Which course are you studying at Greenwich and why?
Studying BA (Hons) Advertising and Digital Marketing Communications at the University of Greenwich was one of my first life-changing decisions ever and I am glad that I made it. Marketing is everywhere around us and digital is overtaking the market, so using this smartly gives you a great advantage, no matter what you do. Apart from getting in-depth knowledge about marketing in general, I also wanted to get to the more creative side of it with advertising and branding. So, what brought me to the University of Greenwich was a combination of the facts that it’s one of the top universities in London for marketing-related degrees, it’s got a sandwich-year option and the location and course structure were very appealing.
What do you think makes Greenwich stand out?
Coming here from overseas was a little scary for me as I didn’t know what to expect, but all the support that was provided by the university, the lecturers and the library helped me adapt to the differences and start working on my academic and professional development in no time. Being in the business faculty gives you broad opportunities to get prepared for the working world and to learn to go out of your comfort zone. There are the workshops for employability skills, seminars with guest lecturers from a broad range of industries and lots of opportunities to build your network and get in touch with experienced people including a mentoring scheme. Apart from the amazing campus, the university is home to many international students which gives you a chance to get to know different cultures and even build an international network.
For just a year at the University of Greenwich I grew a passion for constant development and I already feel more prepared for the job sector
What are the three best things about your course?
The lecturers are the ones who mainly make the course what it is. All of them are people with experience in the field, who have come here excited to share their experience and knowledge with the future generations. They are easily approachable and always there to answer questions and support our studies.
The assignments are practical and helpful in their own way as we have to apply the theories to different cases using real existing brands, which is a practice of what we’ll do if we get to work in the field. For example, a mock-up merger of two famous brands and creating a new one out of them.
As a third distinction I will say the course structure. We get a broad insight not only about marketing, but also about consumer behaviour, research methods, creative content, advertising, financial aspects and more and we get a chance to take up a placement year which is a great way to learn through experience.
What module interested you most and why?
It is very difficult to choose one out of all the exciting and useful modules as they are also covered through real and current examples which helps us to understand why and how various methods are put into practice. Maybe one of my favourites from my first year is Brand Management. The module gave us great insight into what needs to be considered when building a brand and how to maintain and improve it in order to be sure that we are communicating the right message in the right way. It made me look at the brands in my everyday life in a very different way as I started analysing them and finding the process behind them. Engaging with this module opened my eyes to a field that I have not considered before as a prospective path for me. And now it is something that I would love to do in the future.
How has your course helped develop your passions?
Throughout my time here and thanks to all the extra-curricular opportunities that the university provides, I got the little push which made me more ambitious and passionate about constantly developing myself. Now I keep throwing myself out of my comfort zone and I am learning how to manage my time effectively in order to get more skills through other courses and projects and I find myself enjoying it. The BSEO and the Personal and Professional Development modules helped me get more familiar with the process of job applications which makes me feel more confident about what lies ahead of me and allows me to focus on my skills and knowledge instead.
How are you finding blended learning?
I didn’t know what exactly to expect when I first heard of blended learning and I was slightly sceptical about it, but also ready to do everything possible to get the most out of the experience. This is surely an unusual situation but if you are proactive and adaptable you should be fine. During online classes I do my best to engage as much as I would if I were on campus and having pre-recorded lectures is not that bad as you get to manage your studies in a way that suits you best. For example, I’ve organised my studies in a way to get more time for extra activities like leading a society or attending a course. The lecturers have been understanding and doing their best to help us to not miss out, even with all the last-minute changes and difficulties. If nothing else, the blended learning is teaching us patience.
Being in the business faculty gives you broad opportunities to get prepared for the working world and to learn to go out of your comfort zone.
What are your plans for the future?
I am currently looking to secure a placement for my third year of the course. So hopefully I will find a good opportunity and do this in the near future as I’ve seen that I’m learning best through experience. Doing a placement year is also going to be a great advantage in the future as I will have already worked in the sphere where I am hoping to build a career. In terms of when I leave university, I can never be sure what will happen, as we see that things can change in the blink of an eye. Although I am still figuring out which aspect is exactly my favourite, I would love to get a job in the more creative side of marketing such as advertising, branding, digital communications, etc.
What advice would you give to people thinking about applying to Greenwich?
What helped me the most was to be proactive and take up all kinds of opportunities, because you can gain something valuable from each experience. Don’t be scared to ask or to make mistakes, because this is how we learn, and university is a safe environment where we go to improve ourselves. Also make sure to make friends and look after your well-being – the university provides not only a wide variety of opportunities to develop yourself academically and professionally, but there are also chances to have a great time with fellow students and enjoy yourself.
