Hello
everyone,
I
bet you were not expecting to hear from me so soon right? Especially after
reading my goodbye and thank you post that went live a few weeks ago. Well, I
have been asked to carry on blogging for a little longer so grab a cup of tea
and sit back whilst I bring you tones of more rambles. I thought for today’s
post I would go through and answer some typical graduate questions now that I
have officially completed my degree and graduated from the university. If there is something I havent answered that you would like to know then please let me know and I will try my best to answer. Let's get straight into the questions...
The course:
Why did I choose to study my course?
Business
in general had always been a passion of mine; especially growing up in a
successful business environment I had always had my own desire to succeed. I studied Business at GCSE and A Level so
having the opportunity to extend my learning with a university degree seemed
perfect for me. Business Management covered all aspect of business which I really liked as it at the time I thought it would offer me the most versatile advantages after student life.
Why did I choose to study at the University
of Bedfordshire?
I
chose to study at the University of Bedfordshire because it offered me
everything I wanted from a university. It was close to home so I could still
work alongside my degree and I felt extremely comfortable knowing I was in an
environment I knew well. Even though I
decided to stay at home whilst completing my degree I still had a normal university
experience just like anyone else who might have been living away from home or
in halls. I joined the cheerleading society during my first and second years
studying, I went out with friends, I dived into any activities I could and
during my final year I had the opportunity to become a student representative…I
did pretty much everything!
Did you study full or part-time, and
why?
Coming
straight out of sixth form and into university I felt I was capable to study
full time. For me and my life right now full time is perfect, however,
when I was contemplating a Master’s Degree I was thinking about doing that
part-time, however, the thought of elongating my degree even more was not that
appealing to me. I would just rather go in study and graduate.
How did you juggle studying with your
work commitments?
During
studying at the university I was working a few jobs in between my studies. I
kept working during my degree not necessarily because I needed to but I enjoy
working and learning. Work always understood that I would be working part-time
and that university was a priority. Whenever I got my new timetable through for
the year we would sit down and discuss working hours, however, making sure to
leave gabp for studying.
How did you find the course fit around
other aspects of your life?
The course
fit perfectly around my life. I think with the added bonus of studying at home
it was even easier for me to still lead my normal everyday life. I started writing
my personal blog during the first year of studying as a creative outlet for
myself to ramble about everything I love in life. Business can be a heavy
subject so I loved how I had an outlet to escape too when everything got a
little too much.
What was the most challenging task you
accomplished in your degree?
As cliché
as it sounds my dissertation was the most challenging task I accomplished throughout
my degree. During my final year I got a complete mental block where I actually
couldn’t believe I was writing a dissertation…It had always been a scary
thought to me. Never-the-less I pulled through wrote my 9,900 words and
collected great primary research with a department store in London. Writing it
really pushed my boundaries but I feel if I had to do it all again I would be
more prepared. It was definitely a challenge for me; however, It has now given
me beneficial insight for my future working life.
How did the course prepare you for employment?
As I
studied a Business Management BA (Hons) degree I always knew it would be a
beneficial course for me to be able to slot into pretty much any working
environment. However, what I really loved about the course was each of the
specific units that were included; from marketing, law, accounting, operations
management, strategy and change management, small business planning and
entrepreneurship, human resource management, foundations of business management,
e-business, project management, the dissertation and so much more; each unit has
offered my knowledge and guidance that I will be able to utilise in a working
environment.
Which practical aspect of the course
did you enjoy the most, and why?
I had
the opportunity to partake in a few practical aspects throughout my course;
however, having the opportunity to plan and execute an event for our project
management unit during final year was incredible. Yes, there were plenty of stressful
times and having the university STEPS programme as our client were felt quite
pressure but never-the-less we pulled through and executed an excellent event
which the university thought was great also (always a plus). In a nutshell our
event was a BABM battle which consistent of a dragons den experience, business
quiz, SWOT analysis task and scavenger hunt. We executed our event to the first
year business management students and everyone was interactive and felt they
were learning and putting their knowledge to use with the added bonus of having
some fun. To this day our lecturer states that it was one of the best practice
weeks they have ever had on the course and they hope to keep the BABM battle
going for future students.
