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• Bournemouth University
  
• First year accommodation
  
• Student finances
  
• Future plans
  
• Friends for life
  
• Hard work
  

Bournemouth University

By : Sarah Jewell

"I joined the horse riding society. We went on beach rides and brilliant socials"

Originally I wanted to do a degree in HR but I had a job working for Marks and Spencer and decided that actually I was more interested in getting a degree in business and retailing. My first choice was Surrey University but then I decided I'd rather go to Bournemouth, which is close to where I live and grew up, and it has a very good reputation for its degrees in retail management. My degree was very broad ranging and we looked at everything from managing people, to buying and merchandising, internet retailing and the design of stores. I absolutely loved doing it.

When I first got to Bournemouth I joined the horse riding society. It was just being set up and I got very involved with starting it up and made loads of new friends. We went out on beach rides, had lessons, went hacking in the New Forest and had brilliant socials. I also set up the Kayaking Club in my second year. The university didn't have one before I joined and I thought we needed one. A year after I set it up, it won "best club of the year". We kayak in Devon, Wales, on white water and in the sea and we do other things like team building with canoes and catapaults – we raft two canoes together and form them into catapaults and play games together. We also have brilliants socials.

Student accommodation

"Do try and get involved in a club or society"

My advice for anyone who is thinking of going to university and who wants to have a really good time socially is to move into student accommodation, especially if you live locally. I have friends who have carried on living at home with their parents and they haven't had the broad experience I've had. You need to live with other people and find out about their habits – you need to find out whether you like living with people who are dirty and never wash up!
Also, do try and get involved in a club or society, or a sporting club and try to make friends with people outside of your course. In the final year when everyone is concentrating on work, work, work you need to get away and have time off with other friends. I'd recommend talking to the students' union as they are the ones who provide the extra-curricular stuff and there are so many opportunities to get involved with activities for as much or as little time as you want. Sometimes you can just do a day volunteering here and there. But it's all good, and it does add to your CV. A degree is not enough any more you need those extra "soft skills" like leadership and team working. Don't just do degree and go out drinking, because then when you have to speak to your potential employer you won't have anything else to offer and you need to have that competitive edge.  The latest stats show that 43 per cent of young people are now going to university or college so if everyone is getting a degree, employers are looking for more. You are not competitive just by having a degree, even with a first or 2:1.

Student finances

Finances are a worry at university, but I was lucky and my parents helped me pay my rent. I coped fine, I had my student loan of £10,000 and I have an overdraft of £2,000 but a lot of students have credit card debt or take further loans. I got the minimum student loan but students have to pay tuition fees as well now. But I say, don't let that put you off. You will have to pay back your loans when you leave university so long as you are earning over the threshhold but you won't notice it going from your pay packet as it's a very small percentage of your wage.  It's just one of those things you have to put up with. You will get into debt but you can get through it and you can get plenty of part-time jobs. I wouldn't let financial worries be the deciding factor. You will either have a degree and the debt or you won't have a degree.
My advice for saving money is to take out your weekly cash and try not to go over that limit. Club together as a house or flat and do your shopping online. That way you can still pick up offers but you are not tempted to buy extras. Split bills such as internet and telephone line. Do try and set a budget and stick to it. Now I have to budget because I'm earning and I wish I'd done more budgeting before.

Future plans

When I finish my sabbatical I want to go into a training job. I am looking for a training job ideally in soft skills training in a big retail company. I am also setting up my own business to train people to get the soft skills they need that you don't get through education.

Friends for life

"The best thing about university or college are the friends you make"

The best things about university or college are the friends you make, the memories you get. I have photos of everything and fantastic memories.  You make friends for life, and I met my boyfriend here, we share so many things. You get a degree and you get the opportunity to try as many new things as you want to. And having all that free time is fantastic. I envy students now because they don't have to get up in the morning.

Hard work

It is hard work however, to get through the degree. You need to work hard, if you lose focus you have to work harder. People think it's easy for students but that's not the case, it's even harder now to get a 2:1 or a first. You can get into financial problems and there are times when you will live on tuna curry, but you learn to fend for yourself and learn your limits, and that is very valuable. When you finish you are ready to hit life running. And graduation day was fantastic, our ceremonies were so lovely, everyone was so pleased and happy and everyone was in a really good mood and the graduation ball is fantastic!