Case Study

I chose Sunderland because it was local to where I live, and I have friends and family who have attended.

Another selling point was that I did an Integrated Foundation Year. I’d been out of education for 25 years, so it was a little bit daunting. The Integrated Foundation Year allowed me to ease back in. I truly believe if it wasn’t for the foundation year, I wouldn’t have been as successful as I am. I graduated with a First Class Honours so it obviously worked!

I did my placement at Waterstons, a technology partner. They didn’t treat me like a placement student, they treated me as part of the team. By far the best decision I made was not just going to university, but also doing the placement year. The placement gave me the experience and confidence to say to Waterstons that I wanted to work here full-time.

My advice for students thinking about coming to Sunderland or the Computer Science course is engage with the staff, interact with the lecturers, ask questions. The more you know them, the more comfortable you’ll get, the easier it is if you do have a problem.

Going back to university, putting the time in, has been the best decision. I’m now working in a job I absolutely love and the satisfaction of graduating and getting my degree was outstanding and fills me with pride."

Published 16 August 2024