Claire Brodley

Programme of Study                        
BA Linguistics & Phonetics     

Title of UGRS project            
The Undergraduate Classroom in Focus: Learning to Research Forensic Linguistics

Why did you apply?
The project sounded extremely interesting and I felt this would add something very valuable to my time at university, in addition to my degree. I thought it would be interesting to collaborate closely with a tutor on an individual project, and because of the time taken over the project (two summers), I thought this would allow me to research something at length, which is not often possible in a module lasting only one semester. The benefits of being an undergraduate research scholar were clear from the description of the projects, especially the opportunity to be an ambassador for my subject, and also for the university, which has obvious benefits to my CV and is therefore an excellent attribute to go into employment with.

How have you benefitted from the scheme? 
All the residential and workshop activities have been particularly useful for gaining many different skills, both for study and work. Networking workshops have been useful but also just the events that the scheme has enabled me to be involved in have made it possible to network, and this has been a huge benefit. Another important benefit was the access to different services in the university, such as various library services, that I was previously unaware of.

What explicit “employability” skills have you gained/anticipate gaining from the scheme? 
I have learned to sell myself in a more effective way, and the opportunities the scholarship has brought have given me confidence in myself, knowing that I have achieved that extra something during my time at university. I think the scheme has helped me learn to manage my time more effectively and has really showed me how much can be packed into 3 years studying for a degree.

An undergraduate research scholarship has allowed me to build on subjects covered in my degree, as well as giving me a fantastic opportunity to get involved in so many different events that I would not normally have had chance to be a part of. It has really showed me how much I can stretch myself and push my capabilities during my time at university, and I believe this has brought huge benefits for my career in both study and work.