My experience at Bucks is one I won’t forget anytime soon. From my first time on campus at an open day I felt welcome and included, and after 3 years of studies the presence of support and warmth did not fade.
At the beginning, being away from home was an unusual feeling however the decision to enter halls was one I’m I so glad I made as I made plenty of friends and memories, especially through the events put on by the Students’ Union. It wasn’t only the evening events I found myself attending, but also the day time events like beach cleans and Dodgeball4RAG. The Students’ Union are really great at putting on events where we can give our time in small doses, which meat I didn’t need to worry about over committing myself but after seeing all the great work that they do and the opportunities that are on offer, I started getting involved in more long-term commitments.
I even joined the boxing society and ran for a voluntary committee role where I gained so many new skills, developed existing ones, and have grown so much as a person. I soon found myself attending more of the charitable events doing more and more charitable work, volunteering my time for something good. I’ve been involved in the volunteering opportunities and RAG events since my very first Freshers’ Fair but it was over this last year that I managed to log over 400 volunteering hours in the volunteering portal. Even though it’s been a difficult year this past year, I was really happy to be nominated for the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award at the 2020-21 Union Awards. I even went on to win the award this year which was an incredible honour and a great way for me to end my final year at Bucks.
Being involved in so many volunteering opportunities through the Students' Union showed me that there is so much more you can do at University to add to your degree and build your experience, but also have some fun with it. Bucks is made up of an amazing diversity of facilities and driven people, so you’ll never feel disconnected, limited or without a challenge. That’s why Bucks was my top choice.
- Tomasz Siemieniuch, Volunteer of the Year 2020-21