Oliwia is a first year student studying BSc Geography.
If you are thinking about joining us in the School of Geography make sure you look into all the modules on offer to get a good understanding of the great range of things you could be studying at QMUL. Modules include both physical and human geography topics and there are plenty of them so I can guarantee that there will be many that will spark your interest.
I chose to study at QMUL mainly because of the fact that it is the only Russell Group campus university in London. The high quality teaching of a Russell Group university combined with the fact that it is confined in a campus where everything is nearby, especially in the capital city, really drew me in when I was looking at where to attend university. London is also a very diverse place and there's always something going on so you'll never be bored!
I chose Geography at QMUL because of how well it can prepare you for future careers. For example, you get to learn research methods and how to use programmes for analysing data alongside learning about geographical concepts in other modules which allows you to develop skills that you can apply in work and research. This also allows you to try things, like research, out before entering the working world so it can help you decide what pathway you might want to go down after your degree.
I enjoy the fact that there are many societies that you can join, especially subject-specific ones. Societies give you an amazing opportunity to meet friends that are interested in the same things as you are and gives you many interesting things to do aside for your university work. Subject-specific societies allow you make friends on your course which is an added bonus as you can find people to work on assignments with and ask for help if needed!
Geography helps people build up many skills in order to prepare for future careers. Some examples include research experience, mathematical skills, writing skills and adaptability. This is because when studying geography, you take a variety of modules which focus on many different aspects of geography, for example more report-focused modules or research method-focused modules. Doing a variety of modules like this ensures that you are well-equipped for all sorts of potential jobs in the future.
In my spare time I like to explore all the different parts of London. I particularly enjoy visiting Canary Wharf, which isn't far from campus, because there are many different restaurants and small parks to walk through. Plus, the collective of skyscrapers there look very cool! It feels unlike anywhere else in London because of how modern and built up it is - I think it's quite an underrated part of London personally!
I would potentially be interested in doing a Masters degree in something related to Geography after my degree. As I'm just in my first year I'm not sure what yet but I hope to find a passion in something over time!
Make sure you create a budget before going to university and stick to it! London is known to be very expensive and you may be tempted to spend money here and there when going out but it always adds up. So, to avoid any disasters, a budget is very much needed.