Welcome to my ePortfolio
My name is Radomil Kessl and I come from the Czech Republic. I am studying a four-year undergraduate Philosophy degree at the University of Glasgow. Currently, I am in my third year and I am studying abroad at the University of California, Los Angeles.
I chose Philosophy because it explores general knowledge and engages with fundamental question about the meaning of life, our values, reasoning and existence. Through the enquiries into these topics, I learn how to see different perspectives and effectively evaluate opposing positions. While Philosophy teaches no practical expertise, it allows me to develop profound critical thinking and learn how to find solutions step-by-step. |
Apart from studying, I actively engage in student life at University. In first year, I became part of two societies and found a volunteer position at my student halls. In the following year, I became the leader of Glasgow University Entrepreneurship Society, where I was in charge of running the society itself and all of its events throughout the year. I was also the Events Coordinator for Adam Smith Economics Society, one of the largest societies at the University of Glasgow. In addition, I worked as a Senior Living Support Assistant at University Student Halls, where I provided support and guidance to first year students. Today, I actively engage in enhancing students' employability skills by working as a tutor of the Graduate Skills Programme at the College of Social Sciences.
This ePortfolio was created as a part of the Graduate Skills Programme - the GSP - which is an employability award from the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. The ePortfolio helps me reflect and communicate my professional skills and express my personal qualities. GSP was an opportunity for me to learn how to market the abilities I had acquired throughout my life in numerous projects and extra-curricular activities. |
Professional Summary |
Initially, I was accepted to Glasgow to study Business & Management. However, after one year, I realised that this degree did not meet my initial expectations and thus did not allow me to realise my full potential. The flexible structure of the degree allowed me to take courses in Philosophy and eventually, after achieving high grades over the course of the first two years, I was able to switch to a Philosophy major degree. In this area, I learn how to compose logical arguments, persuade others about my views, and recognise when my argument falls short, all of which enhances my communication skills. Furthermore, the design of the course places emphasis on logical reasoning and my ability to critically evaluate any sort of argument. This plays a great part in the development of my critical thinking and problem solving. In second year, I decided to make the most of my degree and planned to spend my third year abroad at one of the top universities in the world. After thorough preparation, I began the process of applying to the University of California. In what turned out to be almost a year-long endeavour, I demonstrated perseverance and ceaselessly went through rounds of applications and documents gathering and eventually got accepted to UCLA for my year abroad. I intend to make the most this opportunity by creating connections and immersing myself in the local academic and cultural environment.
Apart from pursuing an academic path, I like to take part in extra-curricular activities to make the most out of my free time which requires me to constantly investigate new opportunities. Before starting university, I started to look for ways to get involved in the student life and I was selected to be a on the board of the Entrepreneurship Society. Later on, I was elected to be the president of the society which gave me the chance to lead a group of people and organise numerous events. For example, I initiated a university-wide startup competition in collaboration with the Adam Smith Business School and the School of Computing Science, where students had the chance to compete over the course of three days to win capital to start their own company. This event required precise time-management and organisation to make sure everything went smoothly. During this time, I learned the importance of having a network of connections and friends because they helped me gather funding and invite respectable judges for the competition. Alongside the Entrepreneurship Society, I also engaged in the committee of Adam Smith Economics Society, where I worked on my collaboration skills. After I successfully organised several events and blended in with the society, I was elected to be the Events Coordinator for the upcoming year. Apart from student societies, I try to improve my international mobility by studying languages. I am fluent in Czech and English, I fully understand Slovak, I can speak French, and I recently started learning Spanish as a part of my university course. Finally, I teach myself to play the guitar and the piano which helps me unwind and simultaneously improves my patience and self-control. When I was in grammar school, my time for work was mostly limited to weekends and the summer holidays period. I researched my options found a job at a summer resort as a bartender. I kept this job for several years and eventually became the manager of the bar with responsibilities such as training and managing the staff, organising events and doing the inventory. After starting University, I became a part of a team of Living Support Assistants in student accommodation. Later, I have been promoted a Senior Assistant. In this job, together with two subordinates, I provided support and guidance to first-year students regarding wellbeing issues. It required me to stay positive and calm under any circumstances, and to show confidence and knowledge when explaining the policies and procedures to students issues arose. In order to deal with difficult situations like health emergencies or property damages, I had to show quick resourcefulness and thorough understanding of the policies in place. Throughout the two years of this job, I became more socially and ethically aware while I dealt with different problems and enquiries. In my studies I aim to focus on axiology, that is the study of ethics and aesthetics. I believe that in today's age of automatisation, the study of ethics will allow me to achieve success as a philosopher in the developing technological and automotive industry. |