Hannah Clutton-Brock

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As I begin the 3rd year of my History degree, making the transition into Honors study, I am taking the opportunity to reflect on how being a part of the calling team has shaped my University experience. I became a caller in the October of my first year, meaning I have spent almost all my time at University working with the calling team, and I have appreciated (nearly!) every minute of it.

Despite now crossing the boundary where I have been a Supervisor longer than I was a caller, I have had so many memorable conversations with alumni and advice that I will carry throughout University and beyond. One of my favourite questions to ask alumni was “Where was your favorite place in the city?” Most alum remember a favorite cafe, green space, or secluded spot where Edinburgh is at its most beautiful. I feel that I have a relatively short amount of time to explore everything that Edinburgh, and Scotland, have to offer and so I have made it a personal mission to tick off this lengthy list of favorite spots before I graduate! On alumni recommendation I have taken trips along the Union Canal, Deans Village and headed off further into the Scottish Highlands. As a supervisor, when reviewing what went well or what could be improved about a call with another member of the calling team, I always try to add to my list of places to explore!

One particularly memorable call that I had in my first year lasted for over 90 minutes and kept me in the call room well beyond the end of the shift! The alum recounted their incredibly interesting life story that had included many unexpected challenges and deviations from the way they had imagined their life mapping out. As someone who has always relied on having a plan and sticking to it, this call has always stuck out to me as a reminder that you can always make the best of something that doesn’t happen according to your exact plan, and that you are often better off for it. Remembering all the valuable advice from this phone call has helped me to manage all the unexpected challenges life and University have thrown at me over the last 3 years.

Hannah

November 2020