Why We Said Yes

Business

Alina Ullah – Business

“Hello, I’m Alina Ullah. I am currently in my first year at Birmingham City University, studying BA (Hons) Business and Marketing. I wanted to share with you three things that I am most enthusiastic about on my course.

Since starting my course in September, I have been overwhelmed by the number of opportunities available whilst studying in the Business School. For example, one of my modules has given me the opportunity to develop my skills in Marketing, learning about how it operates within local and regional businesses.

I love how approachable academics and other staff members are across the faculty. It’s really easy to approach someone to ask for help and you will always receive the best support from them.

I also like the way that my work is assessed. Since starting in September, I’ve worked on both group and individual assignments, completed online quizzes and I’ve just starting my exam period.”

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Mohammed Irfan – Accounting and Finance

“I’m Irfan, I study BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance at Birmingham City University and I’m currently in my second year.

As an International Student, I was impressed with the facilities that the University has to offer. It really is a University that helps students stand out from the crowd when it comes to employment. I wanted to share a few things with you that I am most passionate about on my programme.

Firstly, I like the fact that my programme consists of seminars and one lecture a week. Working in small groups helps me to have that one to one time with my tutor, who are more than happy to help and answer any questions you might have.

My course has a placement year, which means after my second year, I can choose to do a paid twelve-month placement before coming back to the University to complete my third and final year. It’s a great way to put your learnings into practice, whilst developing you professionally, which will help you secure a job once you graduate.

Finally, I really like how my course provides you with opportunities to work within the University. Since I started here, I have found part-time work as a Student Ambassador, supporting with both Open Days and a Student Telemarketing campaign. I’ve also gained experience working as a Support Assistant in the University library.”

Visit the Accounting, Finance and Economics subject area page

Averil Wagoner – Business Management

“Hello, my name is Averil Wagoner. I wanted to let you know a little about my experience studying BA (Hons) Business and Management at Birmingham City University.

I can say with certainty that studying the Business programme at Birmingham City University has been one of the best choices that I have ever made. With the course being mostly seminar based, students within the faculty become more connected. When I applied for University, this stood out to me the most.I didn’t want to just sit in a lecture theatre and be taught, I wanted to engage with other people around me and be able to share ideas.

I was very surprised to learn that most of my lecturers have real industry experience, which included running their own businesses.

Studying Business and Management has provided me with some amazing opportunities, such as joining the Dean at a networking event. I’ve also worked for the School as a Student Academic Leader. The faculty always look to enhance the student experience and truly care about what the students want.

So much of my time at Birmingham City University has been filled with wonderful opportunities that it’s hard to actually pinpoint one specific moment during my three years of study. I feel that Birmingham City University has provided me with the confidence and a solid foundation to pursue my aspirations after I leave. They have believed in me and it’s helped me to believe in myself.” 

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Katie Holmden-Bollard – Marketing

“Hi, I’m Katie, I’m in my first year at Birmingham City University and I study on the BA (Hons) Marketing course.

One thing I am most enthusiastic about is how practical based the course is. We are able to apply the knowledge gained in lectures to tasks within our weekly seminars. I like how we share ideas with the rest of the group on certain tasks. For example, as part of my Design in Marketing module, we went to the Bullring shopping centre to analyse shop window designs, presenting the best and worst examples back to the class, using our design skills and knowledge previously taught.

I like how our exams are frequent throughout the year. They are very practical based which helps us to apply our knowledge better. My flatmate has exams that consist of long essay writing, so I am very pleased I escape that on my course. It’s very relieving knowing you have practical exams on your course instead!

One final thing that I like about my course, is how nice and helpful all the staff are. They invite guest speakers to come in and talk to us about a number of things, such as employability opportunities when you graduate, as well as teaching us new skills; such as using programmes like Adobe Photoshop. They also run sessions to help support you with your coursework, where they provide you with direct feedback there and then.”

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Safina Bibi – Economics

“My name is Safina Bibi. I’m a second-year student studying BA (Hons) Business and Economics at Birmingham City University.

One thing that I really like about studying at Birmingham City University, is the way my course is structured. The course has a heavy focus on seminar-based teaching, which is really good as it encourages students to actively participate in classes.  

Even though the Economics department is fairly small here, all the lecturers and academics are industry specialists and have a vast amount of experience shared between them. This has made me feel more confident in my seminars, especially when I’m learning about any new theories.