Which areas of study did you enjoy,
and why?
To
be honest I really did enjoy studying everything within my course as I felt I was
always learning something new and it was offering me more and more knowledge. If
I had to choose a couple of my favourite areas of study I would probably say marketing,
e-business, entrepreneurship and foundations of business management.
Why would you recommend this course to
others?
I
would recommend this course to others because it offers you everything you
would want from a business course. You study all areas of business and I felt it offered everything and more in comparison to other mor generic business courses.
The Location:
What did you think about the locations
of the University?
I
studied at the Bedford Polhill Campus as I am from Bedford so I already knew
quite a lot about the surrounding area. The location of the university is great
and you are in a great area where you can access so much.
What did you like most about living
and studying in Bedfordshire?
Already
being from Bedford I already knew what I was getting myself in for staying
local and studying at the university. I love how you have so much accessible to
you from the university and the Bedford campus is so cosy and compact.
How easy was it to travel around?
As Bedford
is located in the perfect spot it was extremely easy to travel around. If you
get the fast train you are 45 minutes away from London, a small car journey
away from Milton Keynes, Cambridge, London and more, plus if you hop on the X5
bus you can take a cheeky trip up to Oxfordshire to the Bicester Village
designer outlet.
How easy was it to get to London and other
cities?
Like
I mentioned above it was so extremely easy to travel to London and other surrounding
cities. You have the options to drive, take the bus or hop on a train.
The Teaching:
What do you think of the teaching
quality at Bedfordshire?
The teaching
quality at Bedfordshire is always second to none. The lectures and seminars
were always interactive and the lecturers were always approachable. Don’t get
me wrong there were some times when communication could have been better but
that is life and we all learned from it. We just thought of it as a real life
business situation…It was first had practice based learning!
How would you rate your lecturers?
I
had a handful of lecturers that were always approachable and easy to talk to.
How was your subject taught?
My
Business Management BA (Hons) degree was taught through a selection of
different methods. We had lectures, seminars, online classes and practice based
learning through practice weeks (these were introduced in my final year).
What did you enjoy the most about the
way your course was taught?
I
enjoyed how each lecturer would use different methods when teaching.
The Support:
What did you think of the support you received
from your lecturers?
There
was constant support from lecturers; however, sometimes you really did have to
push for it as there are so many students on your course you can sometimes
worry about constantly asking for guidance, however, at the end of the day that
is what the lecturers are there for and you should utilise that. During my
final year there was so much more support especially surrounding my dissertation.
What did you think of the support you received
from other University departments / staff?
To
be honest I never really ventured out past the business school as it was my
first priority. However, I did and currently still am working within the MARC
department at the university and I have received constant support from them
during my current job role and the student business blog. I also had the
opportunity to speak with some student union staff who were extremely helpful.
What support serviced did you make use
of?
During
my final year I and my friend Kirsty (also a student representative) had to go
to the student union asking for some guidance for some issues we were facing
within our student representative roles. A member from the students union
(Josh) was there every step of the journey and even came and sat within a few of
our student representative meetings. It was great knowing that there was a student’s
union you could go to without the lecturers really getting involved etc.
How did the company you work for
support you during your studies?
My
job roles fitted in nicely around my studying and work were constantly
supportive and accommodating to ensure that university came first.
The Facilities:
What did you think of the facilities
that you used?
The facilities
through the universities Bedford campus were great and perfect for what I needed
for my course. The Bedford campus are currently building a new block and to
know that I will never have the opportunity to utilise the facilities now I am
a graduate is quite frustrating. Every time I finished school or something in
general there would always be developments that I would never be able to use.
Dang it!
Which university services did you use
the most and why?
Through
my degree and especially during my final year the library will become your best
friend! I and my friends would set up camp in a corner of the library and just
bash out your dissertation from 9am till sometime 1am. It was great knowing
that the university has a 24 hours learning resource centre where you could
escape to write an assignment or work on the next chapter of your dissertation.
