Suggested Activities for Developing the DCU Graduate Attributes

Smiling graduate shaking hands at interview

What are the DCU Graduate Attributes?

To see the list of DCU Graduate Attributes and a description on each attribute, please visit this page.

Suggested Activities for Developing Your Chosen Graduate Attributes

Silver Engage Student Award participants are required to choose two of the DCU Graduate Attributes (also listed below) and to engage in extracurricular activities throughout the year, which will support them in developing these chosen attributes.

Please see a comprehensive list of suggested extracurricular activities for each attribute below:

Creative and Enterprising

_{Join a DCU Club or Society related to creativity or entrepreneurship - e.g. DCU Enterprise / Start-up Soc / Drama Soc / Enactus society etc.}
_{Take part in a start-up competition such as Enactus or Red Bull Basement University}
_{Develop your entrepreneurial and creative skills – become an online content creator , create your own YouTube channel, Instagram account or online store or start a part-time business!}
_{Complete a free online course to improve your creative or entrepreneurial skills e.g. social media marketing, graphic design, creative writing, coding etc.}
_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice.}
_{Step out of your comfort zone and explore your creativity through art, drama, music or story-telling.}
_{Reflect on how you have developed your creativity and entrepreneurship skills through part-time work this year.}
_{Volunteer with a DCU Charity partner organisation in a role that requires you to use your creative skills (such as graphic design, video editing or writing skills).}
_{Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.}
_{Get involved in a Student Union fundraising initiative}

Solution-Orientated

_{Join a DCU Club or Society that is focused on solving a current issue or problem - e.g. Sustainability Soc or Sober Soc or reflect on an issue you faced as a club/soc member and outline how you devised a solution to this challenge.}
_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g. Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how you dealt with the challenges that you faced in this position.}
_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on how you utilised your problem solving skills in your role as a volunteer.}
_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on how you helped create solutions for class members / addressed class issues.}
_{Identify an academic, personal or technical problem that you encountered this year and reflect on how you resolved it.}
_{Develop your problem solving skills by taking part in a hackathon or a design thinking workshop, or participating in the Digital Inclusion Challenge.}
_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, blog, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice, that focuses on solving a problem students encounter}
_{Reflect on how you have developed your problem solving skills through part-time work this year.}
_{Read a book or listen to a podcast that is focuses on effective problem solving e.g. Who Moved My Cheese, Thinking Fast and Slow or Essentialism}
_{Participate in an online course on critical thinking}
_{Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition}

Effective Communicators

_{Join a DCU Club or Society such as Toastmasters or Debate Soc.}
_{Start a podcast, write for a publication or volunteer for a community radio station.}
_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how this role strengthened your communication skills.}
_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year) and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through this role.}
_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Students’ Union and reflect on how this training enhanced your communication skills.}
_{Reflect on how you used your communication skills to influence others, deliver a presentation, negotiate effectively, or resolve a team conflict during the year.}
_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. video, blog, podcast or infographic) on a topic of your choice. Reflect on how creating this resource activity enhanced your communication skills.}
_{Reflect on how you have developed your communication skills through part-time work this year.}
_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on how this experience benefited your communication and interpersonal skills this year.}
_{Download and engage with the DCU Connection and Belonging app.}
_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}
_{Attend an SS&D webinar related to communication skills.}
_{Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through engagement with prospective employers.}
_{Complete a free online course to improve your communication skills e.g. presentation skills or professional etiquette.}
_{Book a session with the DCU Writing Centre.}

Globally Engaged

_{Join a DCU Club or Society e.g The Stand Society, Sustainable Living Society or Amnesty Soc.}
_{Participate in an event or initiative run by STAND.}
Volunteer with Global Action Plan, located in Ballymun
_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).}
_{Volunteer with Volunteer Ireland and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering).}
_{Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering).}
_{Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text.}
_{Reflect on the ways you have developed global awareness within your college community and how you have demonstrated civic engagement.}
_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional.}
_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}
_{Get involved in a Students’ Union fundraising initiative for a charity partner.}
_{Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.}
_{Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair.}
_{Start a social change focused campaign e.g. on sustainable living.}
_{Complete a free online course on a topic related to global engagement.}
_{Learn a new language or take an online course in ISL (Irish Sign Language).}
_{Complete a TEFL course and teach english as a second language.}

