BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science

Rhod

I am often asked by colleagues and other student why did I want to do Paramedic Science. This is one question I am yet to actually have an answer to. This did make the interviews for the programme more difficult, as this was a question I was asked at all of them. I don’t think there is just one reason I chose this programme, and although difficult to explain I just knew it was what I wanted to do.

I began my journey in to this career path at only 10 years old when I became a cadet member at my local St. John Ambulance division. At this point I had no intention of becoming a Paramedic partly because I didn't really know what one was but more because I was really interested in cars and wanted a career as a Mechanic. As my time with St. John progressed I began to gain skills in Basic Life Support and Basic First Aid. Once I had gained these skills I was fortunate enough to be able to shadow a fellow colleague who was a Paramedic. I was allowed to attend events providing First Aid to injured or ill members of the crowd. This early clinical expose gave me a great sense of pride and achievement, and in turn I became more interested in Volunteering with St. John. Once I reached 16 I was allowed to attend motor sport events, including the stock car banger racing and the speedway motorbikes (which have NO brakes).

Now my attention was beginning to turn back to what was I going to do with my life? I no longer wanted to work as a mechanic having completed my school work experience programme. However I needed to have some focus as I was about to choose my A levels, and the pressure was on. My family wanted to become a Doctor, and I went along with this taking Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. I really did not enjoy my A levels except Maths, Biology at A level is predominantly studying plants, and Chemistry just went straight in one ear and out the other. However my family still wanted me to be a Doctor, and applying to UCAS was fast approaching.

Before I applied I decided I needed more work experience, this was a very difficult process I was only 17 at the time and most organisations would not take me on. I also found that a common issue was around patient confidentiality which would prevent me from shadowing a GP. However I gained some work experience working in my local Pharmacy, this I found gave an interesting insight in to patients living with long term complex medical conditions. My continuing development with St. John had introduced to the role of a Paramedic, and career in acute healthcare.

So I wrote my personal statement to apply to do Paramedic Science because I wanted to continue in to a career as a Paramedic. I didn't really consider my option when applying and in fact chose my universities on geographic locations. I chose Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Plymouth as I wanted to live by the sea and Greenwich because it is London based. I would not recommend this method to other applicants you should really view each university and see how the course is delivered. I was fortunate enough to get interviews at Greenwich and Plymouth, which I personally felt if I could get an interview this would be my best chance to get an offer. I arrived on the day of my interview at Plymouth, I personally did not like the campus or the programme but I was offered a place. I then attended my interview for Greenwich at the Medway campus, and immediately fell in love with the campus and the programme. Although I had an offer for Plymouth, at this point all I wanted to receive an offer for Greenwich. Then one day whilst out working for St. John an email from UCAS arrived notifying my application status had changed, this meant Greenwich had made their decision. However I was on my phone and only had limited internet access, I took me over 2 hours to log on to UCAS track, needless to say I was pretty stressed when it finally loaded. So that was it I had an offer from the University I wanted to go to, I was so happy. Only thing left, learn how to drive a van (oh and pass my exams). 

BSc (Hons) Maths, Computing and Statistics

Imrana

Hi, my name is Imrana, I just completed the first year of BSc Maths, Computing and Statistics. I really enjoyed the first year of Maths because it was a different challenge to the one I expected. I thought that I would be stuck in my room all the time, staring at Pythagoras and working out what he wrote; when in fact; we just expanded on things that we already learnt at college.

From the start of college till the end, time flew by and before I knew it, I was applying for universities and I wasn't sure if I was ready to go yet. However, I heard a lot of good things about Greenwich whilst I was at college. People told me that the lecturers were very helpful and the facilities were great. At first I was reluctant to apply but eventually it made more sense and I decided it was time to go. Not long after, we started and within the first week I realised that they were actually being serious. It was surprising to see how much help they give you with course work and tutorials. Course works were given to us months in advance, which was helpful because it gave us a lot of time to get everything right.

I knew what I was getting myself into beforehand, since I knew people that did Maths at Greenwich, including my sister. When I saw how much hard work and effort was expected in order to achieve the grades, I thought I would fail. But eventually, it became obvious that you can’t get anywhere without hard work, which I was prepared to do. And you had to stay positive, because giving up before you've even tried would guarantee failure.

A normal week in first year Maths involved four, two-hour lectures and four one-hour tutorials. We had to go in three days a week and had two group projects, both in which we had to write a report and do a presentation. Course works were generally easier than exams, simply because we had more time. However, if you did them properly, then exams would be relatively straightforward as well.

There are not many institutions that are prepared to help students as much as Greenwich. I would tell anybody to do Maths at Greenwich, because everything from the lecturers and the facilities and support that is given to students is of a very high standard. 

BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS

Adam

Hi! My name is Adam and I’m just entering my third year of Primary Education with QTS. I’ll be honest I never thought university was going to be part of my plan. I thought Greenwich would be great for me because trust me if you can teach here you can teach anywhere. Whenever I go back to my home town of Swindon I love to see the look of fear in other teachers eyes at the thought of teaching kids from South East London. In all honesty though the idea that all the schools around here are run down with awful behaviour is just plain wrong. It’s the variety of schools that you will come in contact with that really helps you to hone your teaching skills. In my first year I had a placement in Chislehurst which is one of the most affluent areas of the country and in second year my placement was in a far more deprived area. Personally I didn't find one group harder to teach that the other, each just presented their own set of challenges. During placement you really do have to work hard as you’ll be expected to begin teaching groups or even the whole class from week one. It is nerve racking to begin with but the more you teach the easier it gets. In the end even teaching music on a Friday afternoon won’t seem that bad. The endless lesson plans do take their toll during the evenings but as someone who’s tried to blag it and teach lessons on the fly, you will be found out and you will look like an idiot.

The course itself is split up just like being back in primary school with all the subjects taught separately with a few other ones thrown in for good measure. All of them very hands on. In the later years of the degree you can even specialise in your favourite subjects. The essays are hard and get a lot harder as the years go on but if you prepare properly you’ll everything you could ever need will be in the library which is only a few minutes’ walk from Avery hill campus. But be warned don’t think that handing in an A level standard piece of work will be accepted any more, the jump in standard is huge and you are left a lot more to your own devises to complete your essays. On the upside though this means that the work feels a lot more like your own personal work that reflects the effort that you've put into it.

I especially loved hearing about all the other opportunities that there are for people with this degree beyond teaching in a school. There are opportunities to be consultants in other countries and as well as in museums and observatories.

On the whole I've loved the first few years here and the bad times you learn from and the lecturers (as well as your mates) are always there to help you.

