As part of the Chemistry Teaching Laboratories Postgraduate Demonstrator Training programme, an all day event is held annually during Week 0 of the University calendar. The afternoon of this event involves role-play sessions, where the Postgraduates have the opportunity of demonstrating to difficult/unruly students in a variety of scenarios - The intention being that when the Postgraduates come to demonstrate for real, they will already have experience of a more extreme situation than any they get confronted with.

8-10 Undergraduate volunteers are used to play the role of the "poor" students in these sessions; the commitment from these volunteers (for the day) being:

1000-1015	Briefing in the Level 4 Lab (from the Level 4 Lab Manager) and division of volunteers into pairs
1015-1115	Volunteers (with input from Lab Staff or a senior Postgraduate Demonstrator) devise a series of scenarios and behaviours to use in the role-play sessions and assign them to personnel
1115-1200	Set-up of equipment/props for role-play sessions and (if needed) practice
1200-1245	Lunch
1245-1300	Final preparations
1300-1600	Role-play Sessions: Chaired either by Lab Staff or a senior Postgraduate Demonstrator

For their efforts (to be bad students???) each Undergraduate volunteer receives an honorarium of £30. Calls for volunteers for this activity are made 1-2 weeks before the event and volunteer places are filled as calls are answered, i.e. if interested then keep an eye on your inbox in September and respond promptly.

The students were very challenging (and hilarious)! AA (PG Attendeer 2013) Although I was initially nervous about coming the training session was actually really entertaining and very enjoyable. I loved being an annoying/bad student and getting paid for it. AC (UG Volunteer 2012) It was really fun trying to make postgrads cry! SF (UG Volunteer 2012) It was an enjoyable session and the PGs were easy to work with. It gave me an opportunity to pass on what I've recently learned from the old demonstrators. LOY (UG Volunteer 2012) The scenario with a pair of students who were timetabled to work as a pair . . . whilst in the midst of a very acrimonious break-up . . . brilliant! Much sympathy as the poor out-of-their-depth PG tried to cope! (Session Chair 2010)