Lauren Ketteridge, WMG

What made you sign up for the Warwick Award? What was the appeal?

As someone who started the now defunct Warwick Skills Portfolio Award but was unable to finish it before its demise, I signed up for the Warwick Award to ensure I was still able to access external recognition for all the extracurricular skills-building I was doing. And I must admit, I do have a bit of a competitive streak in me, so I also signed up so I could race my friends to be the first to hit Gold!

How have you managed to balance developing your skills through the Award with your studies?

Overall, I was quite surprised how easy I found it to balance completing the Award with my studies, as it turns out things I was already doing qualified for Core Skills Points – even if I didn’t know it! The fact that the 60 points for an undergraduate Gold Award doesn’t have to be completed at a strict rate of 20 points per year also helped, as I could ensure I used the lulls in Term 3 of my second year to complete as much of the Award as I could and relax a bit more in third year.

Have you found the Award platform easy to use and manage your progress?

Yes, the platform is super easy to use!

What are some activities you’ve completed that have contributed towards your Award progress? What sort of skills did they help you develop?

To complete the Gold Warwick Award, I did a lot of volunteering (indeed, I think I maxed out on Core Skills Points here) but also got involved in more structured university activities such as the Institutional Teaching and Learning Review, the Library Associates Scheme, and being Secretary of my SSLC. Throughout the Award, I’ve managed to touch on all twelve core skills, though I think communication, teamwork, and self-awareness are the ones I have developed most.

Which of the 12 core skills at the heart of the Award do you think are the most important ones for students to develop?

Ouch! This is a hard question and I think there is no “right” answer… that said, my answer would be that self-awareness is the most important skill to develop! Understanding yourself allows you to understand the filter through which you see the world, thus letting you be critically thinking about how other people’s filter might affect things. Big ideas but taking small steps like those in the Warwick Award are great ways to get started with this.

How did it feel when you achieved the Gold Award?

When I got the confirmation that the final reflection activity had been approved, I genuinely felt quite proud of myself for achieving Gold. I know it might come across as just a piece of paper, or another line on your HEAR, but it felt nice to be able to put a short, snappy title to all the hard work I’ve done with my extra-curriculars over the last few years!

How useful do you think your achievements in the Warwick Award will be when you think about life after graduation?

While, of course, being able to show how you have demonstrated and developed skills like teamwork, communication, and organisational awareness (or any one of the twelve core skills) is important for employability, I would say the fact that I have sat and reflected on these instances will be the most useful thing for me after graduation. Within my sector, healthcare, reflective practice is a big deal - but I would argue this makes sense in any sector!

What would you say to any new students who are thinking about signing up for the Award?

Just do it – the points will tot up in no time!