BSc (Hons) Film and TV Production

Nell

Hi. I’m Nell. Or Nellie. Or ‘The Nellster’. Or Neil. Or idiot. I have many nicknames because people are incapable these days of not using one, but I prefer being called just plain old Nell. Not the most interesting of names but hey, there’s a film with my name as the title with Liam Neeson in it, who is awesome, so that makes up for it.

So… my experience with the course. I’ll begin with how I decided to become a student at the University of Greenwich. I am obsessed with film; I am basically a living encyclopaedia when it comes to the subject. You know when you’re watching a film or television programme and you’re thinking ‘Oh who is that actor? I know his face, what has he been in?!’ I could tell you exactly what films he has been in, when they were released, what his next film is, who is he is married to, his height, his date of birth… It’s almost scary my knowledge because it would literally be with any actor/actress/director from about the 1930’s to today. Because of this, people started suggesting to me, especially my mother, that maybe I should do a degree in film? Just maybe?

Well, I was a‘late decider’. I took a gap year simply because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Towards the end of the year I quickly made the decision to actually go to university, but because I left it so late I applied to 5 universities without going to the Open Days. I got unconditionals from all of them because I already had my A levels, so off I went to go look at them. 4 of them were absolutely dire, like seriously, I was starting to panic that I wouldn’t go to university because they were all so awful… Until I went to the Greenwich Open day. Within 10 minutes of the welcome lecture I knew I was coming here, and thank goodness I did. The campus is beautiful, the TV studio is amazing and the course leaders have so much knowledge in film and TV that this degree has been a blessing for me.

The great thing about this degree is that if you don’t know exactly what route you want to go down, for example either a producer, a camera operator, a vision mixer etc., the course will actually help you to decide because you have a chance to try every role possible within film and television… and if you do know what route to go down, there are many opportunities for you to work solely within your chosen topic, such as being a camera operator for other peoples films etc.

There are a great number of choices as well; before each year you can choose what topics to complete for that year. I personally chose sound design and post production design and I thoroughly enjoyed both of those choices because they taught me how to use new computer software I had never seen before, such as Final cut pro, adobe audition etc. and now I have a far greater knowledge in film technology. In my second year I also chose to do BBC production which has been my favourite course to date. For a week we went to the BBC training programme where we created our own TV quiz show. The whole experience was amazing and I learnt so much from it… and the cafeteria has the best bread and butter pudding in the world ever. Like, ever.

So essentially, this course has a wide range of choices for you to choose from, from 3D Animation to Industry work experience and after completing this degree the world is your oyster (sorry for being corny) simply because you have the qualifications and experience needed to get into the industry, and throughout the 3 years you have opportunities to apply for work experience; I myself have worked as a camera assistant at the Olympics, worked at a radio station and was a runner at the BBC proms and there is even a man on our course who was recently a runner on the new ‘Thor’ film!

BA (Hons) Business Studies

Abbey

Hey! My name is Abbey and I have just completed my second year of BA Hons Business Studies at the University of Greenwich. During my first year of sixth form I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I finished so I decided that the best option for me would be to go to university to further my studies. The only problem was I did not know which subject to study or which university to attend. I chose to study Business Studies as this was a topic which really interested me while studying my A levels and also because of the wide range of jobs and opportunities available upon graduation. The University of Greenwich was my first choice as it is local to my house, about a 20 minute drive and also because of its beautiful surroundings.

The context of the course in the first year was very broad and covered a range of topics including business planning and development, business processes and organisational behaviour. Although you have to study five different subjects some of them are interrelated which helps when it comes writing your assignments. The lecturers and tutors are very friendly and are always happy to help when it comes to writing your assignments and studying for exams. The first year prepares you for your second two years and gives you an idea of how to handle your work load and meet deadlines on time. In your second year you study a number of new topics including project management and operations management. The second year is a lot more demanding than the first year, although there are fewer exams there are more assignments. However, some of these assignments include working within a group to create an assignment or a presentation which spreads the work load.

Now going into my third year, I had the option to choose which topics I wanted to study. I decided to choose advanced project management and international business management alongside two other compulsory topics and my dissertation. I am a little apprehensive about going into my third year of university due to the heavy workload; especially the 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of my choice. However, I know that all the hard work and dedication from the last three years will be worth it on graduation day. 

BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Psychology

Ngozi

Hey, my name is Ngozi and I've recently completed my third (and final!) year of my BSc Criminology and Criminal Psychology degree. People always say that time flies and despite being able to remember each year quite clearly, it really doesn't feel like it was all that long ago that I was stumbling about campus trying in vain to find the Stephen Lawrence building for my orientation.

It was quite dramatic for me, choosing my degree programme, because I had to explain to my careers advisor why I was so interested in studying criminals and horrific crimes without sounding like I was training to become a criminal myself. She still seemed rather dubious when I left the room so I don't think I was all that successful.

I chose Criminology and Criminal Psychology at Greenwich because it seemed to be the perfect blend of studying crime, studying criminal behavior and studying criminal thoughts and intentions. I'm a big asker of 'why's and I wanted to understand what makes people become criminals and why some appear to specialise in certain crimes and others commit a range of criminal acts.

Apart from the fundamental structure of the programme, I found myself drawn to the different modules and the freedom we were given to choose at least one elective per year. In particular, in first year, I was given the opportunity to study linguistics, a subject I had always been passionate about but had never truly pursued. It helped that all the courses seemed to have similar links and connections that made the topics easier to grasp and develop concepts around them.

The lecturers are incredibly knowledgeable so I can't stress enough how advantageous it would be to utilise that resource. Whilst the library is expansive, new concepts and ideas surrounding the fields of criminal psychology and criminology are constantly being developed so I would most definitely encourage you to subscribe to some online journals and spend some time reading through any new articles. Not only does it keep you in the loop but it gains some serious brownie points with lecturers - they remember the students who have something new to say! I really value all three years of my degree and will cherish the experiences and lessons I have learnt here.

Like most degree programmes, it primarily consists of a mixture of coursework and exams, however, individual courses may have their own assessment structure so it's best to be clear at the start of the year so can prepare. Some courses hold assessments during the year, at the end of term or at the end of the year so be sure to note down when the course begins when your assessments are likely to take place so that you don't find yourself studying like mad just before the start of Winter break!

One last piece of advice? Get a day planner! Whether you're planning on working part-time or otherwise, it's great for keeping track of lectures, tutorials, fresher's events, lecture readings, assessment deadlines or anything else. Without a doubt, having an academic diary was one of the most valuable things I had at my disposal as it provided structure to my time and let me know how to organise my days and subsequent weeks.

BA (Hons) Drama

Terry

Hey, my name is Terry and I am about to enter my third and final year of my BA Hons Drama course. I started drama when I went into year ten and picked my GCSE options, I only picked the course as an easy ride to a C+ but over time I began to really enjoy performing and learning about the art of performance. So after GCSE’s I took my BTEC in Performing Arts, which was the first time I had ever done any form of public singing and dancing which was quite scary and nerve wrecking to begin with and now I am a HUGE fan of dance, not so much singing, but I try.

