ORBITAL THEORBITAL.CO.UK
FRESHERS 2016 | FREE
SPORTS
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF STUDENTS’ UNION ROYAL HOLLOWAY
EDITOR Holly Pyne
THIS ISSUE
DEPUTY EDITOR Louise Jones SUBEDITOR Rosalie Falla NEWS Anna Robinson Paco Tijdink COMMENT Abbie Cheeseman Cemre Camuz FEATURES Yasmeen Frasso Tomike Adeniji LIFESTYLE Annie Pantry Elizabeth Rosenberg ARTS Joanne Archer Beth Carr SPORT & SOCIETIES Jess Hines Alice Reynolds OPERATIONS Nebiu Samuel
BALL SPORTS
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BASKETBALL
Charlie McDonnell speaks about the team.
VOLLEYBALL How sport can help make friendships.
WOMEN’S
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FOOTBALL
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RUGBY
Sophie Shapter shares their plans for the year.
Victoria Birch let’s us know about their socials.
PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron James Seymour ONLINE Imogen Trinder MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA Emma Halahan ADVERTISING Hannah Foord EVENTS & TRAINING Georgia Austin CO-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & MEDIA Pippa Gentry COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Jessie Beach-Thomas ADDRESS Media Suite, Students’ Union, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX TEL +44 1784 276 744 EMAIL editor@theorbital.co.uk WEBSITE theorbital.co.uk
FEATURES
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BADMINTON
President, Ben Tozer, talks to the Orbital.
CHEERLEADING Talking competitions, events and socials.
TEAMS CRICKET
bigger and 17 Becoming better every year.
HOCKEY
being a mixed 18 About club and the benefits.
Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL
September 2016
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GET ACTIVE Steff Milne, Co-President Sports and Development, introduces you to the sports teams at Royal Holloway.
H velopment.
ello my name is Steff Milne and I’m your Co-President Sports and De-
Welcome to Royal Holloway Home of the Bears! We have 38 awesome Sports Clubs for you to get involved with. There really is something for everyone! This year I want to highlight the importance of exercise
and sport and the positive impacts it has on academic study and your general wellbeing. Watch out for our Healthy Campus week later on this year and get involved in as much as you can! If competitive sport isn’t your thing then why not Give it a Go! Give it a Go is a scheme that allows you to do just that. With a varied programme of activities going on throughout the year it would be rude not to try something new!
This year is going to be a big year for Sport and active lifestyle on campus! If you would like to get in contact with me this year then don’t hesitate to come and find me at the Help Desk upstairs in the Students’ Union!
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BASKETBALL President, Charlie McDonnell talks to the Orbital about what her club has to offer.
hy should freshers join your sport? Basketball is one of the most fast-paced and exciting sports on campus. It is a sport that fundamentally relies on being able to work as a team so the trust between you and your teammates will build almost instantly.
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What is your biggest event of the year? Every home game is an exciting event and each game brings an electric atmosphere; we definitely have the best supporters on
campus! Come In Your Kit is the biggest SU night for all sports clubs but of course, Colours Ball, our Sports Awards dinner, is the social highlight of the year! What do you do for the non-competitive members of your sport? Twice a week our club helps to run the be.active basketball sessions. These sessions are perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to play competitively or anyone who wants to brush up on their skills before they look to joining the team.
What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? In the words of Nike, just do it! You will get out of it what you put into it, so work hard and reap the benefits. Your teammates will become your best friends and your family away from home and your life as a student athlete will enhance your university experience unforgettably! We can’t wait to meet you! Email: basketball@ su.rhul.ac.uk Facebook: Royal Holloway Basketball Twitter: RHULbasketball Instagram: rhbasketball
September 2016
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VOLLEYBALL
Alice Reynolds interviews Louis Raynaud, President of Volleyball about his ‘Volleyball family’ and meeting new members.
