Bristol harbourside on a sunny day. There is a blue sailboat against a backdrop of colourful houses.

Bristol is an exciting, dynamic city with lots to do and explore.

If you’re in Bristol for a short study abroad programme, exploring the city and getting involved with the student community can feel like a huge task.

Why not use the Bristol PLUS Award (the University’s employability award) to guide your time at Bristol?

The PLUS framework challenges you to take on new experiences, develop employability skills, and boosts your CV.

We caught up with PLUS Award achievers Klára Přečková and Anna Emmerich about their motivations behind undertaking the Award, and how it impacted their study abroad experience:

Klára Přečková, Study Abroad (History pathway)

“The first weeks of a foreign exchange are always daunting. I’m really glad I joined the Bristol PLUS Award as it gave me a goal to follow and forced me to go out and meet new people, which made my exchange a wonderful experience.

As a postgraduate student, the uncertainties and anxieties of finding a future job were looming over me and bringing a lot of self-doubt. The PLUS Award activities were a soft push and a useful source of motivation to sort out my CV and prepare myself for the hiring process, which has often felt very impenetrable.

Just because you are at Bristol University temporarily, for a semester or a year, does not mean you can’t participate fully! The Bristol PLUS Award is one of the most efficient ways to make the best use of your time and the university’s resources.”

Klára and a group of friends during her study abroad in Bristol. They are seated in a backyard with food and drinks. — Klára and her friends during her study abroad in Bristol

Anna Emmerich, Study Abroad (Chemistry pathway)

“The PLUS Award is an excellent introduction to University of Bristol’s wide range of extra-curricular activities and has helped me become an active part of Bristol’s student body.

(Through the PLUS Award) I tried out extra-curricular courses, got to know the Careers Service, and explored projects on internationality and sustainability at Bristol. I tailored my experiences to areas that interested me most: volunteering and attending workshops. I continued to do this after I had already completed the requirements for the PLUS Award.

I have improved my adaptability to new environments and increased my cultural awareness by getting involved in extra-curricular activities at a new, foreign university on my own. All the skills I gained will be very useful in my future career.”

Are you up for the challenge?

Activities logged towards the PLUS Award must be extra-curricular.

As a study abroad student, you can submit previous experiences from the month you started studying at your home university (including vacation periods).

Find out more about the PLUS Award’s structure and requirements through our PLUS Award guide.

To achieve the PLUS Award in 2023-24, you must:

Attend an Introductory Talk and complete a registration form by  12 noon Monday 12 February
Log your evidence and achieve by 12 noon Friday 7 June

Introductory Talks will begin from welcome week (Monday 18 September) onwards. Book your spot on mycareer.