When it came to picking my University degree, I didn't put much though behind it because I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to perform. As for Universities I wanted to come to Greenwich because my friend in the year above me at college had gone on to Greenwich University and I had heard so many stories about the course and what she got up to that I wanted to come here as well. Due to the fact that I had taken a gap year, I already had my grades from my college BTEC so it was just a simple Unconditional offer, which I didn't mind as it meant I didn't have to sort it out through Clearing and leave it till the last minute, I could just accept and wait for the course to start.

When I began the course I immediately fell in love with one particular course, Making Theatre, this is a compulsory course in your first year, this course taught me so much about the world of the theatre that I didn't previously know. For example I had learnt how to rig a lighting system, how to use a sound system, how to create a prompt book and so much more. What this course does is allow the first years to become the technical crew for the third year productions (usually there is 5-7 separate third year shows). I was blessed to be placed as Stage Manager for a production for Fear and Misery of the Third Reich written by Bertolt Brecht, I was even luckier that this was the one third year production to be performed at Greenwich Theatre, so not only was I Stage Manager for a well acclaimed masterpiece of a script, I was also going to be the Stage Manager for a show performed at Greenwich Theatre, not bad for a first year student. Other roles within the technical crew included light technician, sound technical, prop master, set designer, costume designer, deputy stage manager, so there are a lot of opportunities for people with different abilities and different preferences. This course turned out to be my highest scored mark in the Drama course so far, so I was very proud of my work on the show. It’s because of this course and the help I got from the director as to why I now, in my third year, would like to go on to be the director in my own third year production. Other courses available for first year students include Early Stages, another compulsory course in which you will learn about the origins of theatre starting way back from Greek Theatre and leading up to Shakespearean theatre. The other two options that I chose were Writing for Stage and Screen and Introduction to Film Making, both were quite new to me and what I was used to so once again I learnt a lot of new information.

When second year came by I was quite excited once again by the options that I had chosen and the compulsory ones. This year was quite strange when it came to picking the modules, there was one compulsory course, which was Modern Stages, this followed on from Early Stages and we looked into more modern plays such as Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and more recently Angels in America by Tony Kushner. This course was quite exciting as it gave me much more acting opportunities and the opportunity to learn more about the development of theatre over time. We then had a choice between two courses which were Physical Theatre and Applied Drama, we had to complete one of these modules as compulsory but we could then pick the other one as one of our option, this is what I chose to do. Physical Theatre was very, very fun and taught me a lot about the body and different styles of movement, as I said previously dance was something that I enjoyed a lot so Physical Theatre was a way to get me back into a movement based course. This module also resulted in a final 10-15 minute piece of physical theatre which I found was an amazing opportunity to have. With Applied Drama, we got to learn a lot more types of theatre, outside of the normal every day theatre surrounding. We learnt theatre for the Special Education Needs, Reminiscence Theatre, Theatre in Prisons, Museum Theatre and so much more. The final course I chose for my second year was Theatre Studies, this course was quite exciting as it broke down into four six-week courses, in this we learnt Eco Critical Theatre, Theatre Criticism, Plays by Women from 2000, and Revenge Tragedies, this course was quite fun as there was a lot of play reading, which I think we should be doing as Second Year degree students.

Now I am going into third year I am quite excited for the possibilities offered to me, as I said earlier I am hoping to direct a full scale third year production so all summer I have been researching plays that I would like to direct which is quite fun. The courses I am about to take in my third and final year are Other Stages and Contemporary British Theatre which are both compulsory. Other Stages is basically the weird and wonderful forms of theatre that don’t fit into either Early or Modern Stages, so I predict this course to be very fun and very strange at the same time. Contemporary British Theatre will be looking at quite recent plays from playwrights such as John Osborne, Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill, Mark Ravenhill, Laura Wade and many more. The other options I have chosen are Drama Production, in which I will (hopefully get to direct) and have a team of actors and Work Placement, where I will get to put my knowledge to the test in a 100 hour work placement.

As of yet I haven’t decided where I would like my career path or my degree to take me but I can say that there is no way that I will ever give up on performance or the theatre, I feel that I have put everything into the past seven years studying Drama/Performing Arts at GCSE level, BTEC level and now University level. So hopefully you will see me on TV or on Stage one day, who knows.

BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

Jahin

It does seem like a long time ago since I stepped into the lecture room, (the busiest you shall ever see a lecture theatre, being the first of the entire course). Our principal lecturer settles us all down and proceeds to give a summary of our next three years. I still remember the hustle and bustle to find a seat, as the room slowly fills, walking up the stairs to only see full up rows and an odd seat somewhere near the middle,  apologising in a shy manner as you make half a row get up as you awkwardly edge past them. You look around for a friendly face and all that returns are blank stares. The persons sitting on either side are engulfed in conversation somewhere, and being a socially awkward person at the time I just sat there like a penguin.  I can happily say that was only one day of awkwardness, I just happened to bump into one of my best mates to be the very next day, as we both had come late and unwillingly sat at the front of the tutorial (something you will fight for in the final year). 

Now enough reminiscing and onto the course itself, to get away from the façade being pivotal to all organisations, it is usually regarded as a dreary boring subject. That was what I thought as well; however I walked into this degree with optimism. After learning the basics, (some basics being too basic) you really get a grip of why accounting is so important. Financial accounting lays everything down in black and white, telling you how the company looks according to the numbers. It is what you would usually expect from an accountant, the bookkeeper, checking inflows and outflows of cash. Then I learnt about audit. Audit itself was probably my third favourite module of them all, like the patrol of an organisation, making sure no one is misbehaving. Audit is hard to explain even when studying as there is a considerable amount of theory to learn, but it’s one of those subjects where in the end it all clicks, and you see how everything is linked with audit, and it’s the backbone of the company. Modules such as finance are more to do with numbers, methods, formulas, stock valuations, raising finance. My two were favourite modules, management accounting and tax. The latter is self-explanatory, we all get taxed, it’s about how we get taxed, how to work out tax, and any tax returns you can get, and everything that you are legally allowed to do to pay as less tax as possible. Management accounting was my favourite for one reason. It doesn't matter how you got the answer as long as you get it. I am a problem solver, and I try to use logic rather than standard to solve something, and in management accounting it’s all about making the best of what you have, planning for the future and seeing how you can save money in the most efficient manner possible. That explanation doesn’t do it justice, in your first lecture for the module, within the first 10 minutes, the first lecture example will sum it all up in a beautiful nutshell, I promise!

