Published: March 14, 2021
Hi, my name Is Kayleigh and I'm a second-year Social Media Management student here at the University of Sunderland.
When I was growing up, going to university wasn’t something my parents really spoke about, so I never knew if university was something that was meant for my future, but when I found this course, I knew it was the course I wanted to do. Social Media changes every day, so why not gain the experience and knowledge of something we all use every day?
My course BA (Hons) Social Media Management is a relatively new course within the university and is based on at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. The City of Sunderland has lot of history and heritage, right outside the Sir Tom Cowie Campus you have the St. Peters Church which dates back to the 7th Century and was home to the Venerable Bebe which played a key role in the development of early Christianity, Sunderland is also famous for many other things such as glass making, ship building and Sunderland Black Cats. The city is also very student friendly.
The best aspects of the course are the lecturers! My tutors are always supportive and I they have told me that no question is ever a silly question and to never to be afraid to ask for help or advice. The fact that we get the opportunity to learn from industry professionals makes it a better learning experiences as you get the real life experience and stories. In first year you cover basic social media techniques, build communities, learn about statistics and analytics and as an essential part of the Social Media Management course you study media law which is also a credited by the NCTJ board! We also got the chance to visit court to watch some real-life court hearings, which is something that I would not have been able to do without coming to Sunderland. I have also enjoyed learning about the data side of what goes on behind a social media post and how to analyse that data.
The University of Sunderland also has some great services. If it wasn’t for these services in fresher’s week putting me in touch with the disability team, I would never have found out I was dyslexic. The university also has a great Wellbeing team which I have personally had the experience of using. I would 100% recommend studying at the University of Sunderland as a mature student, you don’t have to have just left college to come to university. I felt welcomed by all. Never in a million years before coming to university did I think I would be doing a Facebook live, this course has given me confidence to believe in myself and know that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to.
It has been very different and strange finishing my first year and having most of my second year online due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the teaching continued to be the same high standard that we would of received if we were on campus receiving face to face lectures.
My goal is to graduate with a first-class degree next year in 2022 and hopefully delve into a career in social media or public relations.
So far I have met so met so many new people, networked with people that I may never have got the chance to wthout the course, learnt new skills, and had some amazing experiences with amazing people that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see what the future holds at the University of Sunderland.
Kayleigh White
BA (Hons) Social Media Management
Topic: Course