HALLS!

Living in halls was so interesting for me. I remember when my friends that were about to go into their second year telling me that halls were so much fun! Endearing memories for them that were quite possibly going to be heartfelt for me. So let's discuss living in Halls.

So first day of halls was super weird. There were already people in the flat that were already there when I had moved in but I wasn't aware what kind of people I would be living with or the kind of experiences I would be exposed to. But it began, I met my first flatmate of whom I adore to this day! She and I were both so nervous about living and just chatted about everything as if we had never not known each other. Our first night, we went to the Student Union to get accompanied into everything. The university lifestyle was in full swing! Then of course the two weeks of freshers which of course including the sleepless nights, and partying . The first few months were such a ball until of course we started to get really settled.

After Christmas, uni work was on its way and we of course did not know that socialising was not as important. The cleaning in the flat also went downhill. For someone with a pet hate of uncleanliness, I can honestly say that living with people that did not share the same enjoyment for a clean environment is not easy. I am also not a massive fan of being in an environment of loud noises but not everyone shared my consensus. The worst thing for me I remember was the state of the kitchen more than anything. Okay, everyone argued about dishes and what made it more difficult was that the whole flat would be held responsible during flat inspections.. We consequently had some really long arguments that consisted of blaming one another of not washing dishes, not cleaning after ourselves and so on which obviously did not help in solving anything. A few weeks of the blaming game and we then a solution was brought forward. A simple cleaning rota was proposed with the added benefit of the rota being done in pairs. Quite honestly one would assume that this would be the best thing that came out of collective arguing within our flat in regards to cleaning but it made things worse. Looking back on this particular situation, I would like to think that it was only made worse because some pairs were willing to only take on certain chores and avoid others. By avoiding chores it was usually taking the kitchen bins out. No one like doing it however it had to be done.

Another thing I feel is really important for many people to appreciate is doing their washing. Clothing that is. And appreciate clean clothes because Mother is not with you to do it for you. I did not appreciate the luxury of not doing my own washing as much as when I started to really do it myself. And as weird as it is, knowing what detergents to use is really important as well as it determines how your clothes will smell etc.  One should not doubt the power of detergent!

In conclusion what I learnt from living in halls was how much I hated living in an unclean environment. I also learnt how to enjoy my own space and appreciate space. To this day I really appreciate a really clean environment where I can think clearly and plan well. Managing a good living environment is also really important and is helpful and communication in a household too. Communication is definitely something I cherish after living in halls. Furthermore, I feel like halls are a good learning experience for everyone that goes to university. It may be a turbulent ride but it's definitely worth it.

The Big Diss!

Dissertation! It is as scary as it sounds and if not worse. I have been working persistently on my dissertation over the last couple of weeks seeing as it is due on Friday. I will quite honestly tell you that is a difficult one to get to grips with. First of all, the word count is big and secondly it was made even more difficult for me as we were given free reign over what topic we could do.  The hardest thing about dissertation is trying to balance everything else. I recently attained some freelance work which has become rather difficult to keep up with as well my dissertation and going to work as well. I must say that especially over the last couple of weeks, I have found it ever so difficult to even get sleep, but come Friday the 1st of May, I will be a partially free woman. I just need to get through this week.

The horror stories of dissertation time during third year are not completely true although if you work better under pressure like I do, you tend to like to work close to the deadline which causes more stress if you have a million and one things on the go. Writing the dissertation is one thing however researching is another thing. I have tossed and turned for months about my dissertation topic and the research I have done is extensive. I chose a topic that is something I know a vast amount about. Furthermore, it is an area I am greatly interested in and have learned a lot about over the last few weeks. The late nights have begun and the Jasmine Green Tea has started brewing excessively (not a coffee drinker). I also recently finished my internship and are looking to gain a bit more experience over the summer whilst working and doing freelance work.
I have been job hunting for paid internships however the Fashion Industry has an unbroken record of not offering too many paid internships but at least travel and expenses are covered which is really important if you live in London. I also am very much confused as to whether I would like to focus more on Styling or PR for the time being hence why I would like to intern a bit more to make my mind up about which area really appeals to me. I know that later on I will probably do both as I would eventually like to work completely freelance. Office jobs don't really appeal to me and I know I would everyday to be different. Hopefully my ideology will become an active reality sooner rather than later.