This is the very first blog I have ever written so I do apologise if I go on a bit, or the course seems dreary it really isn’t. The lecturers are great, there is plenty of banter in the classes, and they are very interactive. The support you receive is always on hand, you just have to take initiative and show that you want that First! The teachers really do care about you, and you realise that come the final year, even your first year lecturers stop and ask you how it’s all going. Majority of lecturers have first-hand experience in working in the industry and really push for you to gain a placement and a job. They tell you how the theory and real life practical methods differ slightly, and the hot topics to talk about to impress interviewers.  

I’m proud to say I've graduated from University of Greenwich especially from Accounting and Finance. With my exemptions gained and a 1^st class, it has really set me up to move down the path of being chartered and getting a good job.

The parties were awesome, the people were wicked; we had some crazy stories to tell and plenty of photos for memories. Also around Greenwich we always had good food to eat (something that pleased me and my friends a lot). Although it seems far-fetched, after 5 hours in the dark realm that is the silent area of the library, you come outside reeking of the special blend that is coffee, energy drinks and cigarettes, walking through the cool breeze along the river, only to look up at the mesmerising night sky view of Canary Wharf and just telling yourself that one day you will be up there, it really is motivating to get back in the library and just carry on. 

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science

Juber

The end of an era marks the beginning of something truly amazing. It was a dream from when I was very young to have a career as a medic but due to unfortunate circumstances including my A-level results, I was not able to secure the conditional offers I held for medicine in two of London’s greatest medical schools including Kings College London and Barts and The London School of Medicine. Having lost all offers felt like living the worst nightmare ever. However, things did start to settle in once I was fortunate enough to gain a place through clearing at the University of Greenwich to read BSc H Biomedical Science.

My experience at Greenwich was truly amazing and I knew if I was to achieve the very best in this degree, I would be eligible to apply for post-graduate medicine to enable me to fulfil my dreams.

From my very first day at the University of Greenwich, I was able to make new friends and understand the course I had commenced with an aim to achieve the very best. I had met many other students within my course who had similar plans as myself having obtained a place at the university through Clearing and hence this ensured me that I was not the odd one out. We were all like a massive family with similar if not the same aspirations in life. The lecturers were great and always made time during lectures and out of lectures for us to have our questions answered whether it was personal or regarding the course. The primary involvement of lab based work intertwined within the degree programme is extremely advantageous as it enables students to gain the all vital lab experience in order to pursue a career as a Biomedical Scientist. I extremely enjoyed being set coursework and exam questions which required us to read through patient medical history in order to come to a firm decision on both a diagnosis and treatment for patients. This is very similar to what physicians have to undergo on a regular basis and hence having completed such activities has prepared me very well for my future studies.

The School of Science is located in Medway and hence students who travel from various other locations really have to visit the place to discover the advantages of studying at Medway. One of these advantages includes the fact that Medway is a quiet town which makes it an ideal location for university studies. Medway also offers students a thriving night life with numerous local night clubs including Bliss in Gillingham and the Casino rooms and Amadeus in Rochester. Just to note we are also very fortunate to have access to a state-of-the-art, award-winning £10 million Drill Hall Library which is also classed as the longest library in Europe. Student who wish to stay in London whilst studying have the advantage of using the inter-campus buses to commute from the Greenwich campus to the Medway campus and vice versa. I personally drove to Medway when I had labs/lectures and hence was glad to be able to park my car within the campus at very cheap rates.

My three years at the University of Greenwich has come to an end and I must say it flew by. I am ever so grateful to the University of Greenwich and its enquiry unit for helping me thoroughly understand what clearing was all about and helping me become aware of the choices I had available prior to gaining a place at their institution. It was definitely not the end of world but the start of something rather fun, interesting and rewarding. I have successfully completed reading BSc H Biomedical Science this academic year (July 2013) with a first class honours and will be going onto studying medicine in the future to fulfil my dreams. It is much easier for me now to not only obtain a place but secure a place at a medical school as I am an eligible candidate with the required entry qualifications taking into account my A-levels were not great. Giving up is a rather quick decision to make but for us to achieve in life we must continue to believe and work hard. In order to succeed you must build a foundation and for me the University of Greenwich has enabled me to build mine. I would like to thank all the amazing lecturers and staff who ensured all students had a great university experience whilst learning the required course specification.  

BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance

Martha

Every time I tell someone I study Accounting & Finance at university, their response is always along the lines of “OMG”, “Wow that must be tricky”, “ How do you do it?”, “What else can you do with that apart from become an Accountant?”. The list is endless LOL. Personally, I find it quite amusing that I am faced with these kinds of questions because my course fits perfectly well with me.

I chose my course purely because I love Maths and Economics. While I was studying for my GCSE’s I really enjoyed Maths and Business classes, from there I went onto study A-level Economics and I realised that I am quite good at it in comparison to the other subjects I studied. Once I got to university and became familiar with the course content and I realised this is very similar if not the same as what I studied at A-level. Some people prefer to finish their Level 3 Qualifications (A-levels, BTECs, IBs etc.) and start a whole different subject at Degree level. However, for me I feel like this was the best way forward which is mainly the reason why I managed to get a First in my first year.

The course content within first year consists of the following courses:

Personal and Professional Development which is a mandatory course taken by all if not most students in the Business school. It is only taught in term one and term two we had various assessments to complete which were explained clearly online.

Introduction to Financial Accounting which is basically how companies prepare their annual reports, how they are structured and how they keep record of transactions made in the business. They also give you different formats for different types of businesses i.e. sole traders and public or private limited companies. This includes quite a bit of maths and calculations.

Management Accounting and Business Ethics in Organisations. This module has two sections, the Management/ Cost accounting side and the Ethics in Organisations side. Right, now if we start with the management accounting side of this module, this looks at budgets for different departments within a business and how they can use various methods to ensure they have budgeted for the goods or services provided by the business. This also includes maths and quite a lot of calculations so it’s best to be prepared. Now, the Business Ethics in organisations part of the module can be nick named ‘common sense’. This part purely consists of behaviour in the workplace and how to behave ethical at all times in the work environment. It also involved learning different theories of management styles and applying those theories to various case studies in order to answer questions on the case study. This part includes barely any calculations at all. At the beginning of my first year I was quite sceptical about this whole module and I assumed I would find it very challenging however this was the module which came above all my other module in that I got 80% for this overall. So I would say don’t worry yourself too much. Towards exam time lecturers make sure we have all the information we need before doing the exams, particularly for this module.

Quantitative Analysis & Systems.  Now this was the most fun course of them all. Essays? - None, Reports and projects? -  One or Two, Calculations & Maths Questions?  -  Lots. If you have studied A-Level maths, with a bit of extra practice and effort in Lectures and tutorials this will be your best friend. Oh yes!  And if you love Maths like me of course. It includes the following topics you may all be familiar of: Algebra, Normal Distribution, Probability, Percentages and Time Value of money etc. It is really straight forward; particularly in tutorials the one to one support is always available when needed.

