Steve Guest
I had never studied accounting or business before so was going to Aberystwyth with no prior knowledge in the subject. The degree was taught very well though. My tutors were very approachable and I felt I could talk to them about any concerns I had. Leading up to exams we would go through a lot of past papers which really helped with revision.
In the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year I spent seven weeks at a company called Vax, working in their finance department. I realised that with so many students looking for work, I needed something to help me stand out. It was also very useful as I had no idea if I wanted to go into finance after university so it gave me a good idea what it would be like.
I played for the university mens football team for three years while at Aberystwyth and loved every second of it. I highly recommend you join a club or society while at university. I met so many people through the football club and people I plan to keep in touch with for a long time. I was also the Treasurer during my final year; being on a committee looks great on your CV.
I loved the town from the first second. Being from the Midlands the nearest beach is around 90 minutes away so I particularly enjoyed having it on my doorstep! It is a very small town but I liked that, you would always bump into people around town and on nights out. The town has a great social life as well. The clubs aren't the biggest but you can go out any night of the week and it will be busy. In terms of making friends it’s just best to put yourself out there and get involved. I would just go to events and speak to anyone during freshers week. Again joining a club is a massive help for making friends.
I enjoyed the course but I personally did not want to go into the field of accounting or finance. If you are happy to get fully qualified and do some more exams then it is a great profession to get into. I am now working as a Recruitment Consultant for a small company in Birmingham.