The other lurking day is Graduation. The date was emailed to me on Friday and I am actually excited. I text my parents as soon as I got the news because they will probably be more excited than I am about it. It is actually weird thinking about it about it because its coming soon. So so soon. I think I actually have mixed emotions actually which sounds contradictory but the more I think about it the more I come to realise how far I have come from my first year days through to my second year  and now towards the end of my Final Year. It's all so emotional!

Open Days

Open Days. They happen to be really great way of making that all important decision of 'Which Uni?'. Things I took into account when I was applying to universities was the distance away from home, the course itself, UCAS points and of course how the nightlife is (we know how important that is Haha). With that taken into account I of course did my research. Open days were not easy for me because at the time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. All I knew was that whatever course I wanted to do, it was something that I would enjoy. So with that in sight, my best friend and I decided to go to some universities together and weigh up our options. At that point we both had not yet applied to university but here are some things we both learned whilst at open days;

1. Logistics-  For some, being really far from home is ideal, but for others perhaps being close to home is not a bad idea. Also, when looking at logistics I tended to look at how easy it was to go home. The kind of public transport available to me and the frequency. I did not want to be in a place that did not offer easy ways of getting into University and getting home.
2. The course- My best friend was looking at doing Law. He knew he wanted to do that from the word go, I on the other hand knew that as long as the course was business related chances are I would probably enjoy the course. Every university we went to had talks about the course and the kinds of avenues you could look at after graduation. 
3. Opportunities- By opportunities,  I mean the kind of opportunities you are given or are likely to take with your course. This may be placement opportunities or such like Placement year or Internships and even the likelihood of employment after graduation which is  really important.
4. University student vibes- So this is my term for how the university feels. Most university students that I spoke to you when I was going to these open days were so enthusiastic, fun and energetic. They also gave me lots of free stuff which was cool (who doesn't like freebies) but most importantly, it was vital for me to ask about the course and how they were getting on with their course and whether they enjoyed it.
5. Nightlife- I come from a small town. I wanted to be able to go out, have a good time and enjoy whatever the University nightlife had to offer.
6. Accommodation- Every open day allows you to have a look at their accommodation on offer. They show you a range of accommodation so you are able to make decisions based on your monetary situation. It's also a good way of analysing whether you would like to live in a sociable environment or whether you would prefer to be in the comfort of oneself.

After all the above, both my best friend and I weighed up our options. We then chose our choices based on the above criterion and funnily enough we chose different ends of the country but equal distances from home. He went to university in Sheffield and I went south of Home. It worked out for the both of us and look, we have both had a fun time at University.

What have I learnt about myself?

In the video above, Susan and I will discuss what we have learnt in the last three years. This of course will include a brief overview of our pitfalls and some advice for you future students. It really has been fun. We have both learned so much.

University Nostalgia

My wonderful friend Susan has agreed to talk about her University experience with me. In the video above we will be talking about how far we have come as Uni students at the University of Bedfordshire as well as what we have enjoyed and our joint experiences. Enjoy!

Yes You Can!

Apologies for not posting in a while, I have just had the most hectic few weeks. Third year is progressing in such a haste I literally cannot believe it. So many final deadlines and on top of that I have been juggling working lots as well. It has recently occurred to me that I do not have long left at university. About a month ad half to be exact. And in that time I have to hand my dissertation, and two final hand ins. It is all coming to an end and I am quite sad about it.  Besides all that, there are  important matters to attend to which happen to concern voting.

