York Award Gold Postgraduate Application Form 2019

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General instructions - please read before making a start. For more information see the York Award Gold page or email award@york.ac.uk

Is this version the correct form for me?● This version of York Award Gold is for postgraduate students only. If you are an

undergraduate student, please visit the York Award webpages for further information on York Award stages and deadlines.

How should my application be presented?● Your answers must be typed into the boxes of this Google Document. Do not alter it other

than to add your answers into the boxes provided. ● Use Calibri font, size 11 and type your answers in full sentences and please check your

spelling.● Complete ALL questions and pay attention to suggested words per section. It is anticipated

that a good answer will require you to use a significant proportion of the suggested word count.

How do I submit my application?● The deadline for submissions is 5:00pm Sunday 28 July.● Please save your responses and submit a copy of your completed application form to

award@york.ac.uk. A member of the award team will then acknowledge receipt of your application and contact you once your application has been assessed.

● Please be aware - once you have submitted your application you will not be able to make any changes. You can only submit your application once.

How can I improve my ability to write reflectively?● York Award Gold requires you to write reflectively about your experiences over the past 3

years.● For more information and supporting materials, we advise that you visit the ‘Learning

Materials’ tab on the PG Gold webpages.

York Award GoldPostgraduate Application Form 2019

Section 1 - Activities Undertaken

Please list the key activities you have undertaken in the past 2-3 years that you feel have significantly contributed to your personal development. Where possible - try to focus on experiences undertaken during your postgraduate study at York. Make sure you include all the activities you will be referring to in your later responses. Activities can relate to college life, additional courses, sporting interests, societies, volunteering, work experience and academic studies.

Activity Dates/duration (does not have to be exact)

E.g. Member of Wentworth College committee Autumn 18 – to date

Section 2 - Reflecting on your Strengths

As part of your application form we would like you to spend some time reflecting on your personal strengths. ‘Strengths’, in this context, are those attributes that combine competency with engagement, those things that we enjoy using and are energised by (not simply something we do well). When we use our strengths, we feel engaged and motivated, learning quickly and performing well. Strengths are different to skills or competencies, which can be learned and practised successfully, but which may not motivate or energise the user.

The University has developed a framework of nine ‘York Strengths’, with input from multiple major graduate recruiting organisations. These qualities are what is seen to make the difference between a good and a great graduate employee.

The York Strengths Framework

Organisational Fit SeekerOrganisational Fit Seekers are driven to achieve an excellent fit between their true selves and the work that they do, guided by an in-depth awareness of their values and beliefs.

Problem SolverProblem Solvers relish the opportunity to analyse complex information, feeling energised by the problem as well as the solution.

Authentic Communicator Authentic Communicators engage with people of all cultures and at all levels in an honest and respectful manner, adapting their style but remaining true to what they believe.

Resilient Achiever Resilient Achievers constantly push themselves to work hard and achieve their goals, using setbacks as springboards to go on and achieve even more.

Agile LearnerAgile Learners have a love of learning, and the capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge at pace.

Relationship BuilderRelationships Builders build honest relationships based on trust and credibility, feeling energised by collaborating with others and working towards shared goals.

Digital ConnectorDigital Connectors enjoy the opportunities inherent in new technologies, being driven to exploit digital platforms to their full potential across many different applications.

Self ImproverSelf Improvers take every step to achieve their full potential, actively seeking out honest feedback that will help them develop as a person.

Pioneering ThinkerPioneering Thinkers are stimulated by change, continually approaching challenges in original and innovative ways.

Please take some time to consider your development in light of the York Strengths Framework. You may wish to reflect on how you have utilised your Strengths in the examples you give in Section 3.

If you have not already had the opportunity to do so, we would encourage you to complete the Strengths Online Discovery (PG) before you complete the rest of this application form.

This is an online exercise that allows you to respond naturally to familiar situations and scenarios, resulting in a feedback report, unique to you, outlining your top 3 Strengths. The exercise is not timed, it can take up to 30 minutes and may provide some useful insights that you can reflect on in your later answers.

