Your time at uni is more than lectures, study sessions in the McClay and deadlines, it’s an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
We are here to support you during your time at Queen’s, and give you the tools to set you up for life at University and beyond.
We have loads of of opportunities to help you build up those essential skills. Here are just a few ways to get involved and upskill:
Join some Clubs & Societies
Whether you’re into coding, debating or creative arts, there’s a club or society for you.
With over 240 to choose from, joining a club or society gives you plenty of opportunities to expand your skill set. You learn all kinds of things about communication, planning, organisation and networking.
You can even take on a committee role- there are all kinds of roles from communication, marketing to finance, planning and leadership. Clubs and Societies are also recognised at our SU Awards for their contributions- a great CV booster!
Take Part in Programmes and Competitions
Signing up for our programmes like Homework Clubs, Handy Helpers, and What’s The Big Idea? offers you a pathway to develop a wide range of personal and professional skills.
- Homework Clubs volunteers enhance their communication and mentoring by supporting young people in areas of educational underachievement.
- The Handy Helpers programme provides flexible, one-off volunteering opportunities to suit your schedule. From community gardening to event support, Handy Helpers allows students to meet new people while building teamwork, adaptability, and practical problem-solving skills.
- Our What’s The Big Idea? competition empowers entrepreneurial thinking, encouraging participants to refine their creativity, pitch ideas, and explore innovation across sectors like climate impact, AI, and social enterprise.
Run for a Leadership Position
Want to make a difference? Volunteering for a Student Rep role gives you real-world experience in advocacy, negotiations, policy-making, and strategic planning.
You’ll also be eligible for the Future Ready Award (an employability award that allows you to gain formal recognition and a certificate for the extracurricular experience you gain during your time at Queen’s)
Later in the year you could also put yourself forward to be our next Student Officers! These roles are full-time, paid roles taken after graduation or as a gap year between studies. Allowing you to take charge of campaigns, committees, and projects, build confidence in decision-making and team management as well as gaining experience in public speaking and conflict resolution.
Attend Events
We regularly hold fairs, training and workshops on topics like CPR, entrepreneurship, and digital skills. These sessions are designed to be practical, engaging, and tailored to upskill you.
You can check out what we have on here
