The support for PhD students is endless. From a great support network of other PhD students both formal and informal, such as the PhD student representative committee, who pass all official concerns through the proper channels, to simple group chats and coffee mornings, you feel part of a great community of like-minded individuals. The Graduate School provides other great learning opportunities, such as teacher training, so you can perform extra paid work by teaching tutorials at the University. Of course, there is plenty of support for mental health and financial advice available as well, and your direct supervisors are also fantastic for helping you develop continuously throughout your PhD.
During my university career I have several proud moments. I achieved the highest mark on my foundation year and achieved a scholarship for my degree which confirmed to me that I belonged at university. I joined the kickboxing team and beat all previous records to win five national heavyweight kickboxing titles. As club chair, I grew the membership of the kickboxing club from 60 to 120 members, making it the most popular martial art club, and organised a number of large events such as fight nights at the University. I achieved several academic prizes during my degree, including a number of ‘most improved’ awards and being part of the winning design team in our master’s year. I was nominated for a Loughborough student experience award, achieved full sport colours and finally in my last year, I achieved the Ann Wilson Award for sporting excellence. All these moments, the friends I made and achievements I earned allow me to say that being part of Loughborough University is my proudest moment.
After completing my PhD I plan on doing a post doc, as my experience of doing a PhD has been so positive that I want to continue on this journey.