Xiaohongshu
Nominations: Nominations closed
Voting: Voting open
Election
Read about what the Mature, Part-Time & Carers Students' Officer is responsible for here.
You can vote for this role if they are one of the following:
- Are a part-time student,
- Are a student with caring responsibilities, including being a parent or responsible adult,
- Have started an undergraduate course after the age of 21,
- Have started a postgraduate course after the age of 24.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact [email protected].
Category
Candidates
I represent every word of this role’s title. I was a mature, part-time student, working, with caring responsibilities, and student rep for a cohort of 200+. I’m now a mature student, working and caring again, not letting life decide where my academic ambition stops, but still doing an 8:30am school run before rushing to a 9am class I know I’ll always be late for. In my research, I study where systems assume everyone has the same context. So in this role, I’ll bring lived experience, rep experience, and a habit of following up until things change, because I personally care.
Mature, part-time and carer students are spread across UCL, so I'd make sure they have a common hub first. Then I'd push for:
- a drop-in creche alongside the day nursery, for exams, evening sessions and reading weeks that miss school half-terms;
- extra support at exam time, when deadlines pile on top of caring and work;
- letting caring evidence count against compulsory attendance, including for international students on visa monitoring;
- one UCL timetable you can sync with your caring and work calendars;
- peer support that catches burnout before it forces students to interrupt their studies.
I’ve lived all three parts of this role: mature, part-time and carer. I know what it costs when study, work and caring collide, because it cost me burnout, a break in my studies and many sacrifices to pursue higher education. We may be a smaller share of UCL students, but as a student rep I represented a cohort of 200+ who were all part-time, 94% mature and 73% carers. So I know how to turn feedback from this group into action. I’ll be honest about what’s possible, keep you updated, and keep pushing until UCL works for students whose lives don’t fit a standard timetable.
I bring over four years of customer service experience from my time as a swimming teacher, where I have constantly worked with the public. I am a people-person who loves to talk and connect with others. I pride myself on my ability to adapt my communication style to different people and my determination to help them effectively. I also believe I am a kind and resilient person, meaning I can handle pressure well while maintaining a positive and supportive attitude.
I want to be a voice for part-time students and someone they feel they can actually come to. I know that being a part-time student can be really tough, and I especially recognise how difficult it can be for those with caring responsibilities. My goal is to be a supportive figure for all part-time students, as someone who will listen to their queries and worries without judgment, and then make sure those concerns are heard by the people who can make a difference.
Vote for me if you want a part-time officer who is genuinely approachable, listens without judgment, and fights for your concerns to be heard. I understand the pressures of part-time study, and I am committed to supporting all students, especially mature learners and carers. I will be a voice for them, and I will make sure they are never alone.
Most importantly, I actually care. I've been a young carer, I have studied at weekends and evenings whilst working full time, and I have felt out of place around younger students, these are difficult experiences and I want to bring my understanding to this role and make it a little bit easier for those going through it. My professional experience in Tax, Law and Hospitality has taught me how to actually get things done and how to manage difficult people, meaning I will be able to represent us without getting flustered and navigate meetings easily. I promise to show up and follow through.
I want to create a network that actually functions. Real events at times that work for people juggling work and study and potentially caring responsibilities. A space where mature students aren't trying to fit into traditional student life but can find people who get what they're managing. I want to push UCL to think about us as a real group with specific needs—whether that's flexible meeting times, accessible venues, or just someone to talk to who understands the particular stress of trying to complete an assignment after a full shift. I want mature students to feel less isolated.
I'm not here to build a CV or do performative stuff, I actually understand the pressure you're under. I've managed complex situations at work and in study; I can represent you without flinching. I'll listen to what you need and I'll push for it.
As a mature student, I'm well aware that not everyone arrives at university through the same route or has the same experience of student life. I have experience working in a professional environment before coming to UCL, which has made me comfortable working with different people, and in taking responsibility in these environments.
Above all, I would bring an open and practical approach to the role. I want to listen to mature, part-time, and carer students, understand the different experiences within the community, and make sure their priorities are represented clearly and constructively.
I would like to make the network an active, welcoming community that people want to be part of.
I’d start simply, with regular low-pressure opportunities for people to meet, such as a weekly pub social alongside daytime coffee or lunch meet-ups, and build from there based on what members actually want.
I also want the network to be useful as well as social: gathering feedback about the issues members face, raising shared priorities with the Students’ Union and UCL, and keeping people informed about what has been discussed and what happens next.
I hope to turn this network into something people actually use and feel a part of. I would aim to be approachable, consistent, and realistic about what the role can achieve: create opportunities for people to meet, listen to members, and represent their priorities.
I won’t pretend to already know every issue affecting a group as diverse as this. Instead my goal is to listen first and build the network around what its members tell me matters to them.
As a mature, part-time postgraduate student balancing study with employment and other responsibilities, I understand the realities of following a less traditional university path. I bring management experience, strong communication and practical problem-solving skills developed across international and multicultural workplaces. I am approachable, organised and persistent, and I would listen carefully, represent different perspectives fairly and ensure that students’ concerns are followed through.
In 200 years, I imagine UCL as a truly global and accessible university, connecting physical campuses with advanced digital learning and international research communities. Technology and artificial intelligence will transform education, while curiosity, critical thinking and human collaboration will remain central. I hope UCL will offer flexible ways to study so that people of every age, background and circumstance can participate fully.
Students should vote for me because I would be approachable, attentive and committed to representing everyone fairly. My international, professional and academic experience has taught me to listen carefully, communicate across different perspectives and turn concerns into practical action. I would make sure students receive regular updates and have a representative who follows issues through rather than simply raising them.