Active Leaders

_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.}
_{Become a member of a DCU Club or Society governing committee e.g. the Club Life Committee or Society Life Committee.}
_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year).}
_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.}
_{Reflect on leadership roles or responsibilities in your life – e.g. sports, college, community, family etc.}
_{Reflect on how you have developed your leadership skills through part-time work this year.}
_{Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.}
_{Lead a charity event, training workshop or social networking event for fellow students and reflect on how this developed your leadership skills.}
_{Read a book or listen to a podcast that focuses on leadership.}
_{Complete a free online course to improve your leadership skills e.g. on LinkedIn Learning.}
_{Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this,such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition.}

Committed to Continuous Learning

_{Access a wide range of resources on the DEVELOP hub on Loop, such as career podcasts, personal development podcasts, life skill resources on budgeting and time management, wellbeing resources, mental health resources, study resources and more.}
_{Complete the goal-setting exercise in the DEVELOP hub on Loop or set a learning goal and outline how you achieved it.}
_{Join a DCU Club or Society.}
_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.}
_{Become a DCU class rep (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on the learning that you took from this experience.}
_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.}
_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).}
_{Volunteer with volunteerireland.ie and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on what you learned from this experience.}
_{Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering) and reflect on what you learned from this experience.}
_{Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text and reflect on what you learned from this experience.}
_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on the learning you took from this opportunity.}
_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}
_{Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.}
_{Attend an SS&D webinar e.g. an online study skills webinar.}
_{Complete an online workshop with DCU Library.}
_{Complete a free online course to improve your skills in any area of your choice e.g. coding, mindfulness, excel formatting, french, graphic design, first aid, time management, social media marketing, nutrition, science, creative writing etc.}
_{Sign up for a free trial on LinkedIn Learning or check out free online study websites such as coursera.org, futurnlearn.com, Alison.com, open.edu and edx.com.}
_{Book a session with the DCU Writing Centre.}
_{Attend a remote Careers consultation session with DCU Careers Service.}
_{Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair.}
_{Research an area of interest such as nutrition, astrology or graphic design and reflect on what you learned about this subject.}
_{Learn a new language or take an online course in ISL (Irish Sign Language).}
_{Complete a TEFL course and teach english as a second language.}

Suggested Activities for Developing the DCU Graduate Attributes

What are the DCU Graduate Attributes?

Suggested Activities for Developing Your Chosen Graduate Attributes

Join a DCU Club or Society related to creativity or entrepreneurship - e.g. DCU Enterprise / Start-up Soc / Drama Soc / Enactus society etc.

Take part in a start-up competition such as Enactus or Red Bull Basement University

Develop your entrepreneurial and creative skills – become an online content creator , create your own YouTube channel, Instagram account or online store or start a part-time business!

Complete a free online course to improve your creative or entrepreneurial skills e.g. social media marketing, graphic design, creative writing, coding etc.

Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice.

Step out of your comfort zone and explore your creativity through art, drama, music or story-telling.

Reflect on how you have developed your creativity and entrepreneurship skills through part-time work this year.

Volunteer with a DCU Charity partner organisation in a role that requires you to use your creative skills (such as graphic design, video editing or writing skills).

Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.

Get involved in a Student Union fundraising initiative

Join a DCU Club or Society that is focused on solving a current issue or problem - e.g. Sustainability Soc or Sober Soc or reflect on an issue you faced as a club/soc member and outline how you devised a solution to this challenge.

Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g. Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how you dealt with the challenges that you faced in this position.

Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on how you utilised your problem solving skills in your role as a volunteer.

Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on how you helped create solutions for class members / addressed class issues.

Identify an academic, personal or technical problem that you encountered this year and reflect on how you resolved it.

Develop your problem solving skills by taking part in a hackathon or a design thinking workshop, or participating in the Digital Inclusion Challenge.

Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, blog, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice, that focuses on solving a problem students encounter

Reflect on how you have developed your problem solving skills through part-time work this year.

Read a book or listen to a podcast that is focuses on effective problem solving e.g. Who Moved My Cheese, Thinking Fast and Slow or Essentialism

Participate in an online course on critical thinking

Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition

Join a DCU Club or Society such as Toastmasters or Debate Soc.

Start a podcast, write for a publication or volunteer for a community radio station.

Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how this role strengthened your communication skills.

Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year) and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through this role.

Participate in leadership training with the DCU Students’ Union and reflect on how this training enhanced your communication skills.

Reflect on how you used your communication skills to influence others, deliver a presentation, negotiate effectively, or resolve a team conflict during the year.

Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. video, blog, podcast or infographic) on a topic of your choice. Reflect on how creating this resource activity enhanced your communication skills.

Reflect on how you have developed your communication skills through part-time work this year.

Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on how this experience benefited your communication and interpersonal skills this year.

Download and engage with the DCU Connection and Belonging app.

Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.

Attend an SS&D webinar related to communication skills.

Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through engagement with prospective employers.

Complete a free online course to improve your communication skills e.g. presentation skills or professional etiquette.

Book a session with the DCU Writing Centre.

Join a DCU Club or Society e.g The Stand Society, Sustainable Living Society or Amnesty Soc.

Participate in an event or initiative run by STAND.

Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).

Volunteer with Volunteer Ireland and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering).

Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering).

Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text.

Reflect on the ways you have developed global awareness within your college community and how you have demonstrated civic engagement.

Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional.

Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.

Get involved in a Students’ Union fundraising initiative for a charity partner.

Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.

Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair.

Start a social change focused campaign e.g. on sustainable living.

Complete a free online course on a topic related to global engagement.

Learn a new language or take an online course in ISL (Irish Sign Language).

Complete a TEFL course and teach english as a second language.

Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.

Become a member of a DCU Club or Society governing committee e.g. the Club Life Committee or Society Life Committee.

Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year).

Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.

Reflect on leadership roles or responsibilities in your life – e.g. sports, college, community, family etc.

Reflect on how you have developed your leadership skills through part-time work this year.

Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.

Lead a charity event, training workshop or social networking event for fellow students and reflect on how this developed your leadership skills.

Read a book or listen to a podcast that focuses on leadership.

Complete a free online course to improve your leadership skills e.g. on LinkedIn Learning.

Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this,such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition.

Access a wide range of resources on the DEVELOP hub on Loop, such as career podcasts, personal development podcasts, life skill resources on budgeting and time management, wellbeing resources, mental health resources, study resources and more.

Complete the goal-setting exercise in the DEVELOP hub on Loop or set a learning goal and outline how you achieved it.

Join a DCU Club or Society.

Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.

Become a DCU class rep (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on the learning that you took from this experience.

Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.

Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).

Volunteer with volunteerireland.ie and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on what you learned from this experience.

Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering) and reflect on what you learned from this experience.

Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text and reflect on what you learned from this experience.

Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on the learning you took from this opportunity.

Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.

Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.

Attend an SS&D webinar e.g. an online study skills webinar.

_{Join a DCU Club or Society related to creativity or entrepreneurship - e.g. DCU Enterprise / Start-up Soc / Drama Soc / Enactus society etc.}

_{Take part in a start-up competition such as Enactus or Red Bull Basement University}

_{Develop your entrepreneurial and creative skills – become an online content creator , create your own YouTube channel, Instagram account or online store or start a part-time business!}

_{Complete a free online course to improve your creative or entrepreneurial skills e.g. social media marketing, graphic design, creative writing, coding etc.}

_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice.}

_{Step out of your comfort zone and explore your creativity through art, drama, music or story-telling.}

_{Reflect on how you have developed your creativity and entrepreneurship skills through part-time work this year.}

_{Volunteer with a DCU Charity partner organisation in a role that requires you to use your creative skills (such as graphic design, video editing or writing skills).}

_{Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.}

_{Get involved in a Student Union fundraising initiative}

_{Join a DCU Club or Society that is focused on solving a current issue or problem - e.g. Sustainability Soc or Sober Soc or reflect on an issue you faced as a club/soc member and outline how you devised a solution to this challenge.}

_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g. Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how you dealt with the challenges that you faced in this position.}

_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on how you utilised your problem solving skills in your role as a volunteer.}

_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on how you helped create solutions for class members / addressed class issues.}

_{Identify an academic, personal or technical problem that you encountered this year and reflect on how you resolved it.}

_{Develop your problem solving skills by taking part in a hackathon or a design thinking workshop, or participating in the Digital Inclusion Challenge.}

_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. podcast, blog, video or infographic) on a topic of your choice, that focuses on solving a problem students encounter}

_{Reflect on how you have developed your problem solving skills through part-time work this year.}

_{Read a book or listen to a podcast that is focuses on effective problem solving e.g. Who Moved My Cheese, Thinking Fast and Slow or Essentialism}

_{Participate in an online course on critical thinking}

_{Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition}

_{Join a DCU Club or Society such as Toastmasters or Debate Soc.}

_{Start a podcast, write for a publication or volunteer for a community radio station.}

