Did you know that you can get points towards your degree for your involvement with UPSU clubs, teams and societies?

The University’s Learning from Experience (LiFE) scheme allows you to gain 10 or 20 credits for group involvement, or for paid, unpaid or volunteer work while at university. All you have to do is ask!

Applications for a place on the LiFE scheme can be found on the elective’s website below, where you can also find details on the other sorts of electives available including music and languages; apply now before semester two starts.

People from all years can apply for this extra credit (you can earn a total of 30 points from this scheme over the course of your degree), as long as they can prove that their involvement in the club or society is valid - just showing up for the socials does not count!

As a rough guide, being a member of the committee, or 30 involvement hours a year minimum is what they’re looking for. The extracurricular activity in question doesn’t even have to be something to do with your degree, so you can indulge your outside interests.

Many people are already highly active with clubs, teams and societies, and are unaware that the hours they put in can be rewarded in this way. If you are a member of any group, this is worth looking into.

The fact that the University is offering points for your contribution shows the value of hobbies and interests and makes your effort more worthwhile.

Having said that, electives are not a lazy option. You will be required to produce evidence of your contribution, attend tutoring sessions throughout the semester, and produce a write up on what you have learnt over the semester, but this is a small price to pay for peace of mind and recognition of your contribution.

While no one wants to fail a unit for their degree, in reality it does happen sometimes, and it’s nice to know you have extra credit to fall back on, and save you repeating a year.

Also, involvement with societies and clubs is fun, and can improve your social life, as well as adding that little something extra to your CV.

With Re-Fresher’s Fayre coming up, now is the time to get involved, if you’re not already.