Then we have Business & Financial Environment which is basically A-level Economics.  Again there are two parts, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. This in involves all the current issues in the economy, different economic theories and structures and how they may affect individuals and firms, or a whole sector/ industry.

Now just to wrap-up and make sure you aren't worried about any of the information I have provided you with. There is PLENTY of help available from Lectures and the course leader for this course. You can contact them anytime via email and they all get back to you as soon as possible. You can also make appointments to see lecturers and your personal tutor who helps you with and queries you have in and around the course and also other personal issues if you need help or advice.

If you are what I call a “Go Getter” there are various opportunities in the university and in the business school that you can enquire about. Apart from doing my degree at the university I also work as a Student ambassador where I visit schools and offer support for students who wish to study at university. I also work for the Enquiry Unit so some of you reading this may have spoken to me or someone on the team about coming into the university. There are also other options of helping out at university Open Days etc. Working in campus shops, the list is endless.

Oh yes and the two GREEEAAAT things about this course are that there is no dissertation in the third year so hopefully the stress is minimal and also if you go on to do the ACA Qualification there a quite a few exemptions from the papers providing you have passed the relevant modules.

That’s all from me now, hopefully you hear from me soon.

Martha :D  

BSc (Hons) Psychology

Gavin

Hi! I’m Gavin, and I have just finished my first year of my degree, a BSc in Psychology.

I can remember my GCSE results day. I remember getting to school, picking up my results and thinking ‘great! I got the grades I wanted. Now what do I do?’. I had absolutely no idea what A levels I wanted to do, which degree I would end up on, or what I wanted to be when I ‘grew up’. So out into the world of work I went. Administration, bar work, and mountains of voluntary work later, I ended up volunteering for a charity that offered a counselling service, and that set my degree choice in stone. Seeing people come in week by week, and seeing how they developed over time really set off my interest in psychology, and I’m thankful that I ended up volunteering there when I did.

Naturally, my lack of A-levels proved to be an issue when trying to get onto a degree, so I started looking into colleges in my area. I settled on working toward an Access to Higher Education Diploma, a qualification designed for people that have been out of education for a while and want to get into university – honestly it was one of the best things I've ever done. It really prepared me for what university study would be like, covering everything from referencing to making a well informed choice for university. As my course mates and I had been out of education for a while, we all wanted the best for each other, we studied together, and we all keep in touch now even though we are all scattered about the country.

My first year modules were ‘Introduction to Psychology’, ‘Academic and Personal Development’ ‘Research Methods and Statistics’ and my elective module ‘Introduction to Counselling’ – all of which sound much scarier than they actually are. As maths isn't my strongest subjects I was worried about having to do statistics as part of my degree, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. The tutor was really understanding, and went through things step by step in our seminars, which really helped us settle in to the idea of using mathematics as part of our degree. Don’t underestimate how useful coursework can be in Statistics though. If you aren't great in exams (like me) you can still do really well in this module, and the others.

Academic and Personal development was the most useful unit to me. We covered referencing, writing reports, and other skills that are needed for this degree. Honestly it was much more fun than I thought it would be by the course description – Our tutors for this were amazing, they helped keep it lively and relevant to what we were studying in other modules. My personal tutor was also incredibly helpful for APD, along with many other things. She really went out of her way to help anyone who asked her, as long as we were putting in the effort to learn.

University is not all work and no play though. There was so much to do during the first few weeks of term, from themed nights at the Students’ Union, to movie nights with societies. There literally was something for everyone, and nobody had time to worry about settling or making friends; it all just came naturally. By the time I started thinking about meeting people I already had a group that were pretty much like a little family, and it is amazing how quickly that happened.

Starting at university a couple of years later did me the world of good. It meant I was sure of the degree subject I wanted to study, and where I wanted to study it. To be honest I wouldn't change a thing about it. Bring on Year two!

BA (Hons) Primary Education

Emily

I've wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. (Well, apart from when I went through a brief period around the age of 11 of wanting to be a paramedic or a marine biologist. Fears of seaweed and needles soon put a stop to those ambitions). My brother is 10 years younger than me and  trust me, trying to persuade a nine year old boy to stop playing on the PlayStation and sit down to do his homework is not the easiest thing in the world. I really enjoyed having to come up with creative and fun ways to present his homework to him, and that’s what revived my dream of being a teacher.

So now I find myself about to start my second year at the University of Greenwich studying Primary Education. My first year has flown by in a flurry of rocket balloons, hilarious dance lessons and a lot of nursery rhymes. I still remember how nervous I was on my first day, but everybody was so welcoming the nerves didn't last long. We spent our first week, or ‘Induction Week’ as they call it, playing games and getting to know everyone in our classes. We even had guitar lessons at one point! Then the hard work began and we were set our first essay about the value of outdoor learning. I was quite surprised at the difference between the requirements of University level essays and A-level essays, and if there is one piece of advice I can give you it would be to read as many books as possible in preparation for your essays. Trekking across campus with so many books you feel like your back could give out at any moment may not seem very appealing now, but the more evidence you have to back up your arguments, the better your essay will be.

In a way, our timetable is similar to that of a pupil going to primary school. During the first year, we had lessons in PE, English, science and maths. The lessons are very interactive and hands-on – in science, we had to create our own rocket balloons whilst in English we had to perform poetry to each other. This hands-on approach really helps give a solid foundation for your essays, and the tutors are always willing to offer help and advice.

All of this of course was building up to our first block placement – a period of 5 weeks spent in a school with you gradually taking on more and more responsibility within the class. I was placed in a nursery school, something I was initially extremely nervous about as I had always wanted to teach key stage two, but I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding and enjoyable first placement. I was surprised by my own confidence, something which will definitely develop during your first year here! At the start of the year, even the thought of standing in front of a group of people and speaking was enough to get my nerves going – by the end of my placement I was quite happy standing up in front of a class of 25 children and singing! (I’m not quite sure the children enjoyed my singing as much..)

I have loved my first year, and can’t wait to begin my second. If you’re thinking about studying Primary Teaching then go for it, no day is the same. At times it can be hard work, but if you put enough effort in, it’s definitely worth it. 

BA (Hons) Drama

Eleanor

Drama is a very different degree experience compared to most others and it attracts a certain kind of academic. During my first year I took a sociology module to make up my final 30 credits as it was a subject I've always been interested in. From this experience I learnt a great deal about the sociological behaviours comparative between performance students and academic students. In my opinion, the best thing about my course is the outgoing, confident and friendly people I can call my fellow peers. Drama involves a great deal of group work which means that each year very quickly becomes somewhat like a family unit. There is also a big involvement between the academic years as first and third years always work together on final productions and it is practice that we all attend each other’s public performances in support. This means that lecture environments are somewhat different from the norm – not just because their held in a theatre space rather than a lecture hall – but also because of the general chitter-chatter and banter that goes on between students (and also with our lecturers who can’t resist joining in.)

