Elena thoroughly enjoyed her time as part of Bath University Student Theatre (BUST) and was able to showcase her creative talents, like poetry, in numerous ways.

This helped improve her confidence to take on more roles. This, in turn, also helped her to further develop her communication, resilience, and leadership skills.

Grace Smith, a current Bath Insights Intern, caught up with Elena to talk about the opportunities that came her way and how she made the most of them.

Growing my passion for creative arts

I joined BUST when I got to Bath; it was such a welcoming group.

Alongside many theatrical experiences, it also provided the first stage for me to share my poetry at university. I’ve had loads of opportunities since to pursue my passion for poetry within the society, and also at events such as One Young World Bath and TEDxBathUniversity.

Finding ways to share art with others, and to learn from them, made me feel part of the community of Bath even more. I also had the opportunity to co-direct a play I had written, which was nerve-wracking but so rewarding. My writing skills have come on leaps and bounds, but also I feel much more confident in my organisation and leadership. I can’t wait to see where these skills take me next.

In my second year, I was elected to one of the two publicity officer roles for BUST. In this role, I designed and organised the group’s marketing — things like flyers and our social media.

This was a really creative role, but also developed my communication skills, as I worked alongside the rest of the committee, different staff and the students to produce exciting and engaging content. It took a lot of management to stay on top of these things alongside my degree and other commitments, but it was all worth it.

Being an art scholar

In my second year, I was also so grateful to be part of the University’s Art Scholarship Programme for spoken word poetry. It was great to be able to share my poetry work with a variety of staff and students across the university community, as well as connecting with other art scholars across disciplines like music composition and photography — each of whom inspired me to continue to pursue my passion.

Overall, the most important lesson I learnt from being on a committee and working on projects with other art scholars is the importance of adaptation.

I’ve learnt this from moving out of my family home and from working on group projects throughout my course itself, but listening to how other people work and then adapting to their communication styles, while recognising their communication styles, is so important.

The joy of working in a group is that everyone brings something new to the table, and everyone has something important to say. Ultimately, what might be easily understood by one person may not translate in the same way for another. I’m eager to apply this to other roles, workplaces and groups going forward.

A voice for students

I was elected to become an Academic Representative for my course in my final year.

I went for the role because I missed my experience as a representative at A-Levels, and wanted to learn more about academic representation at Bath. I completed a range of tasks, and it was a privilege to represent my year group and support and improve the student experience. I enjoyed that.

As part of the role, I had the chance to work with staff and actually act on feedback from students. For example, we worked with staff to take on board student feedback and create an end-of-year celebration event that was aligned closer to students’ interests.

The Humanities Ball, organised by the societies, is still a scene-stealer, but it was nice to give something back to our cohort.

Self-reflection

Self-reflection allows you to see your own progress and journey. It can really show how you have come a long way with not only the things you have done, but how you’ve grown for the better.

For instance, I’ve made some lifelong friendships and wonderful working relationships whilst at Bath, but I found it really hard to settle in at first, as making friends was really daunting to me and I had a lot of anxiety when speaking to staff or my elders.

I try to remember that feeling though, as reflecting on how daunting it can be to just say ‘hello’ has encouraged me to make rehearsal rooms welcoming as a priority, and ensures no one is left behind.

Additionally, I performed at the University Pride event this year, and when I was stood up there, I realised I don't think I would have done that in my first year. I don’t think I would have been brave enough.

I think it’s important to reflect on personal growth, and maybe not putting everything on LinkedIn! Sometimes we get swept into the idea that every bit of growth is for our ‘career’. Personal growth helps you in many ways, yes, but sometimes we can grow just because we value ourselves, not because there’s an ‘end goal’.

I’ve also taken time and reflected on situations I do well in. As part of my role as a Duty Manager at the Edge Theatre, I’ve learnt that once something unexpected happens, I am quite good at organising and sorting it out: I can deal with crises quite well. I’m not trying to big myself up, I think being able to identify your strengths is so useful, which is great for applications and interviews, where you can clearly show your top skills and where you have used them.

Now I’ve finished my undergraduate degree, I’m undertaking an MA in Creative Writing (Poetry) and am really looking forward to developing critical thought in a new light and furthering my creative skills.

All my experiences at the University of Bath have shaped my interest in stories and words, and the sheer power they can have. I’ll miss Bath, it’s made me who I am today.

One key word of advice for students wanting to improve their employability?

Don’t get too focused on one thing. Try out different things, but don't get too overwhelmed.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you need a pause or break, take it, you’ll thank yourself later.