_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer and reflect on how this role strengthened your communication skills.}

_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year) and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through this role.}

_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Students’ Union and reflect on how this training enhanced your communication skills.}

_{Reflect on how you used your communication skills to influence others, deliver a presentation, negotiate effectively, or resolve a team conflict during the year.}

_{Create a digital peer learning resource (e.g. video, blog, podcast or infographic) on a topic of your choice. Reflect on how creating this resource activity enhanced your communication skills.}

_{Reflect on how you have developed your communication skills through part-time work this year.}

_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on how this experience benefited your communication and interpersonal skills this year.}

_{Download and engage with the DCU Connection and Belonging app.}

_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}

_{Attend an SS&D webinar related to communication skills.}

_{Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair and reflect on how you developed your communication skills through engagement with prospective employers.}

_{Complete a free online course to improve your communication skills e.g. presentation skills or professional etiquette.}

_{Book a session with the DCU Writing Centre.}

_{Join a DCU Club or Society e.g The Stand Society, Sustainable Living Society or Amnesty Soc.}

_{Participate in an event or initiative run by STAND.}

_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).}

_{Volunteer with Volunteer Ireland and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering).}

_{Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering).}

_{Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text.}

_{Reflect on the ways you have developed global awareness within your college community and how you have demonstrated civic engagement.}

_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional.}

_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}

_{Get involved in a Students’ Union fundraising initiative for a charity partner.}

_{Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.}

_{Attend the DCU Virtual Careers Fair.}

_{Start a social change focused campaign e.g. on sustainable living.}

_{Complete a free online course on a topic related to global engagement.}

_{Learn a new language or take an online course in ISL (Irish Sign Language).}

_{Complete a TEFL course and teach english as a second language.}

_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.}

_{Become a member of a DCU Club or Society governing committee e.g. the Club Life Committee or Society Life Committee.}

_{Become a class rep at DCU (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year).}

_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.}

_{Reflect on leadership roles or responsibilities in your life – e.g. sports, college, community, family etc.}

_{Reflect on how you have developed your leadership skills through part-time work this year.}

_{Support the DCU Student Union with an activism campaign.}

_{Lead a charity event, training workshop or social networking event for fellow students and reflect on how this developed your leadership skills.}

_{Read a book or listen to a podcast that focuses on leadership.}

_{Complete a free online course to improve your leadership skills e.g. on LinkedIn Learning.}

_{Identify an issue in your community and devise a solution to address this,such as organising a local recycling project or starting a petition.}

_{Access a wide range of resources on the DEVELOP hub on Loop, such as career podcasts, personal development podcasts, life skill resources on budgeting and time management, wellbeing resources, mental health resources, study resources and more.}

_{Complete the goal-setting exercise in the DEVELOP hub on Loop or set a learning goal and outline how you achieved it.}

_{Join a DCU Club or Society.}

_{Take up a leadership role in a DCU Club or Society e.g Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.}

_{Become a DCU class rep (some vacancies still available - an email will be sent to classes which still require a Class Representative for this year). Reflect on the learning that you took from this experience.}

_{Participate in leadership training with the DCU Student Union.}

_{Volunteer with DCU Volunteer and work with some of DCU’s fantastic charity partners (remote or distanced volunteering).}

_{Volunteer with volunteerireland.ie and sign up for a wide range of volunteering opportunities from penguin counting to graphic design (remote or distanced volunteering). Reflect on what you learned from this experience.}

_{Volunteer with StudentVolunteer.ie (remote or distanced volunteering) and reflect on what you learned from this experience.}

_{Volunteer with a recognised external organisation such as Crisis Textline who provide support for people in crisis via text and reflect on what you learned from this experience.}

_{Sign up for the DCU Career Mentorship Programme and receive mentorship from an experienced professional. Reflect on the learning you took from this opportunity.}

_{Support the DCU Students’ Union with an activism campaign.}

_{Participate in a Students’ Union workshop e.g. a Smart Consent workshop.}

_{Attend an SS&D webinar e.g. an online study skills webinar.}

_{Complete an online workshop with DCU Library.}

_{Complete a free online course to improve your skills in any area of your choice e.g. coding, mindfulness, excel formatting, french, graphic design, first aid, time management, social media marketing, nutrition, science, creative writing etc.}

_{Sign up for a free trial on LinkedIn Learning or check out free online study websites such as coursera.org, futurnlearn.com, Alison.com, open.edu and edx.com.}