These elections are also coming in fast and it is our duty as young people to vote for the best or what is seemingly the best for our communities. A simple yet concerning factor about elections in general is that less and less young people vote every year. I often wonder why that is seeing as we live in a society where we just about complain about everything there is to complain about although never seem to see much change? I think it's got to do with the fact that not enough young people are not being politically educated or don't care enough about the super important matters such as healthcare, education and even taxes.

There is an attitude out there that cradles the line 'it doesn't affect me yet' but in fact it does.I sadly admit that until recently, I was one of the young people who simply had no clue but was informed by one of my lecturers that I have been given a privilege which makes or breaks a country. This enlightenment also came in the form of being told to fill out a form which made me aware of what I cared about in society. For me the things I care most about include education, healthcare, taxes and foreign policies. Topics of that nature could also be something that you also care about and so I strongly urge all of you to take part in a political compass test of some form (Google political compass test, there are so many) . Stand your ground this upcoming election!

Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves

Yesterday was International Women's Day and boy is it a time to celebrate. I would like to think of myself as being a Feminist and so days like yesterday mark all things greatness within womanhood. For many years as many of you will know, women in many different countries have fought for gender equality with some sacrificing their lives in support of doing just that.The Western World has been successful in enforcing women's rights with iconic activists such as Emeline Pankhurst. For those who haven't the privilege of knowing about Emeline Pankhurst, she was the leader of the Suffragettes Movement in the early 20th century. She is one of the greatest examples of Feminism at best. We thank Emeline Pankhurst for giving females a voice and risking her life so we can be treated somewhat equally.

I highly admire women. Throughout the last century, women have gained status from simple status symbols like wearing trousers to women in politics running powerful countries like Germany. Women have definitely come a long way in Western Society however, there is still a long way to go in other societies. I am sure you all remember Malala Yousafzai. The 17 year old who stood up for educating women and consequently got shot by the Taliban for doing so. Educating women in many societies around the world is still sadly frowned upon. Women in some cultures are still seen as second to none and have no say on any matters. Malala Yousafzai is prime example of how women in such cultures are changing those cultural norms and challenging those deem themselves fit to run countries. The fact that she was shot by the Taliban for something she believed in shows that there is still much to be done in terms of educating women and more-so to be giving women a say in political matters. It is however an ongoing uphill battle however we must not forget that with great power comes great sacrifice. An education, the right to vote, the right to free will, the right to be whoever I want is a privilege. And to that I owe the women in history who have made it possible for me to have a voice!

They say 'If you educate a boy you are educating a man but if you educate a woman, you are educating a generation'.

Time is of the essence

So many of you will wonder how time is managed when you are at University. It is very much different to time management when you were going to school everyday. For starters, the timetable is so different and the best part about it is that unlike some degrees I was given some choice as to what classes I would attend and at what time. It's actually great as a lot of people have jobs outside of university alongside that people would also like to enjoy a social life.  However, as each year has progressed, time has been of the essence. It waits for no one. So in light of this fast paced reality, I have to be willing to work the extra hours in order to achieve whatever it is I am focused on. 

I would like to think that I spend a good majority of my time doing my University work but I will be honest the 'busy body' lifestyle means I have had to learn to prioritise my time as best as I know how. So my strategy for doing so is being as flexible as I can be. I try my hardest to make sure that my university work comes first as my degree is the most important aspect of my life at the moment. Everything else is after. At the moment, it is the most intense year yet. With the added pressure of dissertation, other assignments, retail work as well as trying to socialise every now and then, one does wonder why I haven't lost the plot? The fact of the matter is that it is fairly difficult balancing everything when you have lots to do however in retrospect of the last three years, when you get the balance right, everything becomes that little bit easier. 

