NCS Review

I enjoyed the whole experience a lot as it was geared towards our enjoyment and socialising with others. The week away was the best part of the experience because we were taking part in great outdoor activities throughout the whole week. The fact we were able to do this with our closest friends made it even better. I enjoy making new friends personally so the whole experience was great for me as I met so many new people.

Constantly throughout the whole camp I felt valued, during team activities the staff would always consider everyone’s point of view and they always involved everyone in everything we did. The staff were also constantly so friendly, always stopping us to have chats, which I think supported with the feeling of value as they showed a genuine interest in us.

Although they were constantly trying to guide us through the whole insight, which I think was because they were trying to promote independence and initiative, they would always provide support wherever needed. For example they always made it known that they were there to talk to if we every had an issues or needed help in general.

Throughout the insight there was an emphasis on teamwork and working with others. For example through the many group outdoor activities we took part in and also the group work we took part in when raising money. This has helped me a lot in my degree studies as you often have a lot of group work and there are skills that you must have to work well with others. These skills may include good communication, listening to others and leadership. I feel as if I developed these skills further through my experience during the insight.

The insight was very well structured. During each week on the insight we had timetables. This included the specific sessions we had on the day, when they would take place and also breaks we had during the day. Having timetables helps keep the whole insight a lot more structured as everyone knows what is taking place on the day and at what times. This means you are able to prepare more efficiently for the day ahead, as you know what to expect.

The atmosphere was great. As the company was constantly putting on activities and things for us to do to keep us entertained and busy, we were always having so much fun. This effects the atmosphere substantially because when everyone is having so much fun it keeps the mood positive. The fact that everyone became friends so quickly made the whole insight a lot more relaxed and enjoyable, this was because everyone was comfortable with eachother

During the insight we were developed a lot through workshops and different activities. We also had personal training in areas such a first aid, gaining our first aid training certificates on the insight. I feel like the company invested a lot in each of us as it really focused on building us up as people and making us more employable. For example we took part in a CV workshop, which helped us with our CVs.

As we were constantly surrounded by the staff and the fact the reps were so involved with us, allowed us to have a great insight into what it would be like to work for the company. This is because we could see in person what there job consisted of and how they were expected to behave. We were also educated about the roles in the company, as they were were interested in keeping many of us on as senior reps to help out with future NCS schemes.

The fact the company through its activities and workshops were constantly promoting teamwork, helping others, opening yourself up to new experiences and caring for others, clearly shows the type of the company they are. Unlike a lot of company’s in the world, they work to benefit others, not just themselves, investing time into everyone not just selected people.

Although this insight helped me become a lot more employable, and also developed me a lot as a person, it did not help me gain a greater understanding of where I wanted to go in life and what career path I desired. However it did help me to establish what I enjoyed doin the most, giving me some insight into what I may I want to do.

The whole experience was funded mainly by the government therefore being paid for the insight was not expected. Although we contributed around £50 to the 3 week placement, this was a small amount to compared to how much it actually cost for each individual. Therefore we were expected to provide things such as food for lunch and drinks for ourselves.

The whole experience was geared towards networking with others and improving social skills. We were constantly being put in groups with individuals we did not know so that we were constantly making new friends and socialising with others. Examples of this include sharing a dorm with people you have never met before. This took most people out of there comfort zones but saw many new friendships form.

The networking opportunities were great, we were constantly being presented with social opportunities as the company and whole scheme itself was geared towards making new friends and helping others. Examples of this include a massive music event in which we could attend for free, a week away taking part in group outdoor activities and games.

There was a lot of opportunity that was offered to us by the company, they were constantly trying to involve us in extra activities and opportunity’s outside of the insight. There were music events that we were made aware of that we could of attended, we were also offered positions as senior reps on the programme for the following yea. As we were constantly socialising with others we built many friendships, we therefore planned to meet up outside of the programme as we enjoyed each others company a lot.

Yes absolutely, it is non stop enjoyment. You create so many new friends that you then spend basically 3 full weeks with. This experience is not only very enjoyable and fun but it also stimulates your mind and gets you thinking. Specifically in the charity work where we had to come up with a strategy of raising money with little to no resources to start of with.