A day in the life of CSP students' officer

CSP students officer Jamie Mackler gives you ball by ball commentary on his day

Morning

8:30   on the dot (sometimes!) Arrive at work and grab milk on the way to my desk. Open window as office always crazy hot and turn on the radio. Eat cereal whilst checking phone messages and find two calls:1) from a student whose wants contacts for doing an elective overseas2) from another student who has failed a placement and wants advice.

8.40  Email student number 1 with lots of contacts and details on insurance for overseas placements.

8:43   Assume student number 2 is a bit of an emergency, so call them back. Unfortunately I wake them up and after apologising, tell them I’ll call back in an hour when they’re properly awake.

8:45   Check my emails. Representing over 8,000 physio students means I can get anything from 20 to 150 emails sent to me every day. I’ll spend the next couple of hours answering these emails, which include queries from non-EU physio students studying in the UK asking why they won’t get a visa to work when they graduate, and students answering a request I have made for people to work at Glastonbury Festival (and tonnes more in between)

9:55   A bit late, but I call the sleepy student and spend time listening to why they failed and giving them some advice about what they can do next.

10:15   Receive an urgent call from the CSP press office. The BBC wants to profile some recent graduates who haven’t yet found their first job. It’ll be great publicity, but they will only cover the story if we provide strong case studies. I’ve got five hours to find people so I post a request on the student and newly qualified networks on iCSP

10:30   Edit the next issue of the CSP student newsletter.

12:00   Head to the gym for an hour.

Afternoon

13:00   Put my new found energy to good use by preparing the agenda for the next Student Executive Committee meeting.

13:45   Update the CSP induction presentation for first year students.

15:20   Check my emails again. Find about 30 new ones and answer them all. I think that being available to all the students I represent is the most important part of my job.

16:10   Spend time working out how to action the motions that were put forward at the last CSP student representatives’ conference.

17:05   Half an hour moderating the student and newly qualified networks on iCSP.

17:35   Leave my desk about an hour late, but you guys are worth it!