and push myself both physically and mentally. My journey consisted of three sections: sea kayaking, mountaineering, and backpacking. I learned to use my judgment, assess risks and human needs, and use group goals to make informed decisions in an outdoor setting. I practiced the skill of giving and receiving feedback in a manner that is constructive and forward-looking for expeditions. I also wanted to develop the hard skills that are required for enjoying outdoor recreation. I believe that spending time in nature will be a significant part of my life in Edinburgh and beyond, and this summer I learned how to do so in a manner that does not damage fragile ecosystems, and explored the systems of gear and actions which lead to successful expeditions outdoors. Personally, I felt I grew in my ability to be flexible and adaptable, expanded my tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, and learned to think critically about how to solve problems in an outdoor setting.

A student in the School of Chemistry 

This summer I worked at a European Research Institution because I wanted to gain some essential laboratory skills. Especially after the year of the pandemic, I have been deprived of any practical work in chemistry. I know how important experience and practical knowledge is to employers. Therefore, I sought out an opportunity for me to actually do something in my field of study and make myself an excellent candidate for the positions I apply for in the future. Through this experience, I also wanted to gain some knowledge in the field of immunology, which is not my specific area of study. This way, I was able to broaden my horizons and discover what are the possible options for my future career. The most important outcome of this project was my development of independent scientific research skills. I have gained enough confidence to work in the laboratory by myself and provide reliable results. I anticipated facing quite a lot of problems due to my lack of experience in the biochemical field of research, however I managed to get a hang of it quickly. Additionally, I have noticed significant self-growth by reflecting on my experience and developed essential skills, such as time management, teamwork and critical evaluation. I am looking forward to continuing with this project after SLICC has ended to improve my scientific writing and result interpretation skills just as well. 

A student in the School of Informatics 

I chose a dual experience of my library internship alongside a personal research project on Cognition and Art for my SLICC. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be offered an internship at one of the local library branches specialising in design for eight weeks in the summer break. Even before that, I had started compiling some resources for my own interest in the intersection of contemporary Cognitive Science and Art or Aesthetics. It seemed fitting, although ambitious - perhaps too ambitious, to pursue these two different yet interlinked experiences together and utilise the SLICC platform to meaningfully reflect upon and be as engaged as I can with these two projects. The practical purpose behind these experiences point to affirming or discovering possible future course and career options, but they are both also out of personal interest and intrigue. For the former, choosing next year's courses and one option out of the three Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics path of my course as well as a taste of a librarian's professional career and academia. The latter - seeing the (not-so-magical but fun nonetheless!) behind-the-scenes of a library or bookshop has always been a summer dream job of mine, while the hazy line between Cognition and Artistic Practise has been of great interest to me since it was ignited by my art coursework 2 years ago. In reality, the two experiences do not cross-over much in content, but they have proven a worthwhile challenge for my habits, mindset and development.

A student from Edinburgh College of Art

In my SLICC programme, I am exploring the professional affairs that could indicate the potential career of an art history student, and the workplace cultures in a specific museum. This is based on my practical learning experience, which is a summer internship at Hunan Museum, China. According to my knowledge, working at a museum or a gallery as a curator is one popular choice for art history graduates. And so, the internship could provide me with a chance to have a better understanding of this job by carrying out the relevant assignments. Besides, I initially chose to take this summer internship because of my desire to practically apply my academic knowledge. In fact, I did not have the chance to guide the exhibitions because of the Covid-19, which was not anticipated. However, when assisting in several art events, I have learned how the guides deliver their speech to different types of audience and how they practically apply their academic skills. Furthermore, I could also use my existed skills to manage a significant project in person. Making slides, sorting out files, and amending articles that are going to be published all helped me know the professional affairs in this career. In addition to investigating the potential work at the museum and the relevant skills, I would explore the workplace cultures as part of my topic. This is my first experience taking an internship in the workplace. With the challenges met within this special context, I would know how to deal with some specific issues in real life, such as dealing with complex relationship and integrating into the new environment. In conclusion, I have successfully learned a lot that I hoped to learn since the start. This includes getting familiar with the professional work, experiencing the workplace cultures, and exploring communication, skills gaining, as well as engagement in a strange collective. Moreover, I also learned something that was not anticipated, for instance, gaining the extra skills of drawing illustrations with digital tools and design characters.

A student from the School of Informatics 

My SLICC project was a two-month internship in the research and development department of a mid-sized German technology company. There, I was working in a software engineering team tasked with the development/improvement of a stationary gas sensor system.

In my summer I wanted to get a more practical view on Computer Science and see what my future career might look like. My main goals were to improve my programming skills and secondly to experience a professional software engineering environment.