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hy should freshers join? Due to the importance of teamwork within Volleyball, you get to know your teammates extremely well both on and off court, after only a couple of weeks of playing together. How often do you meet? The men’s team have training once a week and the women’s team twice a week. We also have a Be.Active session once a week where we welcome people of all abilities that wish to play volleyball for fun, and are not
a member of our competitive club. We have socials every week and we often have dinner together after our games on Wednesdays. What is your biggest event of the year? For Valentines Day, we hold a 2v2 tournament where couples and friends can play together. We offer several prizes for the winning teams and save entry tickets’ money to give it to charity. What do you do for the non-competitive members of your sport? As mentioned previously, we hold a Be.Active training
once a week where people of all abilities are free to come along. Players from our two competitive teams attend to organise and provide advice to new players. This year, our volleyball club won the Be.Active club of the year award at colours ball. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? You have to go to socials! At the beginning of the year, everyone is a bit shy and it is sometimes hard to meet new people. Come in Your Kit, where initiations take place, is the event that you cannot miss - fresher or not.
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hy should freshers join your sport? OP: Joining golf gives you the opportunity to take part in a very socially orientated sport that can be taken part no matter your standard, from beginner to expert.
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Alice Reynolds interviews Ian Raisbeck and Oli Pyle.
GOLF
How often do you meet? IR: As a team we meet every Wednesday for our BUCS fixtures and as a club we are looking to do monthly TopGolf socials! Away from golf we are a small closely knit group and are looking to do weekly socials. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? OP: Social events will be offered at TopGolf which will give participants the opportunity to enjoy golf in a very different environment to what is traditional which is relaxed, fun and accessible for all ages, genders and abilities. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? IR: DO IT!!! Some of my best friends have come through being part of sports clubs! Come In Your Kit nights at the SU are really the highlights of the year.
PUB GOLF
Socials for all members, beginners to experts .
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September 2016
Joanne Archer talks to Riding and Archery about what they’re offering new members this year.
RIDING Why should freshers join your sport? We are an inclusive club who welcome members of all levels, whether you’re an experienced rider or someone who fancies taking it up from scratch, we’re excited to meet you.
How often do you meet? There is riding every Wednesday afternoon and additional sessions throughout the week for team training as well as the option of private lessons at our stables. Further to this we meet nearly every week for an event, ranging from socials to volunteering. What is your biggest event of the year? We run a riding camp for members of all abilities which runs for
3 days and involves both riding and socialising. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? The majority of our club is made up of non-competitive members and Wednesday lessons are mainly aimed at these members. We also run friendly competitions for members who are not yet at BUCS level but want to get used to the way our competitions run. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Don’t be intimidated at Freshers’ Fayre! Give things a go, we welcome people of all abilities.
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ARCHERY
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hy should freshers join the sport? Archery is a great sport if you want to try something innovative and different. It is a very social sport that allows absolute beginners to shoot alongside experienced members in training and competitions. What do you do for the noncompetitive? The club accommodates all members, from those who are familiar with and practice competitive archery, to those who have never shot an arrow before. We always have themed shoots to celebrate holidays, and a variety of different targets for games and small competitions with friends during the weekly shoots. What is the one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Don’t be apprehensive about trying something new. In all the sports there will be experienced members as well as absolute beginners. You’re here to have fun and meet new people. Like everyone at Royal Holloway, the Archery club is very friendly.
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MOTORSPORT
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FENCING Why should freshers join your sport? Are you after a way to get back at that one flatmate who takes your milk? Fencing is a great sport for people who have never really played sports before, or who would like to try something a bit different. On top of that, you get to wield a sword, and find a healthy emotional outlet through stabbing your friends… What is your biggest event of the year? Our biggest event would be the Christmas Charity Competition! Fencers compete from a variety of different universities and local
clubs with a wide range of experience and ability. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? Fencing at Royal Holloway is also about more than just the training, and all our socials are welcome to all of our members. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Don’t be afraid to try something new (especially if it’s fencing) – Ryan Perkinshad never fenced as a fresher and now, this year he will be assuming the position of President!
hy should freshers join your sport? We are Royal Holloway’s fastest sport! Not only do we race in the British Universities Karting Championship, but we also enjoy social karting, as well as spending time watching F1 and other motorsports too. How often do you meet? We don’t have a weekly meeting, but there are 4 BUKC races throughout the year, as well as 1 test day. However, there will also be several indoor karting events throughout the year, which are good practice before each of the BUKC races. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? As well as there being social indoor karting, there will also be opportunities to try out things such as a Formula 1 simulator. There will be many other socials too, such as film nights and pizza nights, as well as regular meet-ups to watch the Formula 1 when it is on. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? No matter what sport you join, just really enjoy it – that’s why you join it in the first place! Get stuck in and who knows, you might just be the person who pushes your team to the top of the leaderboard. Photo credit: BUKC (British Universities Karting Championship), with permission from Royal Holloway Motorsport
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MIXED
MARTIAL ARTS Joanne Archer finds out what Fareeha Khan, President of RHUL Mixed Martial Arts, has planned for the next year.
