This is a guest blog by April Dyer, currently studying BSc (Hons) Nutrition at Bournemouth University.

Going to university can sometimes be a daunting time, whether you go straight from sixth form, college or in later life.

I personally never thought university was for me and always ruled it out, but after many jobs that left me feeling uninspired, I applied and was accepted to Bournemouth University to study BSc (Hons) Nutrition. This will enable me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher.

From the first induction day the lecturers and other students I met were so welcoming and I instantly felt at ease. All the lecturers on the Nutrition course are extremely approachable and happy to discuss any worries you may have and help you along with assignments and exams.

I love the fact that Nutrition students have lectures and practical sessions at both the Talbot and Lansdowne campuses and I personally found this to be extremely useful. This is because when you are at the Lansdowne campus, there are many places to study, you have access to a library and you can walk into the town centre or straight down to the beach. At the Talbot campus there is an onsite bank, a large student building, many places to buy food and drink and another library. This means you have double the chance of finding the books you need. Both campuses are extremely easy to navigate around and they have some amazing facilities* such as several labs for different units such as Chemistry, Food Development and Microbiology as well as the library with lots of study spaces and computers. Each campus has different things to offer, The Fusion Building located on the Talbot Campus is always a great space to catch up with friends before a lecture and have some lunch. In the Lansdowne campus you are within walking distance to many of the halls of residence, supermarkets and restaurants. There are so many buses running between the two you can always easily get to where you need to be.

There are many great things about studying Nutrition at Bournemouth University. The course has a wide range of varied subjects to explore all aspects of Nutrition. One day you could be sitting in a lecture hall and the next, working in a food development lab or setting up microbiological plates to examine. There is a balance between lectures, practical sessions and seminars and free study time to get everything organised. There is so much support around you and the feeling everyone wants you to succeed and do the best you possibly can.

When the COVID-19 broke out in the UK, Bournemouth University was very quick to react by releasing daily updates to put students minds at rest and assure them they were doing everything possible to avoid any interruptions to learning.

The Nutrition lecturers provided an enormous amount of support on how the exams and presentations would be affected and co-ordinated new ways for them to be carried out safely while still ensuring we met the standards of the course to achieve our degree. We have already been informed how the next semester will be run to avoid anyone worrying  about this during the summer.

If you choose to study at Bournemouth University you will find fantastic facilities and specialised equipment to make studying interesting and varied and the help and support of professional and friendly people.