ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú

I love learning and understanding new things about the world, and finding how they are relevant to my life, my job, or to the lives of others. I believe that if you close yourself off to learning, it makes your world smaller, so for me learning really is a lifelong thing. I like to be open to new ideas and keep my world big.ÌýÌý

It’s never too lateÌý

After finishing my A-Levels, I went to King’s College to study nursing but for a variety of reasons, I never finished my degree. Instead, I got a job as a legal secretary and as my friends started graduating one after another, I started to feel a twinge of regret. I thought to myself: I could do that; I could get a degree. But I also wanted to keep working, so ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú’s evening study model seemed like the ideal answer. I decided to study history, as ±õ’d always loved it at school, and when I found out ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú offered a BA History and Archaeology course, I thought that could add an interesting dimension to it and went for it.ÌýÌý

Investing in myselfÌý

Between starting my undergraduate degree and finishing it, I got a new job, doing operations in finance, and that’s when my interest in corporate responsibility and sustainability (CSR) first started. I was lucky enough to then get a CSR entry level role Lloyd’s, and soon my manager started talking about getting me up-skilled.ÌýI saw it as a fantastic opportunity to study again... and found myself applying to the MSc Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability course at ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú! Why not? I knew from my first degree that I could balance work and study, and how much there was to be gained through studying something that you’re passionate about.ÌýÌý

ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú provided the accountability and structure I neededÌý

I love studying, but I’m also human – when I started studying the MSc, I was a single mum, and by the time I finished, I also had a new partner and baby – so I definitely needed some accountability and structure to keep me focused on my studies, and ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú provided exactly that. The teaching model of attending lectures and seminars, of having a shared space and relationships with tutors and fellow students was really centering and motivating for me. I don’t think I could have done as well doing an Open University course, which is entirely self-guided, for example.Ìý

The importance of teachersÌý

I believe that a good teacher can teach you anything. In my undergraduate degree, I found a tutor whose teaching style and enthusiasm I really liked, and I basically signed up to everything they taught. I learned things that I never thought ±õ’d be interested in... and I learned them really well. Then, when studying for my ³¾²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s, I had a tutor who made the point that if we put in the effort, ³ó±ð’d match it. H±ð’d mirror the effort we were putting in, to support us. And he did! He went above and beyond to provide excellent learning opportunities, guidance and support - especially when things got really tight with me having Covid, being in my third trimester of pregnancy and having looming deadlines. Good teachers make such a difference, and ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú has a lot of them.ÌýÌý

Learning leads to confidenceÌý

My first degree at ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú gave me a sense of accomplishment which led to confidence. My second degree gave me specialist knowledge, which led to even more confidence. By the time I finished my master’s, my team at work had undergone some big changes, and a combination of circumstance and the completion of my degree meant I had the opportunity to lead the team. I met that opportunity with much more confidence than I would have prior to studying. I thought: ‘I now have a master’s in this, so, yes, I do know what I’m talking about, and yes, I can lead this team!’Ìý