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hy should freshers join your sport? Freshers should join if they are looking to learn how to defend themselves, have the opportunity to compete in tournaments and get super fit. There are absolutely no requirements to join, just have a willingness to learn and leave your ego at the door! How often do you meet? We meet 4 times a week dedicating 2 sessions to striking and 2 sessions to grappling. Given the wide scope of Martial Arts, every session will bring something new to the table and ensure that there is something enjoyable for all!
What is your biggest event of the year? Along with numerous interclubs, where members compete against other gyms or universities, we also have a dedicated night in the SU called “Night at the Dojo”. At this event, we exhibit our martial art form to our fellow students. Although Mixed Martial Arts is a solo sport, we are still a team and therefore encourage comradery by having members support each other at inter-clubs, train with each other outside of training sessions and hosting socials, sometimes with other clubs too! What do you do for the non-competitive members of your sport? Mixed Martial Arts isn’t just for competing, so for those who don’t see a potential ‘Fight Night’ as something
they would be interested in, they should still come along. It’s a great way to keep fit whilst enhancing your attacking and defending skills with enthusiastic people! What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? One piece of advice in joining a sport is to be open minded. Your coaches and teammates are there to help you grow therefore you should listen to them. Remember, even the best member of the club or even the coach were once just where you are now. Give it 100% and commit and you will see how astounding your progress will be! We look forward to seeing you in the new year! Ouss.
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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WOMEN’Stalks RUGBY President, Sophie Shapter to the Orbital about LUSL, BUCS and FA Girls Football Week.
hy should freshers join your sport? Women’s football is growing both in size and strength. We have 3 teams that all play matches weekly in the London Universities Sports Leagues (LUSL) and out 1st team also play on Wednesdays in BUCS.
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How often do you meet? We train twice a week for 1.5 hours, 1 or 2 matches a week (depending on what team you’re in) and we have a weekly or bi-weekly socials on Wednesdays!
What is your biggest event of the year? Our biggest event is definitely the FA Girls Football Week. It’s a whole week of football related events such as a charity tournament, Futsal, and Soccercise sessions to promote women in football and to help reduce prejudice and raise awareness of the fantastic opportunities for women within the football world! This is early in the term (10th-16th October) so get ready for it!! What do you do for the non-competitive members of your sport? Our third team is a fantastic part of the club which allows
people to play football socially and also have an opportunity to play in a match if they so wish to. The pressure is totally off in this team, but the social scene is very much on. So if you just want to come down and have a kick around and a pint, this is for you! What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? 100% join a sports team – it’s the ultimate way to make solid friendships, release stress and get involved with so much more than just the sport. I’s also say don’t go for something you did before university. Take advantage of doing something different!
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WOMEN’S RUGBY Holly Pyne asks President, Victoria Birch, about socials, fundraising and her advice for students wanting to try something new.
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hy should freshers join your sport? Women’s Rugby is a fantastic sport! It is so much more than what it’s commonly stereotyped to be (chasing a ball and tackling the opposition). Not only do players build up their strength and fitness, but it is also a great opportunity to build your confidence and meet tons of new people. The team is made up of a mixture of abilities, from girls that are building on their previous skills to those who have never played or even watched the game prior to
University (like me!). So don’t feel that just because you haven’t played before you can’t join- there is a place for everyone! How often do you meet? Twice a week on a Monday and Friday.
take part and hold numerous fundraising events which is a great way to have a laugh and raise money for many deserving charities.
What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Try a sport that you have What do you do for never played before! the non-competitive University is all about members of your sport? opportunity and is a great Not all of our members way to try out things that participate in the game, many you’ve never done- pick join us for our awesome something that you would social events. We hold socials never have imagined yourself on a Wednesday evening, playing, you may surprise with a different theme each yourself with a hidden talent/ week- from fancy dress to ability! Olympic style games. We also
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BADMINTON Holly Pyne met up with President, Ben Tozer, to talk about competitions, socials and why you should be involved.
D and friendly
escribe your club in three words. Inclusive, Competitive
What makes your club special? The Badminton Club is special as the club is small enough to be close knit as well as big enough to meet lots of different people.
