Introduction
My name is Michalina and I will (hopefully) graduate this year with MA Anthropology and Psychology. :) I have been an active part of the University community through tutoring in the Dance Society for the past three years and volunteering for Nightline Aberdeen, becoming part of the Welfare Team this year. I plan to remain an active part of the University, ensuring that Students’ voices are heard.
What are your three priorities for the year?
1. Accessibility of Mental Health support
- making students aware of the wealth of initiatives available to them
- improving the accessibility and ease of use of the University websites
- improving communication and cooperation between Schools and unifying support provided by them
- student consultation with minority groups and Students with special needs
2. Health and Wellbeing
- stress management, time management and mindfulness workshops
- efforts towards ending spiking and improving healthcare surrounding spiking and sexual assault victims
- inclusive and intersectional Sex Education
- student consultations with minority groups and Students with special needs
- zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination
- efforts towards improving Intersectionality, Diversity and Inclusion
3. Tackling post-Covid challenges
- support regarding cost-of-living crisis
- improving internship opportunities
- efforts towards keeping exams online and open book where possible
- efforts towards improving assignment schedule
What unique skill/knowledge can you bring to the role to stand out from the other candidates?
I am passionate about ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion of all the people around me. I constantly educate myself on those topics through a range of sources that include my courses in Anthropology and Psychology, as well as my thesis on the topic of gender identity. I am open and keen to learn from the experiences of others. I believe all of the perspectives are valuable, as I will never be able to see the full picture myself. My experiences as a Nightliner and the skills I’ve acquired through my Counselling Skills course make me a great listener. The internship with University Counselling Service has provided me with insights into the mental health support provided by the University and eased me into working as a part of it, as well as allowed me to see which areas of University Support could be improved.
What do you think is the biggest issue that students are facing at the moment and how do you plan to tackle it?
It is clear to me that Covid pandemic both created new challenges in the lives of Students and made many of us realise their needs regarding Wellbeing and Mental Health. Most of us still struggle with stress, uncertainty and Mental Health issues that arose during Covid. The way in which we are expected to go back to “normal” university work isn’t always helpful. Moreover, cost-of-living crisis is causing additional distress. I believe that a range of workshops including budgeting, time and stress management workshops and mindfulness workshops could benefit students. Support from University, including restructuring of assignments and exams, as well as bursaries for students and support regarding finding jobs and gaining work experience would prove helpful. Lastly, despite the amount of Mental Heath initiatives and support available within our University, students often don’t realise they can benefit from them, as any information gets drowned in the flood of emails we receive every day. It’s time to make this information more coherent and accessible.
