What attracted you to Greenwich?

I am from East Yorkshire and I wanted to move somewhere that was far away so that I could live independently and enjoy my uni life to the fullest. I am a "Mature Student" as I have been a working adult for a few years now so I was keen to do a 2-year degree instead of the traditional 3-year degree to try and speed up the change in direction and Greenwich had an accelerated course in the field I wanted to study, it had the location of being far from home which I wanted and upon research, it seemed to fit my wants and needs, it has a good reputation, a good location and the course information was really interesting and ticked all of my boxes of what I was looking for in a university.

What makes you Proud to be GRE?

Greenwich is really involved in the students' life in a positive way. They have loads of support for students and activities for them as well. Before Covid-19 they had a petting farm event on campus as well as a dog therapy session which is absolutely amazing. For students living on campus as well, they are trying to make students aware of turning off lights and saving energy as well as encouraging students to recycle (Avery Hill Campus).

Do you have any advice for new students starting?

It can be really scary and stressful coming to a new university as there is a major difference in how you learn compared to previous education. You can feel overwhelmed which is normal. What you then need to do is take advantage of the free workshops run by the library and the mental health services. Book a workshop online and go to a drop-in session for your mental health. You must reach out to a professional because that's what they are there for. Also, join a Society through the SU, join loads of just join the Disney Society and meet other students in a relaxing environment and make people outside of your course, don't be afraid to go to events by yourself because there will always be other people by themselves there too and you can meet some amazing people that way and have a bit of fun at the same time.

What opportunities has The University of Greenwich given to you?

As a result of my course I've had the opportunity to volunteer with Brownies which are part of the Girl Guiding group. I have also attended several careers fairs. As a result, I have been able to extend my contacts which have allowed me to explore careers in different areas than I had originally thought of.

What are your future goals?

My goals have changed since starting university as there are now more opportunities available to me through my degree. When I first started on my course I wanted to go onto a Teach Direct course at a school to become a teacher. However, my goals have now changed and are more flexible as I am now planning on moving overseas to teach English as a foreign language and if I do return to the UK I will either study a master degree relating to social welfare in an international setting with the hopes of working in an overseas children's charity or continue teaching and complete a Teach Direct course. What I do know for certain is that I want to work with Children. I want to help them with a focus on their mental health but my future does not need to be decided today or tomorrow, I have the flexibility to discover what works best for me and that is the ultimate life goal: to be happy (with the choices I make).