You always had plenty of books on hand to help you with the added bonus of the
online library amongst computers and other technological facilities. Even
though I always had a friend with me, there was 24 hour security on guard
constantly to ensure all students were safe.
Social Experience:
Apart from studying, what else about
the university did you enjoy? Did you join any clubs or societies, if so which
ones, and what did you enjoy most about them?
I really
enjoyed being part of a society throughout my first and second years at the
university. First year was so incredible for me, making the cheerleading team, taking
part in competitions and making new friends outside my business management
course. Second year not so much, even though I was nominated to be part of the
committee and be in charge of the accounts it just felt like the new cheerleading captain
did not like me at all. As the only business student I was made to feel like
the odd one out. Final
year I always knew I would purely focus on my studies so leaving all of that
behind was a little bitter sweet as I did enjoy it but I was glad to have no more stress and just focus on my degree. The new 2013 / 2014 captain helped the squad achieve the best they ever had so it was so nice to hear that from the sidelines. So I guess a bitter sweet social experience but
I am glad I had the opportunity to take part in something like this as I had
always wanted to do so.
What is your favourite memory of being
at the university?
I
have so many cliché answers but I would have to say graduate day! Graduation
day was just the icing on the top and the final hurdle to officially say I am a
Business Management GRADUATE! Other than that I have a lovely memory of myself
and my friends setting up a study revision session in the Bedford campus hub
area. We literally compiled loads of yummy snacks together and revised all day
long. It was great to have a study session as their is only so much you can learn from lecture / seminar slides. We always talk about it now we have finished and always say that it was
the best revision we had ever done. It was such a good idea and in the end we did receive amazing exam results. It just proves that hard work does pay off.
Employability:
What skills do you think you have learnt
as a result of your studies at the university?
I
have had the opportunity to enhance skills I already had but also gain new
knowledge and skills that would aid my future employability. To name a few, I have
enhanced my communication, team working, and time management and so on.
What are your future career
aspirations, and do you think the university has helped / is helping your to
achieve this?
I
have always been in a position where I have no idea what career path I wanted
to take or what I wanted to do after university. Advertising and marketing has
always been in my blood so I do feel strongly about that it could possibly be a
great option for me. Other than that I find myself an entrepreneur; I run my
own businesses and I also write my personal blog which has developed so much across
the past few years, especially after being nominated in the 2013 and 2014
Cosmopolitan Blog Awards. I still am unsure what I want to do but whatever it
is, it will be BIG and I am 100% sure the university has offered me insight
that has or will prepare me. Studying my Business Management course gave me
that extra push I needed to finally start some projects I had been meaning to do
for so long so I am excited for what the future might hold.
What differences have you noticed in
yourself and your skills set now you have completed your course?
I have
definitely seen a huge difference in myself when it comes down to my confidence
and self-belief.
The Funding:
Did you apply for a scholarship? If yes
please give details about which one and the amount you received. Also how easy
was it to apply?
As a
self-funding student there were not a lot of options for me to obtain
scholarships or bursaries as the majority of them were means tested. However, I
did apply and receive two scholarships in the end after filling out many
application forms and compiling proof of my A Level grades for the UCAS point
proportion.
I
applied for the ‘Academic Scholarship’ which was for a £1200 lump sum during
the first year of university. The Academic Scholarship is automatically awarded
to students who achieved academic excellence in their studies prior to entering
the University of Bedfordshire. To qualify for the scholarship you had to
achieve at least 280 UCAS points in one sitting, with at least 200 UCAS points
at A2 level. I received over 400 UCAS points so I was so pleased to qualify for
the scholarship! Since I received the scholarship it has changed slightly; I received
my £1200 in three cheque instalments throughout the year, however, now you received
£1100, the £1100 is still separated into three instalments, however, it can
only be used on an Aspire card towards books and digital resources or a direct
debit option towards accommodation, travel or childcare costs if you have any.