Now onto the information that actually gains me my qualification. We study different periods of theatre throughout the ages starting in first year with early stages (Greek theatre etc). In the second year we then progress onto modern stages exploring plays from the mid-19^th century onwards ranging from A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen to A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney. Also in second year Physical Theatre becomes a module option which is an exploration of a number of different practitioners and techniques such as Meyerhold, Artaud, LeCoq, Bausch and Grotowski. This course ends with a devised physical performance where creative freedom is in abundance.
In third year, the module drama production feels like the crescendo of our course. It’s our chance to prove why we've spent as much as we have on a drama degree (which is often unfortunately disregarded as academic). The production is a replacement of a dissertation and therefore requires a great deal of commitment. In the end, a professional piece of theatre is produced that should not look out of place in the theatre world. This will feel like the pinnacle of my education and will help to prove myself as a performer. I can’t wait!

Finally, I find it important to say that with all degree’s most people find their special few lifelong friends, but with Drama, you can look back at your year book and remember all of your peers as being lifelong friends.

LLB (Hons) Law

Laila

Having initially chosen Kent as my firm choice of university to study Law and found out that I was unsuccessful (in the main cycle), I was not the slightest bit disappointed to accept Greenwich University’s offer as my insurance choice. I had already seen myself studying at this university as I had attended the Open Day and was immediately captivated by the Maritime campus’ beautiful scenery and architecture. Not only this, all the staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly to all enquires (no matter how silly they were).

After having successfully completed the first year and now starting the second year of Law, I had initially been worried about the work load and intensity of the degree more than anything. However, I soon found myself getting used to the amount of revision and reading required to pass this course, even though being quite apprehensive at first.

The subjects I enjoyed the most in first year were Legal Method, Contract law and Human Rights and Civil Liberties. Legal method I found enjoyable because we were able to gain credits for organising law related trips such as visiting different types of court and the Houses of Parliament. On a number of occasions a few friends and I took it upon ourselves to take court trips in between lectures and seminars in order to get an overview of the court structure and analyse Barristers and Solicitors at work.

In Contract Law, the most enjoyable aspect of the course for me was figuring out the problem solving scenarios involving people who had lost their property and deciding whether the claimant should be able to sue or not.

Last but not least, Human Rights Law. This is the field of law I would most like to specialise in as it allows an individual to challenge the state if it is found to be acting in violation of any of the European Conventions on Human Rights. I am interested in this field of law as I would like to practice as a solicitor helping out vulnerable people battling in oppressed situations. 

BSc (Hons) Film and TV Production

James

Hey, I’m James and I am about to enter my second year in studying Film and TV Production. I still remember the day I was accepted into Greenwich; I don’t think I will ever forget it. Greenwich was my first choice and having spent results day stressing and panicking like countless others across the country, to finally receive the a phone call saying “Congratulations, you’re in”… as cliché as it sounds no matter how many times I thanked the stranger on the other end, it seemed to hold little value against the life changing news he had just given me.

Film & TV Production is the course that I was always focused on studying, unlike the similar but more theoretical Film Studies course; it was the practical hands on aspect of Production that sold it to me. What I want to do in life is make films and the amazing thing about my course is that it allows me to do just that. You might be thinking ‘really?! You can make films on a film course? You don’t say!’ But you would be surprised by the amount of universities I visited which took focus on not making films but simply knowing about them. Within the first couple of months I had been given the knowledge of the production process and the key components which make up a crew. Theoretical knowledge of Film & TV is incredibly important but still a basic element in the vastness of the course I am on.

I have learnt a great deal in this first year, not just academically but a lot about myself as well. Self-realization is what I regard to be the greatest characteristic someone on my course can possess, the ability to step back and look at your work with an unbiased mind and say “is that good? I mean is it really good?” there are too many who are blinded by the fact it is their own creation to realise when something is bad, I can honestly say in all the work I have done throughout the first year there is perhaps only one piece I can watch and enjoy.

Before I came to Greenwich I aspired to be a producer, which has now changed to wanting to direct. When I arrived I was under the impression that everyone will want to be a producer as it is at the top the hierarchy, but I was wrong. One of the first activities we did was go around the room and have everyone in the year say what they wanted to become. The diversity in roles was remarkable, editor, sound design, graphic design etc. The point being it makes no difference who you are or what you want to do, in this first year I have been given the chance to be an editor, director, floor manager and various other things on various projects. The nature of the course both questioned and reinforced my views on job prospects.

One of the most surprising things about the first year is that your result doesn't go towards your overall degree and that you only need 40% to pass. This news can be regarded as both good and bad but then there are those who only see it as fantastic. My advice is steer clear of working with those people, no matter how much creativity they possess if they function on the idea that they can scrape into year 2 with 40% they don’t truly want to be there.
I’m going to sound boring and say work hard regardless, but there is incentive. In year 2 you will get the chance to do the course ‘Broadcast Production’, this course is only available to those with the best results and attendance and is without a doubt the one that everyone wants to get as it offers work experience at the BBC.

Greenwich is an amazing place to study and creative inspiration comes easily when walking through campus, you need only look around and see all the tourists taking pictures to know you have come to a special place. No other university in London and very few in the country can claim to have such architectural and historical beauty. I have relatively little interest in history but you would have to be pretty ignorant to not appreciate the greatness that Greenwich possesses.

This first year has passed incredibly quickly; they do say time flies when you’re having fun. I have made lifelong friends and cannot wait for the second year; everything is going to step up and production wise become a lot bigger and even better… and stressful. J

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science

Raeesah

My name is Raeesah and I’m going into the 3rd year of Biomedical Science. The year I started University in 2011, I was part of the last group of students paying the £3(something) thousand. I had always wanted to go to University, so when I did not get into my firm or insurance choices to study Neuroscience I opted to do Biomed because I've always enjoyed science.

When I called Greenwich to ask about places on their Biomed course, I was told they had spaces, when I called back, a few days later, they were full for the BSc H Biomedical science so I ended up doing a FdSc in Biomed, after two years of doing this degree, I have now been ‘fast-tracked’ onto the BSc 3rd year.

The first year at University was an emotional roller coaster, I did not know much about foundation degrees and what they entailed and I had always wanted to do a Bachelors. However, the past 2 years have been the most amazing! I have learnt so much about myself and about science!

Even though I am still not entirely sure what I would like to do once I finish my degree, I know that I am definitely on the right path.