FRIENDLY
Credit: Cameron James Seymour
What is the highlight of the year for the club? The highlight of the year has to be the yearly trip to the All Badminton England Tournament in Birmingham in March in which the club watches the best players in the world compete. The Trip is a way for the club to relax towards the end of the season and to relax. Favourite memory with the club. As Mixed Captain last year I decided to organise three
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matches over two days. I remember having to play a match and quickly leave to take a train to the next match. Through team work and encouraging one another the six that played the three matches over the two days managed to win two out of three matches. What is the purpose of Be.active badminton sessions? Be.active sessions are open to anyone that wants to play badminton socially or competitively. Sessions
September 2016
are also a way for the Badminton Club to interact with other students and teach social players on how to improve. What is the best thing about winning a match? Winning matches is what every member of the club wants. The best thing about winning matches is that we celebrate the achievements of individual players by awarding the man of the match a celebratory drink.
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How do you intend to improve on last year? The club is going to build on the success of last year and try to do more collaborations with other sports clubs and societies in socials and tournaments. What advice would you give freshers wanting to join a club? Just come to trials and get involved. If you don’t make the cut in trials then there are multiple ways to get involved such as Be.active.
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How do students get involved with Badminton, and where will they find you? Students can get involved through Be.active and if students have any questions or anything then they can message the club on facebook through the our page: Royal Holloway Badminton.
COMPETITION
There’s something for everyone with Be.active.
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CHEERLEADING Holly Pyne talks to Shannon Winslade, President of Cheerleading about competitions and what’s on offer.
D
fabulous.
escribe your club in three words. Team-oriented, committed and
The best part of being involved in a club like Cheerleading? Socialising and integrating with so many people from your university and getting so much support from them. You meet and train with
some wonderful people and cheerleading really goes against the stereotypes and stigmatisms you may first think of it to be. Different ages, sizes and genders are welcome- in fact the boys on the team bring so much strength and support. Favourite memory with your club. Probably my first competition, I had no idea what to expect and the
atmosphere was absolutely incredible. Putting on your kit for the first time and stepping onto the mat with hundreds on people watching you was so daunting. But once the music came on and you completed the routine, the feeling was crazy and you spend the rest of the day celebrating!! Some of my most memorable moments also come from just regular training or stunts.
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STUNTS
Photography credit: Jessie Beach-Thomas
COMPETITION
Every team takes part; including Cheer, Stunt and Dance teams.
TRAINING
They welcome all ages, gender and sizes.
SOCIALISING
A sports club is a great way to meet new people.
What is your favourite competition to be involved in? The best competition is always when every team is there to take part. Besides our two cheer teams (all girl and co-ed), we have stunt teams, and two dance teams (hip hop and jazz) who always perform with high standards. This year at Guildford our hip hop team came first which shows the variety and talent we have, and that there is a team for everyone to be part of! What is your highlight event of the year? Showcase is an event held by cheer at uni where we show off all our routines to family and friends, open to anyone who wants to watch. Its great because we get to perform to people who
know us best, demonstrating all our skills and what we have made of this crazy uni experience! It’s even funnier getting your family to try it out because it proves how hard cheer actually is. What advice would you give to freshers that want to join a club? Do not worry about a lack of experience and don’t be afraid to try new things. I was a fresher last year and
I know how overwhelming the whole welcome week experience can be. Cheerleading is extremely welcoming and you grow in confidence with the club as well as making a whole bunch of friends from all years! Twitter: @RH_cheerleading Facebook: Royal Holloway Cheerleading. Instagram: @royalhollowaycheer
16 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine Joanne Archer talks to Presidents, Josh Seymour and Michaela Neto, about what their societies have to offer. They cover everything from socials, to training, to the best way to make friends.
CYCLING Why should Freshers join your sport? Cycling is a sport that can easily interchange between a competitive and social environment, depending on what the fresher is looking for in a club. How often do you meet? We are planning on going on a social ride and training ride once a week, with nonriding meets (such as the pub) to be held fortnightly.
in the early stages of planning. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? We will be holding weekly rides for noncompetitive members that will be more along the lines of cycling through Windsor great park, or one of its surrounding pubs.
What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Do not hesitate. Do What is your it. You will regret it biggest event of in second year if you the year? don’t as it is one of This year we look to the best ways to meet hold a large charity people at uni. The next bike ride, we are piece of advice would hoping for it to be to be to become involved Paris, but it is currently and active in the club.
