Choosing to study BSc in Accounting and Management at Bath
I wanted to do a degree with a wide variety of units and with this degree, you get a mix of accounting and general management. On the management side, we get lots of units to choose from. This semester, I chose marketing, operations and project management. I’ve enjoyed the more technical side of accounting and it’s given me more direction, especially when looking for placements.
Attending an Offer Holder Day helped me make my decision. The nice thing about the applicant process at Bath is you can come to the Offer Holder Day. It’s a lot smaller than an Open Day and you can speak in more depth with student ambassadors and the Director of Studies. You can ask more specific questions.
Learning at Bath
I've enjoyed the learning experience of the BSc Accounting and Management course so far. There’s a mix of lectures, seminars and individual study, which is a nice balance. We get quite a lot of contact hours. You have support from lecturers all the time, whenever you need it. I can email my lecturers and often they will reply really quickly.
I think the learning experience is dependent on how much you study, what units you like and what A Levels you did. I'd never done economics before university, so it’s been a little bit more challenging for me, but I did a maths A Level, so analytics was slightly easier for me last year.
There's a good community here. In the first year, units focus on group work, which is good because you can meet new people. All the lecturers want to help you. They're not just going to leave you stranded. My marketing lecturer this year sat down with us all and went through anything we were struggling with. She asked us what she can do to help us individually.
Placement support
During the course, we have the Professional Development Programme. Each week, I meet with my Placements Officer and they take us through things like writing a CV and cover letter, and the job application process. I can also email my Placement Officer and book a one-to-one appointment. We’ve had people from different companies come in too, to talk to us about how to excel in their assessment centres.
Getting involved in sport
I'm a swimmer, and at Bath I have the opportunity to swim every day of the week. It's nice because it’s helped me make friends with similar outlooks in life. We've all come from a regional or national competition background, so we all know what it's been like to swim 16 hours a week when we were younger.
It can be easy in your first year to get carried away and almost do too much and then find yourself absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed. I decided to join one thing, and if it wasn’t fulfilling or if I felt I was missing something, I could build up from there.
In my first year, when I lived on campus, I’d have a lecture in the morning and another in the afternoon. I could still go swimming in the middle of the day, and I’d get to have a social life.
I’ve met two of my closest friends at university through swimming. It's also an opportunity to do exercise in a more structured environment, but without it being too intense. The sports facilities here are really good and it’s a nice break between classes.
Life in the city of Bath
I like Bath because it's quite small. I don’t have to walk miles and miles to go and see anybody or go into town. There’s more of a pub culture, which is something that I enjoy, rather than going to the club.
The campus community is supportive, it’s something I’ve noticed from the start through to now.
During Freshers’ Week, we had lots of activities in town and on campus. There was a pizza event with our Directors of Studies and our Student Experience Officers. That’s how I met my coursemates in the first week, through those smaller, more specific events. That was something I valued.
Working as a student ambassador
Working as a student ambassador gives me an extra bit of income, but it has also boosted my confidence.
At Open Days and Offer Holder Days, I speak to people who aren’t judging me, but want to make sure they make the right decision for them. They ask complex questions so I’ve had to be adaptable to different situations. It's quite daunting, because you can't plan how any of the day is going to go. Speaking to a group of people and giving a presentation is a massive confidence booster.
It’s also given me more of a network at university. I met other students at the Open Days in June and later met them in some of my units so it's nice to make those connections. You never know who you'll meet and as a student, you never stop making friends.
My advice for anyone thinking about studying at Bath
My advice for someone considering Bath is to go for it and enjoy the process. If you've been accepted by Bath then you should trust that you're good enough and clever enough. I struggle with imposter syndrome, but remember, if Bath has made you an offer, then you've already done really well. You are good enough to be here.