A week in the life of Bo

A typical week for me is never the same. So the word typical doesn't really count for me. Ideally I would like my week to be filled with ease however I am always so busy. I try and utilise my time as much as I can and at time it's very difficult depending on what kind of week it is. The most difficult weeks for me are usually deadline weeks where it's all so manic and I am literally at my wits end with myself. Other weeks, it's all good. Life is great. I am smiling and of course we just get on with it.

Below is as close to a typical week as I get. It varies from week to week but this is as consistent as it gets for now.

Monday: My one day weekend. I use this day to have a 'lie in'. Catch-up on some cleaning and use the time wisely to try and plan the week as much as I can. I also use Mondays to do as much University work as I can. 

Tuesday: I am currently a Fashion Assistant at a small Fashion PR Firm in East London. Tuesdays are early starts and usually a late finish for me. 

Wednesday:Wednesday is a full university day for me. This is one day that doesn't change for me. There is always so much catch-up with lecturers. 

Thursday: Full day. It is also another packed day! On this day I start relatively early and finish late in the day. 

Friday-:Another day as a  Fashion Assistant in East London. So early start but as it is Friday it is an early finish and so such things as Friday drinks apply! FRESH FRIDAY HERE I AM.

I work in retail over the Weekends  (Oh yeah) but I am also a Freelance Fashion Stylist www.bodubestyling.4ormat.com (be sure to have a look at my website.)As I am sure you can tell, I enjoy being busy and so every aspect of my working life is important. As I am always so busy I also make priority to enjoy myself at least once a week with my friends whether it's eating out or staying in and watching movies together or better yet cooking big dinners for one another.

Oh hey..!

Hey hey there!

My name is Bo. Final Year PR Student . For those who don't quite know what PR is,(common question) it is Public Relations. The fun course of course! So as I said I am in my final year studying Public Relations, it is a fun course but it is my final year so the word "STRESS" is somewhat common. That of course does not just apply to me but does apply to many other final year students doing anything.

Enough about stresses. I will be selfish and talk a little more about myself (lol) . So naturally I am a really chatty people person and so when I was about 17 my mother told me to look into the studying of Public Relations as a degree. Very few universities in the UK actually do Public Relations as a single honours degree and one of the few Uni's happened to be the University of Bedfordshire. The University of Bedfordshire happened to be fitting for me as the Luton Campus is 30 minutes away from London, there is an airport here as well and also it's an interesting place to be.
Before I started University, I wasn't sure what Luton would be like but its a really surprising town. There is lots and lots of culture and so you are never bored of trying or seeing something out of the ordinary. For those that love to drink there are a fair amount of pubs, there's the infamous Liquid, Chicago's or Yates. If you don't go out much there's some pretty parks, a cinema, restaurants and my personal favourite is some awesome charity shops.

So what have I loved about being at uni? Uni is a real life experience. It shows you life outside the comfort zone of mum and dad without being overshadowed by the big bad world. Things most people look forward to are leaving the loving parents, the freedom of living on your own and meeting new people is usually something most people look forward to. I have experienced all the above but have had way more fun that I have expected. I have learnt so much about myself. There have been some real ups and some real downs but I would never change anything because I would have nothing to talk about otherwise and of course uni life would be boring if it was a hunky dory ride the entire way. A really important factor for me is that I have made some really good friends. It's the best part about Uni. Great friends to share your experiences with. So soppy I know however the friends I have made here are near and dear.

So I could go on forever about my experiences in this particular post but there's lots of stories to be told.

HERE ARE SOME FACTS ABOUT MYSELF.

1. I am the eldest of 4
2. I currently have 'Mermaid Hair'
3. I know a real life Luigi (like Super Mario Brothers name)
4. I love eating at Breakfast Club
5. I LOVE Netflix

9 Weeks & 4 Days (but who's counting)

Hello there everyone!

