What is it?
Experienced Collaborators
| Attribute dimension | University of Glasgow graduates... |
|---|---|
| Academic | Engage with the scholarly community and respect others’ views and perspectives |
| Personal | Are experienced in working in groups and teams of varying sizes and in a variety of roles |
| Transferable | Conduct themselves professionally and contribute positively when working in a team |
How will my degree develop it?
How will my degree develop it?
Secondary education deals in certainties: facts, figures and long established theories.
Conversely, at university you work at the very boundaries of knowledge, where the latest discoveries are very much up for debate. Even experts in the same field will interpret new findings in different ways – and strongly disagree with each other’s perspective.
University teaches you how to effectively engage in these issues - and make your own contribution to global academic discussions.
You’ll find that your fellow students don’t always share your views or values. Some tutorial exercises might pit you against each other in discussions and debates, seeking to uncover the flaws in each other’s reasoning. But equally you may be expected to team up with these same students the very next week and produce a presentation or report together.
It can be uncomfortable at times. You may not agree on the direction to take, or the perspective to present. Even when you agree on the big picture, smaller things can get in the way such as sharing the workload evenly amongst colleagues or finding the time to meet up and work together in person.
But with practice you learn to negotiate and address these problems, find common ground and pull together to produce quality work. Learning to work together effectively is about developing mutual respect with your peers and colleagues. You may hold different views, but you’ll share the determination to do the best work that you can.
It’s about being professional when the situation demands it – and if you can demonstrate the ability to do so, you’ll prove to be an effective addition to just about any team or organisation.
How else can I develop it?
How else can I develop it?
Collaborative individuals are teamwork extraordinaires. Not everyone enjoys working with others when there are grades at stake, but outside of the classroom there are many other things best enjoyed together:
- Sport & Recreation offer a wide range of competitive club sport – and plenty of others that are just for fun as well
- Successful business are the ultimate team effort – experience life in the workplace with a Club 21 placement
- And if you think your skills need a more specific polish, The Student Learning Service offer year-round workshops in effective group work