Access York Strengths Online Discovery for Postgraduate students here (log-in required)

Please confirm by signing an ‘X’ in the box below that you have read all of the information in this section:

Section 3 - Reflecting on your experiences

This section is based on the Gibbs model of reflective learning. Gibbs philosophy is,‘It is not sufficient simply to have an experience in order to learn. Without reflecting upon this experience it may quickly be forgotten, or its learning potential lost. It is from the feelings and

thoughts emerging from this reflection that generalisations or concepts can be generated. And it is generalisations that allow new situations to be tackled effectively.’ (Gibbs 1988)

Preparing your responsesThere are three reflective pieces for you to complete in this section, each relating to a common area of student experience: work and/or volunteering; personal interests and/or hobbies; and academic studies.

In each piece you will need to consider how your experience has helped you develop in one particular area chosen from a list provided. Please consider how you have demonstrated your skills, used your knowledge or harnessed your Strengths (see section 2).

The situations listed reflect those often used by employers as part of the recruitment process.

● You should select your experiences from the past 2-3 years, focusing where possible on examples from during your postgraduate study at the University of York that have enabled you to develop either professionally or personally.

● Please ensure you only use examples that you would choose to talk about in a job application/interview.

● To help guide your responses, each reflective piece is split into three parts. Pay attention to the suggested word limits for each part. We would expect a good answer to require you to use a significant proportion of the suggested word count.

Examples of experiences you might write about include: holding a position on your college committee; acting as a departmental or institutional representative, undertaking relevant work experience; volunteering; interacting with a diverse group of students or staff.

Situations to choose fromFor each of the three reflective pieces choose a different situation from the list below, so that your finished form gives an account of your development in three different areas:

A. Took the initiative or demonstrated an innovative approachB. Adapted your style of communication to suit a particular audienceC. Made a difference within or outside of the universityD. Sought to address an area of weakness or overcame a significant challenge to youE. Developed leadership or project management skillsF. Managed a conflict or worked with others to achieve a common goalG. Worked effectively with individuals from different cultural backgrounds

Please respond to all sections in the boxes provided.

1. In relation to your work experience/volunteering, reflect on a time when you…Please complete the sentence by typing, in full, your chosen situation from the list above:

i.e. Sought to address an area of weakness or overcame a significant challenge to you

Description (suggest approx. 100 words)

What happened? Briefly describe the experience (activity/project/event)

Feelings and evaluation (suggest approx. 200 words)What were you thinking/feeling? What were your reactions to what happened?What was good and bad about the experience? How did you use your Strengths?

Conclusion and action plan (suggest approx. 300 words)What did you learn about yourself? What general conclusions did you draw from the experience?How might you apply these conclusions in the future? Are there any actions you can take right now?

2. In relation to your personal interests/hobbies, reflect on a time when you…Please complete the sentence by typing, in full, your chosen situation from the list above (your selection should be different from your response to 1. above).

Description (suggest approx. 100 words)What happened? Briefly describe the experience (activity/project/event)

Feelings and evaluation (suggest approx. 200 words)What were you thinking/feeling? What were your reactions to what happened?What was good and bad about the experience? How did you use your Strengths?

Conclusion and action plan (suggest approx. 300 words)What did you learn about yourself? What general conclusions did you draw from the experience?How might you apply these conclusions in the future? Are there any actions you can take right now?

3. In relation to your academic studies, reflect on a time when you…Please complete the sentence by typing, in full, your chosen situation from the list above (your selection should be different from your responses to 1. and 2. above).

Description (suggest approx. 100 words)What happened? Briefly describe the experience (activity/project/event)

Feelings and evaluation (suggest approx. 200 words)What were you thinking/feeling? What were your reactions to what happened?What was good and bad about the experience? How did you use your Strengths?

Conclusion and action plan (suggest approx. 300 words)What did you learn about yourself? What general conclusions did you draw from the experience?How might you apply these conclusions in the future? Are there any actions you can take right now?

Section 4 - Summary As the final part of your application, we would like you to reflect back on all the experiences in the past few years which have helped you to better understand your strengths, your interests, your motivators and your values to answer the following 3 questions;

a. What have you learnt about yourself during your time as a postgraduate student at York? (suggest approx. 200 words)

b. What do you feel has been your greatest achievement in the past 3 years? (suggest approx. 200 words)

c. How do you believe your experiences over the past 2-3 years have influenced your career decisions, now and in the future? (suggest approx. 200 words)

Thank you for completing the York Award Gold Postgraduate Application Form. Please save your responses and submit a copy of your completed form to

award@york.ac.uk by 5.00pm Sunday 28 July.