It has been a whole 9 weeks and 4 days (but who’s counting) since I started my position here at the MARC department and it is still as great as ever. If you read my first post then you would have got a little background about me, what I like and what my aspirations are. I am happy to be back and writing a second post for this blog and no doubts I will ramble on again like last time. Since we spoke last I have had quite a lot going on in terms of work around the MARC department. I am attending regular team and departmental meetings, working hard on my tasks, getting involved in new campaigns and just generally settling more into the department.

What am I currently working on? Well, in my last post I mentioned I was given the opportunity to work on a numerous of different tasks. One of which is still updating a handful of subject guides for the new academic year and students arriving end of September beginning of October (not long now). These are still being worked on, altered and re-designed; however, they should be completed considerably soon. The road has been a little bumpy with some specific subject guides but who doesn’t like a bit of a challenge right?! I can almost see the finish line and the official DEADLINE for that matter so I really need to push to get these completed. I am on leave from Wednesday 24th and return Monday 29th so ideally I need to get them completed before my leave…fingers crossed!

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).

On the theme of pictures I was actually asked to contribute and take part in the new 2014 winter campaign. This involved me attending a nifty photoshoot and answering a few questions in a video. I am extremely excited to see the final results and everything should be going live Monday 22nd of this month so keep your eyes peeled. I have refused to watch my video takes back as yet as I don’t know what to expect…did I say the right thing? Did I miss anything out? Does my hair and makeup look decent? – Such a girly thing for me to say haha. The thing is I want to start making videos to progress my personal blog and start the whole Youtube vlogging thing so ideally I really need to get it down to a T. I mean, otherwise it might be a tad tricky editing a video and uploading them. Ohh nothing is ever easy with me.

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.

A few weeks ago now I completed my Business Student blogging internship with the university. It was such a great experience to get involved in and I love how it developed into an online diary format documenting my final year at the university. It is something I can always look back on in the future and reminisce. This was actually the first year introducing the student blogs and I think there is talk in the works that they will be carrying on…yay! During a team meeting on Monday I was told that the team wanted me to help recruit and train the new student bloggers. This really excited me because blogging is a huge part of my life and being able to incorporate that into a job role seems like perfection to me. Blogging has become a huge part of my life and it is such a glorious tool that can be used throughout so many different marketing platforms…the possibilities are endless.

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!

Speak to you all soon!

Question Time!

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!

Goodbye & Thank You

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing great! Well here it is, this is going to be my final post for the business student blog. It has been an incredible year being able to merge my passion of blogging and business to create the ultimate business blog. I have loved being able to write this blog alongside my final year of studying at the university and in some sense it has almost developed into a diary that I will be able to look back on in the future.

I mentioned in my last post how I obtained the blogging position and if it wasn't for my lecturer Simon Reilly letting me know about the role I wouldn't be here today. It has been great being able to discuss business in general, some personal things and all about studying a business management degree at the University of Bedfordshire. I really hope that potential, new or even current students have stumbled across this blog and found or read something helpful that they could take away and utilise during their university experience. If I had known about the student blogs during my first year I would have loved to read advice from a student who is in my position and has gone through experiences that I will be going through also.

Looking back over my posts there have been some ups and downs but overall the past year has been amazing and I would not go back a change a single thing. So much has happened and writing this blog has opened doors for me and aided me in developing my writing skills for my personal blog. Writing this blog allowed me to obtain a summer internship at the University of Bedfordshire's MARC department and it has been amazing to be able to experience a working environment at the university rather than a student one...so much goes on behind the scenes that students would never know about. I have been working on some exciting projects and I was also asked to be part of the universities winter campaign alongside a selection of other graduates from the university. I am so looking forward to seeing what those are like and hopefully I will be able to post something on here for you all to see.

"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 and 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!"

Hopefully speak to you all soon in the future!

Reflection: Business Blogger Internship

Hello Everyone!

Like I mentioned in my previous post I am sticking around until my exit interview in a few weeks time. Blogging is a huge part of my life so I think I am trying to hold onto it as long as possible. I thought before writing my penultimate post I would reflect on my internship and writing this blog throughout the past year.

