| Well it’s been 2 years since I have become a full time member of the NEC. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was elected at SWD Conference in Blackpool. I’ve been the co-convenor of 2 Priority Campaigns, acted up as the VP FE as well as been the NUS Students with Disabilities and Disabled Students Officer?. I have travelled on far too many trains, met some awesome people and had ups and downs but in reflection have loved my time in NUS. Now what I thought I would do would share with you some advice for the incoming NEC of 10 things to do or not to do as a member of the National Executive Committee. Enjoy it- it flies by so quickly. - Think about where you are staying. Do NOT stay over a Students’ Union officer’s flat (trying to save NUS money!) and then take a wrong turn whilst going for a pee and lock yourself out of their flat in just a g-string and a T-shirt with no phone or memory of what flat number they lived in. (if you do find yourself in this situation the solution is ring all the flat doorbells on the floor- someone will hear you in the end and let you in- just be very casual as you walk through the door saying forgotten my key!!!!)
- Expect your train to turn up on time- it’s just not going to happen and you just know you are going to be late for that meeting at a Union.
- Think about how you are travelling because you might just decide you are fed up of trains being late so you are going to drive but then forget your wallet. So you find yourself driving along the M5 hoping you’ll have enough petrol in the tank to get back to pick up your wallet. When you realise you don’t make sure you have enough coppers and 5 pence pieces floating about the car but try and be nice to the cashier at the petrol station. Cashiers at petrol service stations do not appreciate you handing them £3 in coppers and 5 pence pieces- no matter how much you smile at them.
- Never assume anything- for example that all the rooms are booked for your training day because you will find out 2 days before the event that the rooms have been double booked and that will so send you into a huge panic 50 delegates- lots of guest speakers but no rooms!!!!
- Think about who you are snogging. Do not snog a fellow officer or sabb- you just shouldn’t take ya work home with ya- and if ya do you just know those NUS jungle drums are going to start a banging.
- Do remember rules are for breaking. Such as rule number 5. So do snog a fellow officer or sabb because it will get to a point when you realise you NEVER meet anyone else expect officers and sabbs and that your love life has become all a bit (in the words of another NEC member) barren. Just keep your snogging quiet- seeing your love life on the pages of ednet would not be fun! ;).
- Try to con yourself that you will give up smoking whilst you are on the NEC- it is just not going to happen!!! Believe you and me tried and failed so many times on the NEC!!! (A big thanks you to all I have robbed cigarettes off especially Jo Salmon. My thinking was if I hadn’t bought a packet I actually wasn’t really smoking again.) But I can now say I haven’t smoked for 3 months- I am sure that its no coincidence that I have giving up smoking the same time as I knew I was leaving.
- Also forget about trying to stay fit, continuing with your gym membership etc. Sabb spread will continue and exercise becomes a distant memory. Again am sure that it’s no accident that I have started to lose weight and go to the gym regularly now I am actually leaving the student movement. Hell if you look at NEC members past its tradition that we all lose weight and look much healthier once we leave NUS!!!
- Get shares in a wine vineyard. White wine seems to be the drink of NUS!!!!
- Get out there and enjoy it. Its hard bloody work, frustrating, annoying, you’ll want to resign at least once but in the end you will have a fab time. Before you know it it’ll be conference time and your time to say your goodbyes.
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