Case Study

I chose the University of Sunderland because it looked better than the other universities in my area – the Open Day made me feel like it was more student-focused and provided more help for students.

I needed something that I could do whilst working around future operations and my ongoing rehabilitation after getting medically discharged from the forces. I was advised about using my resettlement to fund a degree, so I looked into becoming a primary school teacher. From this idea, I figured out what I needed to do to get into university and made a plan to start this new journey.

The best aspect of the course is that all the lectures and seminars are on the Virtual Learning Environment, Canvas, and we can prepare ourselves for them. Other standout aspects are the support provided by the lecturers and the facilities that are on offer. This includes the library, study skills support, wellbeing team, and also the student services provided for both educational and personal development support.

I would certainly recommend Sunderland to anyone. I didn’t think I would end up back in education, but since leaving the army, starting college, and now starting university, Sunderland has definitely provided so much help and shows they are student-focused.

Students should take advantage of everything on offer. There is so much available when studying here and lots of help and support to help you get through your studies. Always ask if you don’t know something – all the academic staff want to help and make sure you know what you're doing. They can't read minds, so being able to ask all the questions you need help with will put you in good stead going forward. There is so much support provided for both educational and personal worries, that I feel so comfortable here."

Published 20 March 2019