I was first introduced to the internship through a lecturer who knew of my personal blog. I kept my personal blog quite quiet until being nominated in the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards last year and then everyone seemed to know about it haha. Either way so much has happened and I am so glad that this opportunity arose for me...It was something perfect for me to do amongst my studies. After my lecturer emailed me about the internship I eagerly filled in the application form and sent it off straight away. Being Bedford campus based it was so nerve-wrecking travelling up to Luton for my interviews and induction sessions...the long car journeys were great for reflecting on everything! The process was very straight forward and staff made you feel at ease but with everything in life I did have a few butterflies in my stomach about it all. Never-the-less I did it and here I am today writing this blog for you all!

After finding out I got the internship it was such an exciting opportunity for me as it was something to do amongst my studies. I thought what better way to combine my love for blogging and business than to write the business students blog?! Don't get me wrong, there has been a few hiccups along the way as my third and final year at university has been quite stressful but I am proud of everything I have achieved. I really hope I have offered some great insight into a business students life with the inclusion of some business news in the mix for good measure. If I could turn back the clock to my first year if I had known there was a business blog I would have read it. There is no better advice than from someone who has lived through what you are about to embark on.

It doesn't seem real that 10 months have flown by, I have completed my degree, I have graduated and I am moving on to my next venture. It has been an amazing experience writing this blog alongside my degree and it has opened offered me wider knowledge based writing that differs from my personal blog and also the opportunity to work a summer internship with the university's MARC department...but I will go in more depth about this in my final post. This internships has also offered me the opportunity to widen my CV and my blogging experiences.

Speak to you soon!

Where Have I Been? - Update

Hello Everyone,

So sorry for the lack of postings the last week, I am away on vacation at the moment and whenever I go to blog the Internet turn temperamental. Never-the-less I am here now and have a new post for you all. I am coming up to the end of my internship now but I am planning on posting up until my exit interview which is the week commencing 25th August...so you are not quite finished with me yet! I thought today I would share with you a post I wrote for the MARC department. I mentioned in a previous post that I am working as a Marketing Administrator until the beginning of October so it runs through everything that is going on with the role at the moment and a little introduction to myself...perhaps a few extra facts you might not have necessarily known about me.

I am Sophia, a newly graduated BA (Hons) Business Management student from the University of Bedfordshire itself (Bedford Campus) and newbie member of the MARC department. I graduated a few weeks ago (15th July) with a 2.1 and I couldn’t be happier. To be honest it still feels so surreal to be able to say I am a graduate and I am still in the process of deciding which routes to take after university life, whether going for a master’s degree or finding my dream job. In a nutshell I am your typical girly girl with an entrepreneurial edge. I have an obsession with rose gold and I can’t get enough of red velvet cake (yum)!

I always knew I had a passion for business and here I am today trying to pursue it. I decided to study a Business Management degree because it offered me everything I was interested in learning more about. My Dad has always been in business and has worked his way up to owning his own advertising and marketing company called ‘Big Marketing Ltd’. I guess you could say I am following in my Dad’s footsteps and I would definitely agree with you there. Growing up watching my Dad gave me my own desire to work hard and succeed in everything that I do. Amongst everything else, I also work for my Dad’s company as a ‘Digital Media Assistant’ and have worked on some incredible campaigns recently with Rolls Royce and Lotus Cars. I am such a busy bee these days haha! I bet you are all wondering why I am not working with my Dad’s company full time right?! Well, here’s the thing…as much as I would love to work with my Dad full time I think I would get too comfortable and eventually lose sight of all of the other opportunities that are out there for me. My Dad worked his way up from the bottom and I intend to do so also. 