Finally, I like how there are a number of different career prospects to go into when you graduate from this course. The course opens the door for you to work in a number of different areas, such as the Public and Finance sectors, as there is a high demand for Economics graduates who possess numerical and analytical skills.”

Visit the Accounting, Finance and Economics subject area page

Law

Salma Ali - Law

“Hello, my name is Salma and I study LLB (Hons) Law at Birmingham City University. I wanted to share with you three things that I am most passionate about on my course.

The first thing I wanted to share is the how welcoming and friendly the staff are. If you have attended an Open Day, then no doubt you will have seen for yourself how helpful and approachable the people who work and study here are. I would say that Birmingham City University is different to other Universities as the staff continue to be just as approachable even when you have started your course.

They have an open door policy, where students can drop in during their office hours for any help or clarification they need and they are always there for you.

Furthermore, I like how the staff are always keen to hear what you think and will adapt the course based on students’ feedback.

Secondly, I love how the University has its own Pro Bono unit, where you can volunteer to work for an organisation to gain first-hand experience and knowledge in the Legal sector. There is such a wide range of organisations to choose from which specialise in different aspects of the law, such as family and employment law.

I really like how your modules provide you with a number of fantastic opportunities. For example, you can complete a legal work placement in America through the American Legal Practice module. It’s a great opportunity to gain valuable experience whilst contributing to your overall degree.

Finally, I like that the fact the Law school has one of the best mooting societies in the UK. When I joined the internal mooting competition in my first year, it boosted my confidence significantly. It provided me with an opportunity to develop my legal research skills to advocate with confidence in front of the judge.  I found my lecturers to be really supportive during the internal rounds prompting me with further information to help me succeed.”

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Social Sciences

Georgina Spencer – Criminology

“Hi, I’m Georgina and I study BA (Hons) Criminology at Birmingham City University.

I enjoy my course because I find it really fun and enjoyable. I enjoy the variety of modules on my course; in my first year, I completed modules in Security Studies and Policing, Investigation and Society which I found really interesting.

I like the fact that the modules are relevant to the field of work I would like to work in when I graduate. The course as a whole is contemporary and explores real situations that are happening right now.

The academics and teaching staff here are really approachable and always have your best interests at heart. They will always help you with any problems or concerns no matter how big or small they might be.”

Visit the Sociology and Criminology subject area page

Lyanne Peters – Sociology

“Hello, my name is Lyanne and I study BA (Hons) Sociology at Birmingham City University.

When I applied to go to University, I knew I wanted to study Sociology, but I wasn’t able to decide which areas I wanted to focus in. The reason I applied here to Birmingham City University, was because it provided me with the opportunity to specialise my modules in Psychology, which I thought would give me an advantage when I graduate to help me look for a job.

I love how my course has opened my eyes and has challenged my perception of things in the world. It is taught in a way where you can openly express your thoughts on world views in a safe environment, with your lecturers encouraging you to think beyond what you can see. Sociology may not be a very big subject, but it is easy to see how much relevance it has on everyday topics that we talk about with others without realising. I love how I am able to become a critical thinker, embracing other views that I may never have thought of.

I really like how I find myself becoming more involved in Birmingham. Even though I found moving here daunting at first, I’ve gained the confidence now to walk around Birmingham knowing where everything is and feeling as though I am part of this dynamic culture. I’ve integrated with many different people at the University of different cultures and ages. The support network here is incredible, as you have student peers, lecturers and opportunities to meet new people due to the number of work opportunities the University provides.”

Visit the Sociology and Criminology subject area page 

Neelum Javed – Psychology

“Hello, my name is Neelum Javed and I’m a second-year student studying BA (Hons) Psychology at Birmingham City University. I really enjoy studying here at the University and I wanted to share three things with you about what I enjoy the most about my course.

Firstly, I love how I am able to gain experience working on real psychological research projects; from the initial stage of designing a hypothesis, finding participants to use as part of the research and then being able to analyse the results to find results.

Secondly, I like how my course covers a wide range of topics, such as learning about phobias. It’s interesting to learn how they work and what causes the trigger points for someone to actually become scared of something.

Finally, Psychology itself is such a fascinating subject. I enjoy the variety of my modules as it enables to learn about many intriguing facts about the human mind and behaviour.”

Visit the Psychology subject area page