Angharad Evans

With the saying ‘”It’s always sunny on Open Days at Aberystwyth” this, however, was not the case when I visited. I arrived at Aberystwyth for the first time on a typical February rainy, grey day - but this did not dampen my spirits! From the moment I started the Accounting and Finance course, the tutors were helpful, patient and always made time for their students. The course covered all the basics and then progressed into areas such as investments and taxation. Given that many of us had never studied Accounting before, we never felt we were at a disadvantage. The lecturers were informative and participation was encouraged throughout the course.

Whilst at University, I settled into student life straight away, initially making friends with my flatmates and course mates. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t terrified at the time, because I was. But then it clicked that every single first year student was in the same boat, and then it became a lot easier to meet new people. The town offers a varied social life and regardless of what night you went out, there were always people around. I personally loved living by the sea and whilst Aberystwyth may not offer a wide variety of shops, you are guaranteed to bump into someone you know whilst walking around town.

During my time at Aberystwyth, I was elected twice as course representative and then became a student ambassador to work on Open Days. I was elected Secretary for the Student Staff Consultative Forum (SSCF) in my 3^rd year and was also Treasurer for Aberystwyth’s Investments Society. I enjoyed being an ambassador as I could help potential students and being elected as Secretary was a great way to be involved in the School of Management and Business.

I am currently studying for an MSc in International Accounting and Corporate Governance at the University of Sussex, as I was awarded the Hornsey Scholarship. I will also be interning during the Easter break at Fidelity Investments in London where I hope to gain invaluable experience and insight into the corporation. Being at a bigger University has made me realise how fortunate I was as an undergraduate. The lecturers were always around and if you had any questions, you could just pop upstairs to their offices in Rheidol Building. The SMB office staff were always willing to help as well.

Through my experiences at Aberystwyth, I feel that I have improved and developed numerous interpersonal skills as well as acquiring vital knowledge which I know will be imperative for my Master’s. I can genuinely say I enjoyed my three years at Aberystwyth and I will forever be grateful for how supportive the lecturers were throughout my degree.