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TRAMPOLINING
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Why should freshers join your sport? Sure everyone’s tried Football and Hockey and the compulsory secondary school Netball , but why not give Trampolining a go! As a relatively small society, we are all very close and look after one another, and training is always a laugh. How often do you meet? Training is from 8-10 every Thursday in the Sports Hall. This year we are also introducing conditioning sessions where we will do conditioning for trampolining with a fun mix of gym exercises and flexibility training. What is your biggest event of the year? BUCS BUCS BUCS! This is in an incredible University Competition where teams from Universities around the country come together and compete over a weekend! What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? As well as being able to bounce to whatever level you wish, we also host regular socials where all members attend! One of our regular socials is at Gravity Force in Camberley where we frequently collaborate with other societies and sports teams! What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Sports teams are always an incredible cushion to fall back on and meet people with similar interests.
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CHARITY
The club plans to improve its charity fundraising.
CRICKET
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hy should freshers join your sport? We’re a growing sports club and becoming more and more recognised on campus. We have various social events throughout the year, and are a very sociable team to join, if you want to play either competitively or socially (for both men and women).
for regular socials every couple of weeks. What is your biggest event? Tour is the highlight event of the year, last year we went to Prague and earlier this year we went to Budapest! Colours ball is also a night not to miss out on.
What are your plans for making your club bigger and better? How often do you We are aiming to help both meet? the men’s and women’s We have training one teams to grow (with the evening a week for people women’s team being a of all abilities, and also meet new part of the club). We
have grown in membership every year and are keen to continue with this trend for 2016-2017! We are becoming bigger and better in terms of our volunteering and fundraising efforts for various charities. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Just go for it! Don’t be afraid to try something new! Joining a society is the best way to meet new people. Alice Reynolds interviews with Sarah Jane Pilton, Social Secretary.
18 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine Joanne Archer and Alice Reynolds interview Ali Wass, Anmol Passamola and Danny Smith about plans for this year.
LACROSSE Why should freshers join your sport? Lacrosse is a social club, as well as a competitive club. We host tons of activities; socials, paintball, trips abroad, pub crawls, charity events, etc. Last year the mixed 1st team won their league.
men’s rules. It’s a fun and non-competitive atmosphere as everyone there shows up to socialise and there is drinking throughout the day.
What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? The majority of How often do you club members, meet? myself included, join We have two training having never played sessions a week. lacrosse before. To One is for the men’s/ accommodate new women’s team and players both the men’s the other for the mixed and women’s teams 1st/2nd team, with have development teams playing most teams where you show weeks. up to learn, play, and have fun. What is your biggest event of What is your one the year? bit of advice for a We host an alumni fresher joining a event where alumni sport? get to play the men’s Try new things! Your team. Afterwards we first year is by far the let the women have easiest and you’ll have all the equipment and plenty of spare time. they play a match with
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HOCKEY
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hy should freshers join your sport? We’re a mixed club and one of the largest sports on campus. Anyone can join, we have complete beginners and some very experienced members but no matter how much you’ve played hockey before you’ll get into one of our teams! What is your biggest event of the year? That’s hard. We have formals at Christmas and End of Season that are always amazing nights, if a little bit crazy. But I think the biggest hands down has to be TOUR! We went to Barcelona last year and Lisbon the year before. What do you do for the noncompetitive members of your sport? We hold mixed charity tournaments that allow everyone to have a great time. It allows you to play hockey that’s not competitive but just for fun. What is your one bit of advice for a fresher joining a sport? Many people will tell you to get involved and don’t be scared. I totally agree.
OPEN TO 2ND YEAR STUDENTS IN 12 ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS
AUTUMN 2016 MICRO – PLACEMENTS SCHEME LAUNCH Micro-Placements Scheme 2016 -2017 The Careers & Employability Service award winning MicroPlacements Scheme is launching for 2016 – 2017. If you want to improve your employability prospects and gain a professional insight into an industry, apply for a 2- 4 week long placement. Find out more on how to apply at royalholloway.ac.uk/careers/gainexperience/placements or email careersplacements@rhul.ac.uk “The practical experience I have gained will be invaluable for my CV and in the future.” – Elliot Lloyd, Placement Scheme Participant
SHORT TERM PLACEMENTS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2017
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