Charlotte reflects on her journey from college to uni life - covering studies, societies, city life, and career plans as a Geography student at Birmingham.
I'm a third year Geography student here at the University of Birmingham and I studied at Loreto College. When I was at college, I studied Geography, Psychology, and English Literature and Language combined. I wanted to take some time to chat to you about my experiences of coming from college to university. It was a big change but hopefully some of the information I have to share will help you too!
When I was at Loreto College, I really enjoyed all three subjects and I gained a broad range of skills, from data interpretation to critical thinking. I chose to study Geography at university as I had always enjoyed the variety of the subject. I also wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career and thought Geography would open many options. As part of my degree I have been on multiple fieldtrips, visiting Rotterdam, Berlin and I’m about to travel to Tokyo.
When researching university choices, I used platforms such as UniFrog and university websites to narrow down my options. I knew I wanted to continue to study a combination of both human and physical geography. I visited some university open days and offer holder days; this was useful as it gave me a feel for what student life would be like. I loved the campus at Birmingham and could really imagine myself living and studying here.
During my time at college, I had a part-time job working in a café, this helped to improve my confidence and organisation. I was also a geography ambassador, this gave me valuable experience which helped me to become a student ambassador at university, which is a paid part-time role.
When I moved to university, I was nervous and excited, as many people are. The first week was busy with welcome events, course introductions and social events, so there was very little time to feel homesick. At university, it’s common for people to have less hours of classes than at college. This requires you to organise your time and be self-motivated. However, it also allows for flexibility, as you can do a lot of your work when it suits you.
I lived in Mason Hall in The Vale Village in my first year. It was a really nice environment and had a community feel, situated on a green space around a lake. Moving away from home meant planning my meals and learning new recipes for the first time, which I really enjoyed.
My favourite place to study on campus is the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which is the university’s very own art gallery on campus and has a small library inside. It’s a traditional-looking library with high shelves full of old books and it’s always silent, making it easy to focus. There are loads of places to study on campus, some of which are better for social study with friends.
Having lived in Manchester, I was sure I wanted to be close to a big city when I went to university. Birmingham is very similar to Manchester in many ways with events and venues. My favourite thing to do in Birmingham is to go to Digbeth where there’s a fun mini golf. I also enjoy walking to Harborne where there are lots of charity shops and lovely coffee shops. Birmingham has a huge variety of places to explore and even in my third year I am still discovering new places. It’s easy to get into the city from campus as the university has its own train station, which is just two stops away from the city centre.
I joined Kinvig Society at university, which is the geography society. I joined the netball team as part of Kinvig, we are part of a campus league where we play against other subject departments. This helped me to build strong friendships with people from my course. I have also joined the dance society, which teaches lots of different styles of dance. We put on a week-long show once a year which is an amazing experience. In my third year I have been involved in some volunteering and joined Student Action for Refugees, where I go weekly to teach English to asylum seekers.
My favourite thing to do on campus is watch the sports events on a Wednesday afternoon. Everyone has Wednesday afternoons off timetable to play sport or get involved in societies. Lots of people come along to support our teams, creating such a great atmosphere.
After I graduate, I have a place on a Master’s programme to study International Disaster Management. I want to gain a deeper understanding of the prevention of and response to conflicts and natural disasters, as I would like to work in humanitarian aid. My geography degree has provided me with strong essay-writing and critical analysis skills needed for postgraduate study.
The Careers Network at Birmingham is very useful, I have attended a 1:1 appointment to gain advice on finding internship opportunities. I have also completed The Birmingham Award which helps to boost employability and gain recognition for extra-curricular activities.
Thank you for reading, and good luck with your studies!
I am really interested in preventing natural disasters and would love to work in humanitarian aid one day.
