Hi! My name’s Samantha and I’m a first year Events Management student at Bournemouth University.

Why did you choose BU?
I chose to study at Bournemouth because the university has many industry links within the events sector which is great for my course. The university also offers lots of opportunities for students in general to get involved with, for example study exchanges, the Global Talent Programme and work and voluntary opportunities as part of or outside of the university.
Another thing I love about Bournemouth is the place itself. There’s always something to do whether it be shopping in the town centre, exploring the many bars, cafes and restaurants, taking part in activities and events and of course the beach!

How did you hear about the scholarship?
In the summer before beginning my studies at Bournemouth, I’d been keeping track of university emails in preparation for starting as a first year student. Just a few weeks away from enrolling at university, I received an email with information of how to apply for a Subject Achievement Scholarship. I knew the university offered scholarships but didn’t think I was eligible to apply for any, so originally I didn’t do a lot of research into them. On this particular occasion I decided to click on the email link to find out more information and soon discovered I could in fact apply for the scholarship, the Management scholarship in particular, one of six Subject Achievement Scholarships which would be awarded to six first year students. If successful in applying, each recipient would be awarded a package of benefits worth £10,000, offered over the three years of their course.

How did you apply for it and how did you feel the day you found out you got the scholarship?
It was a very simple process. All I had to do was submit an application form through the university website explaining the following:

• Why I was interested in studying my course
• Evidence of commitment to my area of study through additional work experience, volunteering or community work and what I learnt from these experiences
• How the scholarship would be beneficial to my student experience
• The contribution I would make to the university if I received the award

After carefully deciding what I wanted to write in my application and once I was 100% happy with it, I submitted my application to the university and hoped for the best. About two weeks later, I received a phone call to say my application had been successful and that I’d been awarded the scholarship! I was really pleased but also quite in shock as I couldn’t believe I’d been chosen. Initially I had some doubts on whether or not to apply knowing it was going to be quite competitive, but when I saw my course was eligible and that I met each of the eligibility requirements I knew I had to try and hope for the best, and now I’m so happy I did.

How has the scholarship helped you whilst studying for your course this year?
The scholarship funding has supported me in every aspect of my time at university so far. The money received from the scholarship is loaded onto an easy to use prepaid card in instalments each month which I can use to purchase whatever I need and is so helpful. It’s wonderful to know that the university scholarship will be there to support me throughout my university degree and also when taking part in future work and voluntary experience opportunities related to my course alongside my degree.