Studying at Sheffield has really brought me out of my shell

Student Molly standing against a colourful wall of street art
Molly O'Neill
Third year student
BA Geography and Planning
Geography and Planning student Molly is originally from Sheffield. Her experience visiting the Department of Urban Studies and Planning on a school trip made her realise that it was a supportive environment in which she could really thrive.

My name is Molly. I'm studying the joint BA Geography and Planning course. I'm currently in my third and final year of study. I am originally from Sheffield, so I've obviously already loved the city and surrounding area and I knew it was an amazing University and a great school - I’d worked with them before through school and I knew they had everything for me.

My favourite module would be very difficult to choose. It’s either Exploring Human Geographies in first year, which was an amazing start to the course, or the Urban Field Class study module in second year, even though we weren't able to visit the Netherlands due to COVID-19 restrictions. This module itself was still so exciting and interesting and I really learned a lot.

My favourite thing about Sheffield is probably just how friendly and homely it is. Even people that aren’t from here have loved it. And I really can't imagine studying anywhere else. There are so many parks, a great city centre, and amazing student nights as well. There’s lots of clubs and pubs, and you can really just have the greatest time, regardless of what your interests are.

There are so many skills that this course has taught me. There is a module in first year, Information and Communication Skills, which teaches you pretty much everything you need to know. And another module which developed my skills was Spatial Analysis, which taught me a lot about analysing resources. And it was just a skill I didn't know I'd enjoy, but now I love it.

The University has also definitely made me more social. With all the societies they offer, you can learn new skills or you can develop old ones. I'm currently in Book Society and I adore it and it has really brought me out of my shell. Sheffield is a great University, and I’d urge anyone to study here.

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International undergraduate scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international undergraduate students, including scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee.

Applications are open for existing offer holders for an undergraduate degree programme starting in autumn 2025.