The decision to come to university was an inevitable one for me, much like a lot of people of our generation. What wasn’t inevitable were the experiences that would come from being a part of BU and all the opportunities I’ve experienced throughout the last four years. Coming to uni is so much more than specialising in a certain subject area. For me personally, it has built my confidence enormous amounts, encouraged me to be my own individual with my own passions and also taught me that although hard work can be strenuous, it can really get you places! It might sound cheesy, but without uni I wouldn’t have been able to meet so many inspiring people who have helped to build on my aspirations and goals, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience so many moments which have made me who I am.

I am now in my final year of BA (Hons) Events Management, which I chose as I have always been quite creative but also wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. The degree allowed me to choose modules throughout each year which I could pick as my interests grew and developed, perfect at our age as our interests are constantly changing! What a lot of people don’t understand when doing an Events Management degree is that it isn’t as simple as it seems! Each module has allowed me to be as creative as possible. The lecturers encourage us to not follow a particular way of answering an assignment brief, which means I can be as creative as I want. Although daunting, it has encouraged me to be innovative and start thinking outside the box.

A major factor in me picking Events Management was the placement opportunity in third year, which I have just returned back to uni from. The year developed me in so many ways, and the experiences I had were invaluable. My job role was within the marketing department of Microsoft, and although this didn’t technically relate to events, I had chosen marketing modules in my second and now final year, so the placement related to my course in many ways. My job role included organising events such as AdWeek Europe, and Cannes Lions Festival of Technology, two of the largest worldwide advertising events.  Being able to use everything I had learnt in first and second year within my experiences meant that I was ahead of the game and gave me an edge over other interns who hadn’t studied Events Management. On retuning to uni, these experiences have formed the basis of my dissertation and my selected modules, which has been great at allowing me to reflect on my year in industry.

When I leave uni, a moment I’m sure will be filled with such mixed emotions, I have been offered a role at Microsoft within their sales division. Although you might think that this isn’t related to events specifically, I believe that every aspect of business is a type of event. Having to set up from small meetings to larger conferences which display Microsoft products, will require me to use everything I have learnt within my degree. Even if we don’t all decide to work for events agencies, being able to project manage, a skill which we have all developed, is crucial within any job role. I believe the skills we have learnt through our four years are transferable to any company!

In the run up to my last few months, a daunting but exciting thought, I can safely say, my uni experiences have been some of the best yet. Aside from how much the course and placement have developed me, the friends I’ve met and the antics I’ve been a part of have created so many funny stories which I won’t be forgetting in a hurry! So make the most of BU, don’t be afraid to not follow the crowd and try something new because we’re so lucky to have these four years to try new things and really develop our passions. But most of all – have fun!

By Polly Cartwright