Taking Advantage of Co-Curricular Activities

MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation ambassador, Joy, shares how she proactively sought out opportunities to further her MSc experience.

As an international student in a new learning environment, blogs like this will help you understand, discover and navigate your terrain better. In addition to the information online, I think one of the best ways to make friends, network and build skills as a student is to get involved in co-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities, such as student societies, sports, travel and volunteering are a chance to participate, connect with a community of like minds and also stand out in the recruitment process.

As an MSc Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation (MISDI) student, I was very keen to understand and access the UK startup sector in order to complement the learnings from my course. To do this, I took advantage of various co-curricular activities happening all over Warwick to gain new perspectives and meet people.

Innovation opportunities

One of the key opportunities I engaged with was connecting with the Warwick Innovation District (WID). I believed WID to be the centre of startup conversation on campus, the best link for Warwick students to be informed and build a connection to the West-Midlands startup scene.

Fortunately, this was correct as I learnt about the programmes, funding and mentoring, participated in the Warwick Innovation Day and connected with businesses. These interactions were helpful in securing my first work placement with a health and lifestyle startup based in Birmingham. Beyond getting a work placement, I was happy to establish relationships with people who have been helpful and continuously share opportunities with me.

I also joined the Warwick Kickstart Society as the post grad representative, supporting the team in event planning and marketing. With a focus on disruptive technology and FinTech, and students from different countries, I learnt a little about the French startup scene.

Finding opportunities

Warwick has over 250 societies that range from sports, finance, consulting, volunteering to skincare and this is a good starting point for finding activities you might be interested in. The options are broad with something for everyone to take part in and where you don’t find a society that suits your interests, you can create one. You can have a look at the societies here.

Overall co-curricular activities are a great alternative learning experience which lets you build skills and network that are applicable and relevant in future job roles so do make the most of them.

Find out more about the student experience at Warwick Business School by reading our Postgraduate blog, or discover more about MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation on our course webpages.