Welcome

Hi, I’m Ruth Bush, your Students Association President 2008/2009 and it is my massive honour to welcome you on behalf of all the students here at Heriot-Watt!

Starting out at university is one of the most challenging but fun and exciting times of your life and you’re in for a massive treat.

Going to university is a fantastic opportunity and I can’t emphasise enough that you should make the most of your time here and take every opportunity that presents itself. One thing you’ll find, if you speak to final year students, is how jealous they are of you guys that have got all your uni years still to come. Here at Heriot-Watt you will have so many opportunities to meet new and interesting people, join sports teams and societies, and go to some awesome nights out at The Union. A few bits of advice I would give you are to keep an open mind, don’t judge people too quickly (the coolest kid from school isn’t the coolest kid at uni!), and get involved…

Get Involved!

The main reason you came to university may have been to get a degree, but don’t let your degree get in the way of your education! University is a time in your life when you find out who you really are what inspires you, and the Students Association is there to help you along the way.

One of the things that we hear about before we start university are the bizarre student societies, and HWUSA has over 20 to choose from. From the Enterprise society to Mountain Biking, the Crafty Muffins to the Erasmus Society, Watt Gamers to Brewing, there’s something for everyone. And if there’s not, just start the society up. (I’m personally looking for someone to start an Ultimate Frisbee club …anyone interested??...Please?!) You’ll never get such a good opportunity to take up new sports or get involved in something you feel passionate about.

Volunteering is another hugely important part of what we do. You can volunteer within the Students Association in loads of different ways and in my opinion this is the best way to really get the most out of the student experience. If it's not good enough already, then make it better! You can be an Advice & Support volunteer, where you will learn invaluable skills and really help those around you. Or how about becoming one of the Events and Publicity Crew? If you fancy yourself as a DJ, sound engineer or you just generally enjoy organising events then this is for you. The RAG Team raised over £1000 for School’s for Africa last year and we’re looking to double that this year…so, if you’ve got any weird and wonderful ideas for fundraising and fun, get involved with the RAG Team!

The Students Association is run absolutely by students, for students and as well as making sure everyone is happy and having fun, we fight to make sure our views and opinions are listened to and taken seriously. This year we’re going to be addressing academic issues, equality issues and we’re going to aim for (and win!) a Sound Impact Award for making our practices more environmentally friendly. In order to achieve all of these things students get together and decide what they believe and care about. Its amazing how much effect we can have when we act together, so if you want to make a difference and have some fun at the same time…GET INVOLVED!

Have some fun!

If we’re going to work so hard on our academic studies it's really important that we play hard too. Check out all the fantastic events we put on at The Union throughout the year. There are of course club nights, live music, comedians, pub quizzes, but there are also other awesome events such as ceilidhs, balls, bus tours around Scotland, international parties and food fairs. We’re so lucky at Heriot-Watt to have such a great international atmosphere. You don’t get the opportunity to meet such a wide range of interesting people at other universities, so really make the most of it.

Support

For those moments when things aren’t going so well the Students Association plays another important role. Even though it can seem like everyone else is having the time of their lives with no troubles in the world, everyone has a problem at some point in their university career. The Advice & Support Centre provides personal, academic and financial support and its staff and volunteers have years of experience with student issues. Even if you think you can cope, a little bit of extra support never hurt anyone. Being a student is a funny mix of good times and stressful times, and the chances are if you are finding something hard, you won’t be alone. The Students Association is an important welfare network where you will always find someone that can help and who understands.

There are two things you get out of university (other than a degree!), one is friends that will last a lifetime, and the other is experience. Make the most of all the opportunities that are presented to you. Join a society, become a Class Rep, travel during your holidays, and campaign for your rights. View your time as a student at Heriot-Watt as an opportunity to develop and have fun. Time goes so quickly while you’re here and before you know it you’ll be looking back on everything you did with pride and nostalgia. Really good luck!

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