During my time in the company I have actively participated in developing a programming project as large as I had not worked on before. This gave me hands-on problem-solving experience as well as improving my ability to cope with a very complex software basis. My work also involved becoming familiar with standard software development tools and active review techniques to ensure the quality of the code. Working in the team also gave me the opportunity to improve my team working and communication skills. I relied upon help from my colleagues and in turn was also able to contribute my findings to some bigger problems.

Through reflecting on my work, I developed strategies for working on issues than challenged me personally as well as intellectually. For example, as the different job roles in the team became clearer to me, I started reflecting upon whether these could be future career paths for me. In the end I concluded that software engineering might not be the field that most piques my interest as it is very removed from theoretical considerations. However, I still enjoyed this internship experience very much.

A student from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

I initially embarked on my SLICC to effectively utilise my unexpected free time, due to covid-19 and a national lockdown. I felt that doing a SLICC would provide an optimal opportunity to employ the skills and knowledge I am acquiring through my volunteering position (for the charity ‘SolidariTee’) with the challenge of a fully personal and independent research project into the role of legal aid in the European refugee crisis, honing in on the impact of the pandemic. Academically, I hoped to gain an eclectic insight into the contemporary refugee crisis, recognising nuances and intersectionality, while professionally I hoped that my SLICC would further stimulate my interests, aiding my volunteering role. Most importantly though, I hoped to develop skills across a plethora of areas, via self-reflection and evaluation, and aimed to master new habits of research and enquiry, developing my perception of the mindset of outlook and engagement, and employ these the future. The SLICC-process has demonstrated the importance of self-reflection, and by doing this constantly I have enhanced how I articulate this. I have learnt to compartmentalise the stages of reflection, realising the value of this for both personal growth and furthering my academic research for my topic, something that I had not anticipated from the outset. Combining the complexities of independent research with an active reflective mindset has helped me to identify areas of both strength and weakness, and provided solutions for mistakes that I can employ in future academic, personal and professional experiences.

A student from the School of Biological Sciences

Doing a SLICC on my experience as a Biology and Chemistry tutor helped me make the most of it by being pushed to reflect and learn as much as possible. My main aim was to improve aspects of my communication skills as I had the chance to interact with various different students while establishing a healthy tutor-student relationship. As a result, I am more empathetic towards others, and am a more confident and spontaneous communicator. In addition, I have explored my mindset towards growth and personal development, and focused on my perception of failures. This change in the way I deal with my own mistakes has already reflected into my personal life, and I am sure that I will continue to notice this change in the other activities that I will do in the future. In addition, I learnt to be more assertive while still being friendly and professional, and I understood how beneficial reflecting on my own experiences is to my learning. Moreover, having to answer my tutees' questions forced me to look at various concepts from a different angle, which in turn enhanced my understanding of the two sciences. Overall, it was definitely worth investing the time into this SLICC and into the tutoring experience I have undertaken over the summer as I have learnt a tremendous amount as a result.

A Student from the Business School

My SLICC is based on my love for marketing and the hope to change the gifting market to be more sustainable. My SLICC is based on the Christmas 2020 marketing campaign for Social Stories Club Social Enterprise. The first challenge I associated with the Christmas marketing project was the conveyance of what social impact means. I used this as the base of my marketing campaign and created it around the theme of a 'Cosy Christmas'. This included taking photos, infographics, PR emails and social media posts. My aims for the project were to improve my communication, analysation, and reflective skills as it is something that I have struggled with in the past. Reflection on the project was through personal reflective blogs and the submission of my finished work. Through the project I have learnt to positively reflect on my work and not just focus on the negatives. This has changed my attitude to how I look at all my work now and has improved my confidence.

Also listed under 'The science of wellbeing'

A student in Moray House School of Education and Sport 

The pandemic restrictions made me feel isolated during my first-year undergraduate experience which led me to question myself. I lost confidence in my abilities to cope with my studies which created anxiety and apprehension about facing a second year on a campus I didn’t know, with people I had not met. Therefore, my SLICC was designed to explore coping strategies that would support me to manage feelings of anxiety, isolation and worry so improving my sense of personal wellbeing. My SLICC had two learning opportunities. The first was completing the Yale course ‘Science of Wellbeing’, designed to build productive habits and increase happiness. The second was completing volunteering activities at a Primary School and taking part in the NHS Step2Stretch programme. However, my biggest challenge was learning how to reflect. This was completely new to me, and I struggled at first as I had to learn to become more self-aware by slowing down my thoughts and feelings. I had to change my mindset to become more curious and ask myself what? instead of why? I was surprised how much insight I gained into understanding my feelings from doing this. Through reflection and the ‘Science of Wellbeing’ course I have identified my four most effective positive habits and strategies which include: making social connections, aligning activities with my core values, being kind and savouring. Productive habits have value as a toolkit to help focus on managing challenging or unknown situations, but the way I reflected on how these habits were used led to the development of resilience.