Laura Simmons

How did you know that the University of Birmingham was the right choice for you?

Coming from a small, rural town in Wales I knew that I wanted to be at a campus university near a big city. After attending many open days around the UK, I found that seeing the university in person was useful. As I walked around the university campus, I was impressed by the lovely atmosphere created by the students, accompanied with the beautiful red brick buildings and Old Joe, the clocktower. I quickly felt comfortable and I could see myself studying at Birmingham.

Why did you choose to study your course?

Choosing a course was a difficult decision, due to the plethora of options available to students. I was keen to learn something new, so I picked up International Business as my major with French as a minor. Before visiting university open days, I would recommend researching which universities offer a course that is right for you. I found that chatting to professors on the open days, rather than booking onto lectures about the course far more interactive and helpful.

What is student life like for you?

In my first year I was living at Pritchatts Park in the Ashcroft Townhouses, just a 10-minute walk away from campus. I was in a flat of 12 people and was lucky enough to get on with all of them – we even went on holiday together in the Summer! I live with some of them in my second year now and enjoy spending time together, whether that’s cooking dinner or doing a pub quiz.

I have found many friends through my course and through my sports society, Lacrosse. Engaging with societies at university is important for me as I can take a step away from studying.

I have taken on a couple of roles this year, including Women’s Lacrosse captain and working as a part-time student ambassador. These have helped me to gain invaluable experience, whilst also enjoying it along the way.

I am a keen runner and on Sundays I enjoy going to ‘Girls Run Brum’, an independent all-girls society, where I feel safe running around Birmingham and chatting with lots of lovely ladies!

What's your favourite memory of university life so far?

In my first year, we all cooked a Christmas dinner together. Each of us had an element of the dinner to cook and we all got into the Christmas spirit and managed to cure our hangovers! My flatmates made a Christmas quiz, and we did a Secret Santa too. We finished the night off watching ‘Love Actually’ together. Overall, a wholesome memory that I will never forget!

What advice would you give to current or prospective students?

Do as much as possible – join sports, join societies, try out new things and say ‘yes’ to everything! This is where you will find people with similar interests, which is important if you don’t get on well with your flatmates. It’s completely normal to feel anxious but remember everyone is in the same boat. My confidence has grown so much as I didn’t know anybody coming to university which forced me to go out and make new friends. Of course, it’s important to stay on top of your work too but have fun along the way.