I tend to ramble a bit so let’s move swiftly on. So, last week I started my new role at the University of Bedfordshire’s MARC department as ‘Marketing Administrator’. Some of you may know that I write the Business Students blog and I found out about the role because of my internship (yay!). Everything happened quite quickly, so here I am today being part of the MARC team until October. My role consists of assisting all areas of the MARC department from the marketing, admissions, recruitment and communications teams. I feel so proud knowing I was given this opportunity so close to graduating university and I think this is a great prospect for someone like me who has an obsession with all things marketing.

As I mentioned above I am currently writing the Business Students blog for the university, if you would like to read my most recent post you can do so my clicking here. Blogging is something that has become a huge part of my life and I couldn’t see myself not doing. I have actually been writing my own personal blog for over 2 years now and I have enjoyed every second of it. I officially started my blog during the first year at university as a creative outlet for myself, so I feel it has been something that has been with me throughout my student life journey. It is your typical girly girl blog which features beauty, fashion and lifestyle posts about everything else I love in life. If you would like to take a peek at that you can do so by clicking here...I am currently going through a blog re-design so please excuse the mess :). Last year I was extremely fortunate and lucky to have been shortlisted in the Cosmopolitan Magazine Blog Awards. It I still something I cannot believe actually happened and since being nominated last year I have been working alongside a London based PR agency and have had the opportunity to collaborate with well-known brands and attend some fabulous events that are mainly based in London. Recently I found out some even more amazing news, I was actually driving home from my MARC interview when I started receiving all of these tweets saying congratulations…I was so confused! I had forgotten that the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2014 shortlist was being released that day so I couldn’t think what it could have been. Eventually, after some investigating I found out I was shortlisted again this year! I never thought in my right mind that I would be here a year later talking about being nominated for a second year in a row and let alone for two awards! To be nominated with a magazine I read regularly feels like a complete dream. To be shortlisted and going to the awards is an achievement in itself; however, if I actually won it would just be the cherry on top...I don’t know what I would do! So here is where I lay out the cheesy ‘pretty please vote more me’ line! I am nominated under ‘Best Established Beauty Blog’ and ‘Best Use of Social Media’ so if you have a spare moment I would really appreciate a little vote. Thank you in advance :)

Now more of the personals are out of the way, let’s get back into talking about my new job role. At the moment I have been given the opportunity to work on numerous different tasks. The first being to update subject guides for the ‘Business, Finance and Tourism’, ‘Law’, ‘English Language and Communication’ and ‘Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations’ courses. It has been great to dive in and find all the information to give the guides a pick me up. Alongside this I have also been given the task of collating prospectus requests from potential students and issuing them prospectuses based on their specific requests. Being an alumnus it has been great to see how everything works behind the scenes. I remember when I received my prospectuses! My most recent task has been to update the photo library, this has involved me scrolling through all images available on the internal server and updating captions, tags and deleting duplicates. This is a great task to jump between everything else…especially if you get a creative mental block. Also, it helps that I am quite an organised person and love to re-organise things!

Amongst all of the above I have also had the opportunity to help out other parts of the department. I attended two graduations last week where I helped distribute leaflets about the Jubilee Scholarship and film students for some video projects. Being in my second week of my new role I think I am slowly but surely settling in more. I attended my first team meeting this week and it was great to hear about all of the projects that are going on at the moment and what is being planned for the future. So far I have really enjoyed working with the team and on the projects I have been assigned. Going straight from a university course into a full time job has been a leap but I feel I have used so many skills that I learnt across my university journey studying my degree. Being on the other side of the table it has really opened my eyes at how much works goes into every little thing…especially the prospectuses and subject guides! I am actually off away on vacation Saturday so I am really looking forward to escaping to some sunshine. Upon my return I will be working on some of the same tasks as above, also volunteering some time at a University of Bedfordshire clearing stand with some of the MARC team and helping with clearing! August is looking pretty good!

I hope you enjoyed todays post! Speak to you all soon! 

