I was always drawn to Loughborough being a campus university – I came to visit before I joined and I loved how everything was in one place and how close I was to green spaces. As an environmental student, having the green spaces, forested area, and things like the weather station on site make it a great place to study, particularly when doing practical projects.
The course is small and there’s a lot of workshop-style teaching, so you get the opportunity to be hands-on and get a practical understanding of the areas studied. The smaller size means I’ve got to know the academics on the course, who have been supportive in my studies and really helped my understanding in their areas.
The geography department itself has some really good facilities, including dedicated lab spaces which I’ve used during my time here. Having access to Graduate House as a postgraduate student has also been useful for me at times when the rest of campus is busy and I need a quiet space to work.
From my MSc, I’ve gained knowledge of specialist software needed in a range of environmental jobs, such as GIS, SPSS and RStudio. My course has also given me a range of skills beyond specialist environmental knowledge. There’s a lot of data analysis involved in the programme, and I’ve learned how to handle and interpret large datasets which has allowed me to get a role as a Market Insight Officer here at the University during my second year of studying.