The course has helped me develop many skills that I feel are necessary for any job related to the field of Environmental Science

Why did you choose to study this course at the University of Sheffield? 

During my GCSEs and A-Levels, I always particularly enjoyed and excelled in physical geography. This was supported by the constant encouragement and motivation from my teachers. I have always been interested in the world around me, where many years of travel around the world have enabled me to view different cultures and environments from a different scope and perspective. Climate change is also one of my favourite topics of debate and study, so studying physical geography at university almost felt like a natural pathway to follow. Personally, I love the Sheffield campus and the things to do around the city. Compared to other universities, it felt more homely, smaller and more of a community, as well as having a highly advertised and praised geography course during open days.

What are your favourite parts of the course so far? 

My favourite parts of the course have been glaciology, volcanology and the use of GIS applications. I never studied glaciology prior to university, so gaining an understanding of the importance of the cryosphere and glaciation seemed crucial going forward. I love using GIS and being able to use online global geospatial datasets and manipulate them to produce my own results and answer my personal hypotheses. Furthermore, I also loved the second year trip to Spain for our module named ‘Putting Physical and Environmental Geographies into Practice’. This enabled me to meet lots of other students and also perform research in a foreign country. If I had to name a favourite module, it would have to be the third-year module ‘Advanced Geospatial Analysis’; GIS has always been one of my favourite areas of research, so this module was practically the cherry on top!

How do you think your course will prepare you for a job in the future?

The course has helped me develop many skills that I feel are necessary for any job related to the field of environmental science. Firstly, the course has taught me to be able to work independently, and work on assignments and tasks under timed pressure. Being able to work under time pressure with an ever growing workload has helped me become more organised and efficient with managing contact hours and balancing it with my own independent research hours and personal life. After university, I would like to pursue a career in GIS or any geospatial-related field. Over the four years being here, I have been able to develop my abilities to manage geospatial softwares, where I have learned many new techniques and encountered many problem-solving situations (these were recurrent during my third-year dissertation). I think that remaining resilient during these times and overcoming the many challenges I have faced throughout my four-year course has strengthened me as an individual, and given me an insight into the realities of real-world issues and problems someone may face as a graduate employee. 

What skills do you think you have learned from the course/uni experience which will help you in the future?

I have developed many skills during my time at university, where many of the skills I have honed I will transfer into future careers. Firstly, I have gained many communication skills, whereby this takes the form of discussing as part of group projects, contacting peers, participating in staff office hours, and finally presenting findings and research to other staff members or my geography cohort as part of assessed modules or assignments. I have also gained comprehensive knowledge and experience in the use of GIS software and tools, where during much of my third year, I was able to refine these geospatial skills and produce necessary outputs to scientifically communicate my research (e.g. dissertation project). I hope that this skill will be the primary driver that will fuel my pathway towards a future career in GIS. I have also developed many problem solving and analytical skills over the years, whereby I have strengthened my knowledge and judgement of numerical and statistical methods in order to convey and answer various questions and hypotheses during assignments. Teamwork skills have also been developed throughout my degree, whereby they have been thoroughly tested during group projects. Finally, outside of academia, living at university has taught me many life and independence skills - skills that were previously never really necessary at home. I feel that the development of these life skills are the most important and core takeaways of any university experience.

Do you have any tips for students looking to study here?

Don't be scared to reach out to staff, pastoral, mentors, peers or any form of support at university. Whilst it may seem like a large daunting environment and a big step-up from your local school or college, it is also diverse with all kinds of support and opportunities. And one more thing - use your staff office hours, they’re more valuable than you may think!