Reflection: My Final Year of Study

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all doing well. It is that time of the week again when I come to you with a brand new blog post! My previous post was a little more personal as I gave you a sneak peek into my graduation day. To be honest it stills feels so surreal to be able to say I am a graduate! I have mentioned many times on here that I was not sure what routes to take after university, weather going for a masters or finding my dream job. Amongst everything I have still got a few exciting things in the mix and I am still trying to figure everything else out...I am only human after all. I am so glad I have the opportunity to be able to work with the amazing MARC department at the university...it is something I am rather excited about and I feel so proud to have been given an opportunity so close to graduating.

I started my new job this week at the MARC department at the University of Bedfordshire. I am actually guest posting on their marketing blog next week some time so make sure to take a peek at that to see a full break down of everything that went down last week starting my new job role. I thought I would go back to my routs today and reflect on everything that has happened over my final year of studying, what I enjoyed most, what differences I have seen in myself and what I enjoyed most about my Business Management course.

University is a funny thing because I would say I enjoyed everything but the stress and anxiety that you feel when writing your dissertation or preparing yourself for a pitch or presentation is insanely crazy. Over the course of the three years studying my course we had to do plenty of these (mind the dissertation...one was just enough for me!) and doing them so much across the years has helped me to develop my skills and gain more confidence in myself. Sometimes we doubt ourselves but we all have it in us to achieve great things if we set our minds to it. That it a definite change I have seen in myself. My Business Management course offered all aspects of a real business life perspective, from marketing, law, accounting, operations, strategy, e-business and so much more. I really enjoyed that the course offered everything I could possibly need for the future.

Amongst everything I love the fact I had the opportunity to cheer for the university...It was something I have always wanted to get involved in (I blame Bring It On the Move). First year of cheerleading will be something I will always remember, from the amazing competitions, fun training sessions and our captain was so lovely! Second year not so much to be honest...I was voted in to monitor the accounting side of the club and was taken advantage of because of my business contacts. As the only Business student on the squad I wasn't really taken seriously by the club captain and she treated me differently to everyone else which was such a shame but C'est la vie! It really opened my eyes and made me want to focus on my final year even more and move away from cheerleading at the university.

I feel I have definitely developed and grown up so much more as a individual. University has been an experience with ups and downs but I have loved every second of it. I have made some incredible friendships that I know will be life long and I am so excited about what the future might bring. My personal blog is up for two Cosmopolitan Blog Awards, I have some incredible vacations lined up this year, I am currently temping in the MARC department at the university (marketing is something I would love to work in full time), I will be overcoming some personal demands during September and so much more.

I hope you enjoyed today's post!

Speak soon!

Graduation 2014

Hello Everyone,

The last three years has been leading up to this moment and I think the last year of writing this business blog has also been leading to this moment...my Graduation! I thought I would write a post this week about my graduation and also show you a few snaps from the day. I thought I would show you some photographs of my friends and I, one with out lecturer, a family shot of myself and my parents and finally the obligatory throwing your graduation cap in the air style photo.

I can't believe I can finally say I am a Business Management BA (Hons) graduate! I had the most amazing day graduating my degree with a 2.1 and I cannot thank everyone enough for making the day as special as it was. All of the cards, flowers and gifts will be cherished forever...I felt so incredibly spoilt and special. I am feeling so proud of everything I have achieved the last three years at university and the constant support from my family and friends has been incredible! A huge thank you to my amazing parents for being there every step of the way!

Walking up on stage collecting my degree felt so surreal and I must admit I even got a bit emotional. To think I even started my personal blog officially the first year of university and to see how far it has grown today is something I still can't believe. University has opened my eyes and offered me so many amazing opportunities...the last three years have literally flown by but I am so excited for what the future holds. I would like to think that my university journey has been pretty special. I have had the opportunity to do so many things along the way...a student representative and even a cheerleader. I realise I have had some ups and downs throughout my university journey with lots of tears and stress especially with dissertation but I would change anything. So soppy right?! 

Speak to you soon!