Lauren tells us what she loves about MSc Public Health…
When I rocked up for my first day at BU back in September, I had no idea what to expect. I knew I was ready to get back into studying, but wasn’t sure how being back in a learning environment would make me feel, what my classmates and tutors would be like, or exactly what the course would entail. As I stepped, nervous and excited, into the seminar room on my first day, I was greeted initially by that feeling of no-one-knows-each-other awkwardness, but once this had passed it soon became clear that I’d made a great decision by enrolling on this course.
My group was welcomed to the course by various staff including Gail from the admin team and Liz, our course co-ordinator. Their energetic and friendly nature made me feel at ease straight away, and the feeling of being surrounded by people who are there to help and support is definitely one of the things I like most about my course.
As well as being warm and friendly, the teaching staff are also extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their fields, and I feel privileged and inspired by the fact that I get the chance to work with and be mentored by these people. Each time I’ve needed some academic support from any of the tutors, they have been more than happy to give up their time to see me, and these meetings are always enormously helpful and reassuring.
My other favourite thing about my course is my fellow students. It’s a wonderful and diverse group of people from all over the world. We all get on like a house on fire, which of course is great, but the diversity of the group really enriches the learning experience too. Group discussion is an important element of our lessons, and the range of perspectives and experiences the group has to offer makes these discussions all the more interesting (not to mention somewhat heated at times!). I’ve enjoyed learning a little about the things my classmates are most interested in, while the course offers the freedom to really pursue my own interests in my assignments.
In summary, what’s really great about my course is the people. From the administrators, to the tutors, to the students, it’s a great bunch of people who have all made me feel valued and supported in my studies. As a part-time student, I’ve got another year to go, so I’m looking forward to getting to know yet more great people next year!
By Lauren Bishop
