Going through an election process as a candidate in the Leadership Race will be, for the majority, an entirely new experience. Campaigning in front of your fellow students; raising your profile, conveying your policies and, ultimately, convincing voters that you are the best choice they can make.
It should be little surprise, therefore, that working in student politics has many parallels with that of politics at a local and even national level. So who better to talk to than the Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central himself, Tristram Hunt.
Tristram has held his constituency as part of the Labour party since the 2010 general election. After disappointments applying for the Labour candidacies of Liverpool West Derby and Leyton and Wanstead, he finally got his break in the Potteries, succeeding long-term seat holder Mark Fisher.
Now despite the fact any of the Stoke-on-Trent seats could be considered relatively 'safe' for the Labour party, Tristram still had to do his fair share of campaigning during the two most recent elections and we at the union decided his knowledge and advice would be invaluable for those running in the Leadership Race: your potential future student officers.
He began by comparing an officer's role to his own: "As a local Member of Parliament there are many similarities with being a student officer, as there are for any elective office.
"Both require engagement with your electorate, meeting voters, having a clear and appealing electoral offer; but most importantly, what unites nearly all candidates for elective office is the ambition to improve the lives of those you seek to represent.
"As a campaigner, I learnt from both of my campaigns in 2010 and 2015 that it is important to listen to what the electorate is saying, address the issues that are important to them and offer a realistic programme for achieving the pledges you stood on - combining the very important everyday issues with the overall larger vision.
"My advice to candidates would be to always present an upbeat and positive message to voters as it is important to motivate voters with optimism rather than pessimism about the future."
Tristram stressed that the best habit to retain while in any elective office, including at a students' union, is a positive attitude; a good sense of humour, patience and, although everything in the job should of course be taken seriously, "not too seriously."
Speaking of his own time at Cambridge University studying history, the MP revealed he never directly involved himself with student politics. He did however become what he calls 'an active participant' in student life, even dabbling with acting in the Cambridge Footlights alongside the likes of comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb.
"I think a full and active part in your surroundings, whether at university or elsewhere in life, are an essential prerequisite for elective office," he told us.
As former Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Tristram understandably has some interest in the system at a higher level and has written and spoken of its importance many times. He also seemed to realise the importance of elected student officers, putting it simply: "I think the representation of students by elected officers is an important part of university governance and it ensures the views of students are supported by democratic mandate."
A straightforward answer, but true nonetheless. The next generation of student officers will guarantee that the voices of our entire student population are heard and there's nothing more important than that.