We spoke to Hana, who shared her university experience and how it has changed her view of success, and how professional placements in Rwanda and London have helped shape her sense of purpose.
Now entering her final year, she reflects on her time at Bath, and gaining clarity, perspective and a new sense of balance.
Finding the right place
I’m from Egypt, so coming to the UK for university felt like a big step — not just academically but in terms of independence and experience.
I wanted to study a course that would challenge me and offer practical opportunities, which is why BSc (Hons) Politics with Economics at Bath stood out. The University’s strong placement programme felt like a smart investment in my future, too.
Bringing learning into the world of work – a new flow
I’m on my professional placement now with a carbon finance company in London called Treeconomy.
The team is international and flexible, and I’ve learned how energising it is to be part of a company where everyone’s focused on building something meaningful. This year has shown me how much I value structure. The rhythm of the nine-to-five routine suits me. I like knowing how my day will look and being able to plan my time around it.
This is my second placement, because I split my Year 3 to do two placements. My first one was with DelAgua: a carbon project developer in Rwanda, which I secured through a university partnership.
It was an amazing experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to prove my independence. I think this confidence-building will help me after graduation as well.
While there, I came across Treeconomy, who were based in London and seemed like a team I’d want to learn from. I reached out directly to ask if they might consider taking on an intern, even though no role was advertised.
Fortunately, they were looking for an intern starting at exactly the right time. Everything aligned. I spoke with my Placement Officer at Bath to weigh up my options and then accepted.
That experience taught me something I’ll carry forward: take the initiative. Even if there’s no obvious opportunity, being proactive can open unexpected doors.
The placement year has been such a valuable part of my degree experience. Yes, it adds to the cost and delays graduation, but it gives you the rare opportunity to try out the real world.
I have had time and experience to find out what works for me, without juggling final year pressures. I’ve come away with a clearer sense of where I can add value, a deeper set of skills, and the confidence that I can thrive in a professional environment.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt has been to actively seek out opportunities. Even as an intern, I found that when I showed initiative, people were open to including me in meetings and letting me try new things. That mindset made the experience far richer and has also helped break the illusion that the workplace is intimidating. It’s full of people who are happy to teach and collaborate if you show genuine interest.
Over the year, I’ve worked in three very different contexts. During my placements, I worked with a carbon project developer in Rwanda and a carbon finance and tech company in London; and after that, I also experienced working with a government advisory group in Egypt, helping to launch the country’s carbon registry.
The contrast between the public and private sectors has been especially eye-opening. With the Egyptian government, I saw how policy frameworks are negotiated and built. At Treeconomy, the pace is faster, and the focus is more commercial.
At the same time, both settings are trying to tackle the same global problem from different angles. That’s been incredibly motivating.