Olivia Grant

Music Technology - BSc (Hons)

Olivia wasn’t sure about applying to university, as she was worried about being so far from home and had also been told that her grades weren’t good enough. The support she’s received from her tutors, the sense of community she feels from her fellow students and the different societies she’s joined, means she’s now a much more confident person.  

"I had been told that I wasn’t good enough for university and my grades weren’t good enough, so I was put off applying. I did think about doing an apprenticeship but found there were none available. A Head of Music at a prestigious international music school in Shanghai recommended the Music Technology course at Birmingham City University to me and that gave me the confidence to apply.

I am proud of the confidence and the independence I have gained so far during my time at BCU. It is a very supportive university and I have been privileged to benefit from the excellent support network.

I love the sense of community among students here and being a part of it. My personal tutor made himself known to me in Welcome Week and took an active interest in me and my development. When I joined societies the presidents and committee members were extremely welcoming and the support system was laid out from the start.  I have joined BCUSU Extreme Sports Team, Live Sound, Scratch Radio and Rock Society. I work for the Students’ Union in the Eagle and Ball pub and in the library as a Library Support Assistant.

I feel like my experience at BCU has been hard but completely worth it. I am really enjoying the course and have to keep that as a focus. I have grown as a person and gained more confidence in my ability, both in making friends and in my studies.  I love being part of a sense of community, the facilities are fantastic and the opportunities are endless.

BCU has provided emotional and wellbeing support for me by putting a support summary in place. Sunnah Yaqoob in CEBE has been excellent, as well as my personal tutor, the wellbeing department as a whole and my counsellor.

The most challenging thing about being a student here has been the loneliness and distance from home. I am overcoming this by staying in contact with the support network available to me at BCU, by getting a job in customer service, joining societies and staying friends with people, and going home frequently.

To me, 'I AM BCU' means being proud of the institution I am part of and having a sense of community."