I am going to end with this: "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus and keep aiming."

BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS

Anna

After a tough but worthwhile first year, I’m about to start my second year with a bag of knowledge and self- top tips for this year. Having done the access course and my college teacher telling me the first year at university is a walk in the park; this could not have been further from the truth.

It hit me hard, the work load is heavy, the extra studying you have to do outside of university hours is a lot and going into a classroom is harder because you have to teach. The hardest part is controlling the class; when there are 30 four and five year olds wriggling around on the carpet whilst you’re being observed teaching a phonics lesson, which goes towards passing or failing your first year.

I forgot that as a primary school teacher you have to teach Physical Education, this was not my favourite subject at school; in fact I never turned up for it. But to pass the module in university, I had to turn up and I had to participate and surprise, surprise I actually enjoyed it.  I even surprised myself by getting my highest mark of the year in the Physical Development assignment. I have learnt not to doubt myself and to get stuck in rather than sitting on the side-lines.

This course is not a walk in the park but it is so rewarding. I have met so many great people and the tutors and staff are so supportive; you may hit a mental, physical, emotional block but I kept telling myself and my mum kept reminding me, ‘you’re training you’re not meant to be amazing straight away.’ You only learn from your mistakes and the best teachers don’t always stick to their plans. If things are going wrong, you have to keep calm, think on your feet and be creative; at the end of the day it’s about the children if they’re not learning, I’m not doing my job properly.

My top tips for this year are:

• Use the library throughout the year (not just in April)
• Do assignments when you get them, not at the last minute.
• Plan your time (part-time jobs, university and school is a tough combo)
• Have down time, RELAX and enjoy yourself!

BA (Hons) English

Anisa

Hi. I’m Anisa. I study English at University of Greenwich at the Maritime Campus. You must be thinking it’s a dull subject right? It. Must. Seem. Like. This. To. You. Most of my friends can’t stand English because they see the typical characteristics of it, e.g. Reading and Writing. Literally, that’s it. But with me, it’s a whole different story… I find it art, I find it something I can express myself with. I find it a tool to become who I am every day.

In my course, I've been reading many different books from different backgrounds, different time of year, basically different everything! But that’s how I learn about my interests. By attending lectures, having discussions in seminars, I was able to break down a 300 page novel to a ‘conversation’ to be able to explain the overall plot and storyline of the story. By studying various themes of stories, I discovered what kind of authors I prefer and what type of novels I enjoy. The one I recently read was ‘The catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger… Love that book. I recommend you read it! Seriously, as I was in my breaks at work, I would read it, and I couldn't stop laughing. It felt like the author was speaking to me and retelling how his journey was. It’s amazing to see how a 300 page novel is retelling events that happened for about 3 days. The pace that gets built up and the description which it consists of, all pull together to create such a moving and interesting novel.

Why I chose English? I've always had this weird fetish for writing. Whether it was poems or plays or just writing, I loved it. I studied Drama in School and I achieved a 100% A* grade in it and for English I got an A! I was ecstatic with the result. In the future I would be interested to take up drama because Drama and English seem to blend well with one another and it is easily relatable to one another. Moreover the teachers that I had for English in School and College, have always been so active and bubbly, which makes me feel that I want to be part of that team, I want to be part of the English faculty! You might be thinking I’m weird right? But it’s always been my passion to become an English teacher and I’m not going to stop till I can succeed in that.

I've just completed my first year, and to be honest, I really enjoyed it. Not only were the lecturers funny (well trying to be, well… they all laugh at a joke and because we don’t understand what the joke is we laugh because of that), but they were extremely helpful with the feedbacks that they give us. They also give us valuable advice on how we can improve our marks. I’m so grateful with the friends that I have made in Uni. That’s probably the main thing that I am happy about. When I first started I didn't know anyone in my lectures or seminars or people that were even around the campus. I mean NO ONE. But I loved it. And on my first day instantly I became well acquainted with my peers. I love meeting new people. It’s a different life for me, and I feel like I become a new me each time.

Through reading other people’s experience allows to form a picture in my head and by me being able to write my experience, allows me to unleash my creative side with the journeys I have been through in life. I believe English does something that no other subject can do, and that is being able to create image through words. Everyone can now take a picture and just show it, but being able to use words in order to bring out the beauty of an image which is created in your mind, that’s something no picture can compare to. 

BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

Currently I’m transitioning into my second year of my Accounting and Finance, BA Hons degree. I enjoyed the first year but it went very quickly. During the year I studied five modules, which included introduction to financial accounting, business and financial environment, quantitative analysis and systems, professional and personal development in addition to management accounting and ethics in organisations.

The support I received during my course was amazing as my tutors were always there to help and give me more feedback on my work.  I enjoyed studying four  of my modules especially quantitative analysis and systems mainly because it was all maths based as well as business and financial environment which I was most confident about because I knew plenty about this subject. The module that I did not enjoy the most is management accounting and ethics in organisations, because after learning most of the practical in term one along with all the theory and we were then taught what remained of the practical syllabus afterwards. As you can imagine this would be very confusing.

Whilst on the course I was introduced the employability passport which many of the business school students would know about. At first I was sceptical about taking part in it but after going to various seminars and collecting points from a range of events and activities, I was able to see what else I did during the year which was great. I joined different programmes which were offered to assist me as an accounting and finance student like the IBM mentoring scheme and the employability classes. This allowed me to learn more about my options as well as being more involved and meeting new people. 

A subject that was brought up during the year was placements. I had no clue what that meant but after hearing about other students experiences in addition to learning more about it, I was able to understand the benefits and why the business school gave many talks about the topic. After taking everything into consideration I decided to change the mode of my course to a four year programme. Now I am applying for placements and I am hoping to gain a placement with one of the top four accounting firms.

Elizabeth

BA (Hons) Business Law

Russell

I reckon my course is one of the broadest, if not the broadest programme offered by our Business School. Before making my selection I was initially confused as to what I wanted to major in, my heart was tugging towards business but my reasoning was tugging towards law. That’s when I had the pleasure of doing some research and finding out if it was possible to have a combination of the two and lo and behold, the answer lay right before me, BUSINESS LAW!!! My research served me right as I began to discover the intricacies involved in this course, and also, much to my delight, I found out that Corporate Lawyers are the highest paid individuals involved in the legal sector. That’s right, not judges, not barristers but corporate lawyer$. Let’s be honest, the large majority of us want to make it big and get money right, unfortunately it’s not always the best option to have a career in something you love because that something might not be able to pay the bills or put the food on the table for your family.