I also
qualified for the self-funding bursary which I believe is similar to the ‘welcome
package’ the university now offers. I am sure all students have the option to receive
this even with student finance. It is around
£300+ PA which was broken up into three instalments through each year at
university. The application process was similar to the academic scholarship in
the sense that I had a huge form to fill out as the university had no student finance
details on me.
Whenever
I tell other students about the academic scholarship they never know what it
is. It was hard work filling in to forms as the university had no student
finance records for me but it was totally worth it receiving that extra money.
How did you spend the funds to support
your studies?
If I
was to apply for the scholarships today the university offers them in a direct
way that you can only use them on your studies. Even though when I received mine
I still used them wisely and placed them safely away for emergencies. As a home
student I didn’t have many outgoings so it was nice to receive the money to put
away and save up for a rainy day or an emergency. I did however, use some of it
to pay for books every year (books are so expensive).
How did you find out about the
scholarships?
I
was just thinking about this and I actually cannot remember. I am pretty sure it
was when representatives from the university came to my upper school and
mentioned about all of the different scholarships we could apply for. IAs a
self-funding student I ventured out and did some research myself as I thought
there must be something for every student.
Miscellaneous:
Any advice for people thinking of
studying at the University of Bedfordshire?
"Life is like a moving bicycle, to keep your balance you
must keep moving"
Good
luck if you are starting a business degree this year and remember there are
going to be days where you just want to scream and possibly give up BUT there
are also going to be amazing days where perhaps you have received an amazing
grade on an assignment or have been personally selected on your academic
abilities and hard work. The three years will fly by so enjoy every second of
it and grab every opportunity that comes your way. Graduation was a day I will
NEVER forget and you won't either...relax or be yourself because you have got
this!
"Pressure is wonderful. Not only does it make popcorn and
diamonds, but it forces us to perform, deliver, and to make wonderful
things!"
How would you finish this sentence The
University of Bedfordshire is…
The
University of Bedfordshire is amazing and has offered me many incredible
opportunities.
Speak soon!
The
photo library! I have been working on the online photo library for a
few weeks now and it is slowly but surely coming together nicely. This
task has involved me scrolling though all images available on the
internal server and updating captions, tags and deleting duplicates.
This has been a great task to work on and jump in to between everything
else I am working on at the moment. I consider myself quite an organised
individual so I have really enjoyed re-organising it all (I am such a
dork). 
Now
for a task that I have completed! A few weeks ago I was told to copy
over the 2015 Undergraduate and 2015 Postgraduate prospectuses into
single file documents onto the W drive. Just like the above suggests I
went through a copied and pasted each page throughout the prospectus
into word documents and then re-formatted the layout ready for when we
start work on the new 2016 ones! I found it very therapeutic and also
very interesting as I got to obtain a full understanding of all of the
subjects we offer here at the university. 
On
the theme of Monday’s team meeting, I was told that the MARC department
wanted to elongate my contract a keep me on board a little longer than
initially planned. For a Business management graduate who only graduated
two months ago this is a great opportunity for me. Hopefully I will be
able to stay the duration the team want me, however, I did make a few
plans and commitments prior to finding out about the new contract as I
obviously thought my last day would be 3rd October…fingers crossed we
can work everything out. 
What
would be a Sophia blog post without something a little personal?! In my
last post I mentioned that my blog was nominated under two categories
in the 2014 Cosmopolitan Blog Awards.
Since writing that post the voting has now closed and we find out
results during an awards ceremony on 7th October in London. I am
extremely excited to head down, meet up with some blogging friends and
also meet a whole load of new bloggers. I am a little nervous and
anxious about it all but just to be going to the awards for me is an
achievement in itself so we will see what else the night might bring. I
am planning on bringing my nifty Canon 700D with me so I may or may not
write a little post about it all to update you guys on here or on my
student blog…eeeep! P.S my blog has had it's little makeover now so if
you fancy a little peek you can do so by clicking here. 
Overall,
it has been a great 9 weeks and I am looking forward to starting work
on some new projects...one of which will be the new 2016 prospectuses!
Rightio, I think that is everything that is going on at the moment. I
hope you enjoyed reading my rambles once again. If you have made is this
far then well done, you deserve a gold star! 
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