Actually it doesn't take too much time, course reps commit themselves to only two meetings a term, which are only about an hour long. The rest of their job is made up of communicating with the students to gain feedback, sometimes this is informal such as chatting, sometimes more formally through surveys or online polls. An hour or so a week is often enough to get a good idea of what your course mates really think.

are there many benefits?

You get to develop a lot of skills that make you ultra employable: communication skills, negotiations, collating information, identifying areas of importance, the list goes on. Not only does putting course rep on your CV look fantastic, but you also get to meet lots of interesting people on both a personal and professional level.

Additionally, the SU are looking to recognise our course reps by inviting them to an awards ceremony where the two most successful reps (one from each faculty) will be celebrated for their contributions.