With Business Law, you have the flexibility of either choosing to either decide to major in the corporate sector, or in the legal. As far as the legal goes, you would however need to do an extra year of education known as a Conversion Degree, in order to be classified as a qualified lawyer. Both options are beneficial in the sense that you immediately become a cut above the rest due to the duo of skills you would have obtained so if you choose business for example, you will have the benefit of having a sound knowledge of some law principles so this will immediately make you a more lucrative choice for employers. All courses in the Business School offer the option of undertaking a Sandwich Year which is essentially a work based placement year(after successful completion of the second year) to gain some experience and undoubtedly attain some golden contacts and links. I recommend whoever is reading this to seriously consider this placement year because as a graduate, this is without a doubt one of the best things you can have on your CV. It will show experience and reliability in your chosen sector and graduates that undertake this placement are more likely to gain employment right out of university more so than their counterparts. I've had some graduates advise me on this matter and they said that off all the decisions they made during university, a placement year was by far the best, as it made them immediately more employable and gave them some real experience and for any that had doubts about their career choice, the year of work put it all into perspective for them. It goes without saying that one should aim to obtain placement in an industry along the lines of the programme they are studying and the career path they wish to take and for a successful year of placement, in most cases if you worked well with your employers they will guarantee you a position as soon as you finish, which banishes the fears of immediate unemployment fresh out of university. HOWEVER, if you do intend on taking a placement year, first year results will also be fairly important, don’t listen to the “First year doesn't count” banter because employers will review results from both your first and second year to assess the fact that you’re well on your way to securing a 2:1. Besides, even if you don’t end up taking the placement, doing well in first year also gives you the required momentum to take on a considerably more challenging second year so the only people that moan about second year being unbearable are mostly people that partied away their first year. Don’t get me wrong, by all means, socialise, enjoy yourself and live up the experience but remember that when it’s time to work, you knuckle-down and get on with it, pass assessments, meet deadlines. “Work hard, Play Hard” as they say.

Back to the course itself, it contains a rich mixture of business management, ICT, accounting as well as law to give a very balanced three years of study. The first year is primarily focused on the introduction to accounting and legal principles with a larger influence from business logistics and ideologies. The second year is mainly law based, however it maintains some business modules as well to keep the balance and the third year is more or less a choice really, it comes down to the title, business or law. Either way, I’ll end up in a suit, and I couldn't be happier about that part!! The lecturer’s and tutors really get stuck in in trying to further your education and make sure that you grasp the concepts and the large majority of lecturers from the Business School either own, or have owned their own businesses so when they are teaching you and giving examples, examples are also drawn from personal experiences to give depth to lessons given. Our lecturers and tutors will support you all along the way, all you have to do is ask J.

So, all in all, I find this to be a well-rounded course and I make the cliché reference of stating that it gives a person “The best of both worlds,” you can’t go wrong with Business Law.

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science

Monique

Hi everyone, my name is Monique and I am a fellow Londoner.  I have currently finished my second year of Biomedical Science and I can’t wait to start my third. I am based at the School of Science in Medway, Kent and the environment is calm and peaceful compared to London. I commute from the Greenwich campus to the Medway campus on the days I have lectures and it’s amazing that I get an hour for my power naps in the morning on the coach. The Medway campus is near the river which has an amazing view with its harbour and there is a shopping nearby with restaurants such as Nandos, Pizza Hut, Subway and Burger King so you’ll never get hungry. Medway Campus is like a modern version of Hogsmead (Harry Potter) minus the Shrieking Shack.

As a Biomedical student we use lecture theatres and the labs so we’re never in one place for too long and we have the longest library in Europe full of textbooks. It’s so long that sometimes I feel like I need a bike to get from one side to the other.  There are times where Drill Hall Library is full as we share it with two other universities and because we have no uniform, you can never tell who is from which university. However, I always have the option to study in Greenwich Library. Best of both worlds.

We have quite a few modules such as biochemistry, some more interesting than the other but the academics are more than happy to help with any issues. Furthermore, this course also involves opportunity for socialising, such as in Labs, where you can interact with academics and other students while huddled around a table to carry out an experiment, such as dissecting the Sheep heart in Pathobiology. However, you do occasionally get the few who faint at the sight, or even the smell of rotting blood.

In terms of socialising, we also have a Facebook group as that’s the most active social site of our generation, it’s easier to communicate to other students regarding issues that some may already know the answer to.

Studying Biomedical Science expands your knowledge in science and gives you more experience in every field of science which in the end expands your doors of opportunity for the future.

Can't Wait to See You Guys :)

BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

Devi

Hi there! My name is Devi and I am currently studying Accounting and Finance BA (Hons) in the Business School on the Greenwich Maritime Campus. In my opinion I think the Greenwich campus is the best one to study at – no offence to the other campuses! The scenery and setting is so peaceful (unless it’s a Friday night) and the heritage buildings add the Harry Potter effect when you’re studying! Well that’s how I felt :P especially at Christmas when it snows!

Accounting and Finance is based on a variety of topics which is why I decided to pick the course, I don’t enjoy studying or working in a specific order which is consistent and repetitive. In the first year there were five modules:

1.       Management Accounting

2.       Financial Accounting

3.       Personal and Professional Development

4.       Business and Financial Environment

5.       Quantitative Analysis

I have enjoyed studying all these modules but there were two in particular which I found quite challenging, Management and Financial Accounting. It’s important to grasp the basic concepts in the first year because once you move onto second year next thing you know you’re studying ADVANCED management and financial accounting! Yeah it’s a killer I know…

But hard work and dedication will always get you far especially in university, it’s not about who is the cleverest anymore, it’s about who makes the time for their studies and the ability to prioritise tasks.

When you go into second year you can choose one of your modules and the remaining three are compulsory. It’s nice to be able to make a choice on which module you wish to study, I chose banking as one of my modules because I want to (hopefully) go into investment banking once I've graduated from Greenwich J.  

What I love about this course is the fact that it’s both numbers and English based so it’s not always about the maths and how good you are with the calculations. There are definitely more number based modules than the English based but the coursework and some questions in the exams test you on your writing skills giving it a nice balance. The lecturers are really helpful when it comes to finding certain topics difficult, they respond to your e-mails and arrange times for meetings to discuss what you need to.

Another benefit of the programmes in the Business School is the Employability Passport which enables you to attend networking events once you have collected a specific number of points from extra-curricular activities. The Greenwich Employability Team also provides a lot of support for fixing up your CV and finding undergraduate and postgraduate jobs. The GET Jobshop provides so many opportunities for you to apply for jobs and I got one of my summer jobs applying through the Jobshop which has been a great help. Along with this, there is the option of completing a sandwich degree which allows you to gain one year’s worth of experience with your chosen company.

The best aspect of the Accounting and Finance programme is that, the staff actually takes the time and effort to train you through your degree and make sure you’re ready and prepped up when you enter the frenzied business world!