Hello, and welcome to ‘A Day in the Life of…’
We are a group of Event Management students currently studying at the University of Plymouth. As part of our course, we have organised a campus visit for a large group of year 9 pupils from North Devon. The event aims to show what a day in the life of a university student is like. It wasn’t that long ago that we were still in school and we know that there are lots of decisions to make when you’re young, so we have created this event, with support from Next Steps South West, for our guests to explore their options, and to see what higher education is like.
Everyone’s story is different, and that’s why we’ve all come together to share ours with you below.
Gemma
“Hi my name is Gemma. My road to university was a bit different to the normal journey. After school, I went on to the sixth form college, but had to leave due to ill health. After I was better, I did an apprentice in an office doing customer service and administration where I gained an NVQ in customer service. I did this for a year and then went onto a different company. I did this for a few more years before deciding to go back into education where I studied Enterprise and Entrepreneur ship at Peter Jones Enterprise Academy. During this year I set up my own photography business, but I realised I just wanted to do photography as a hobby. I then went back to working full time for a year as I applied for university.
I decided to pick Events Management because I have always loved planning things, whether it be a Halloween party or holiday. I decided to come to the University of Plymouth because I wanted to live by the sea and the course gives you an all-around look at events, tourism and hospitality. I’ve also been able to complete certificates for the industry that other universities didn’t offer.
The things I enjoy the most about university life are meeting new people and having my own space and independence. I also enjoy working at events which has given me experience of the industry which I didn’t have before. The things I don’t enjoy are having to pay for food and budget for everything, but it is good practice for when I move out of my parents after graduation.
My advice for anyone thinking about university is do it! There is so much support if you are struggling. All the lecturers and staff want you to do well and are there to help you.”
Anna
“Hi, my name is Anna and I am also an Events Management student at the University Plymouth.
I decided to go into events management through my passion for stage management, which is a hobby of mine. I love event management as I am organised and enjoy working in a team, and have always planned small events for my friends and family. The best part of going to university is making new friends and experiencing living on your own which can be scary at first, but everyone is in the same position as you.
What’s awesome is this event the team and I have created as part of our degree. University isn’t always sitting in lectures and reading through texts books; there are so many courses you probably don’t even know exist, and one could be perfect for you.”
Lauren
“Hi my name is Lauren. I am 21 years old and am in my second year at the University of Plymouth studying Events Management.
At school I studied Drama, English Literature and Business for my A-levels. These were chosen based upon what interested me, and what I thought I’d like to do after sixth form. I applied and auditioned for drama schools and was over the moon when offered several different places.
At this time, however, I had to look at myself and decide whether I was ready to enter higher education – the realisation was that I wasn’t!
I decided to take a year out and apply again after working for a few months. This year flew by, and before I knew it I had been working full-time in the hospitality industry for 18 months. I took a look at myself again and realised that I really wanted to further my career and prospects, which resulted in me attending university open days and researching what education was available to me.
The courses I was looking at had changed due to the experience I had gained, and the personal development I had experienced over my two years out of education. I also chose to stay at home, but am now open to the prospect of moving away for any future opportunities.
University has been a great experience for me so far. It has helped me realise where I would like to go in my future career, and given me the confidence, tools and qualifications to do so. I have also made some lifelong friendships and contacts for future business.”
Niamh
“Hello my name is Niamh and I decided to go into Events Management because I have helped plan a few events in the past couple years – and I loved doing it – so I thought it would be fun to learn how to plan and manage a variety of events. This is one of the reasons why I decided to go to university, because I wanted to gain more knowledge and experience around events. I also wanted to have the chance to meet new people and experience living in a new place.”
Beth
“Hi my name is Beth and I go to the University of Plymouth studying Events Management. I haven’t always wanted to do this as a career. I originally wanted to be a midwife; however, over time, I changed my mind and decided that I wanted to go into an industry that creates all the fabulous events that I enjoy going to: festivals, concerts, theatre etc.
University has taught me so much about myself, and I have made so many great friends who I know will be friends forever. I also love living away from home. It takes me over 6 hours to travel to Plymouth, and although far away, it is like a second home to me now.”
Georgia
“Hello I’m Georgia! I am in my second year studying (Yes, you guessed it!) Events Management at the University of Plymouth. I am originally from Cornwall, but moved to Plymouth to study my degree. I chose Plymouth because it’s close to home, but far away enough from home to be independent. I was scared I wouldn’t know anyone on my course when I started, but made new friends in my first year who I now live in a shared house with. The experience so far has been amazing and I would highly recommend the university experience.”