First-year BSc (Hons) Economics and Mathematics student, Audrey Coursey shares her top tips for settling in. She talks about her experiences on the course, city life, feeling supported, and getting involved with different activities.
The foundations for a future in economics
I grew up in Wimbledon in London. My mum is Spanish, and my dad is half Nigerian, half English, so I speak Spanish and Catalan and have family scattered everywhere!
I did further maths, maths, economics, and chemistry at A level. When I saw BSc (Hons) Economics and Mathematics at Bath, I realised I could combine maths and economics equally in my next steps in education. Study areas that really interested me like probability theory, which is key in quantitative finance, sit alongside different topics that are new to me, like development economics.
Another factor that drew me in was that Bath has a good reputation for placement opportunities, especially for the finance industry. That definitely swayed me, as getting a good placement early on is helpful for getting a graduate scheme or job later.
I really noticed the diversity of people when I came, and the number of international students. Where I went to school, backgrounds were all very similar; at Bath, there are people from everywhere, which makes it very comfortable for international students or those with international families. This diversity was another reason I chose Bath.
A campus where everyone feels welcomed
Aside from the course, Bath offers so many support services; like the well-being service. These services stand out on the website and are very apparent and accessible when you get here. The disability service is very responsive and hands-on.
With everything on one campus, it is easy to meet people and quickly create a community. I joined the hockey team, and the Wednesday night sports socials are great. All the different sports have their socials at the same time, and you can see what other sports clubs are doing and interact with them. It creates a big team feeling.
I did think about the benefits of a campus university versus a city university before coming here, but I didn't realise how much of a difference it would make until I arrived.
I signed up for many different societies during the freshers' fair - which is held on the Parade, a central hub on the campus.
Societies are a great way to meet people. Both the clubs I want to stick with, hockey and musical theatre, have incredible facilities are everyone is really welcoming.