Laura from United Kingdom
Food and Human Nutrition BSc Honours
Why did you choose Newcastle University?
I chose Newcastle University as it has an excellent reputation and is one of the UK's leading universities for research. I fell in love with Newcastle the very first time I visited. I loved the bustling, vibrant city which was so different from what I was used to, living in a small village in the middle of nowhere. As soon as I crossed the Tyne River I didn't want to leave.
The course appealed to me above other universities because of the inclusion of a year in industry which was something I really wanted to do. When I visited the School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development on the Visit Day, all the lecturers were passionate about their subjects and really friendly. The course size was also small, so I knew there would be a great amount of support and focus.
What did you like best about your degree programme?
One of the best aspects was the equal split of Food Science and Nutrition modules. There was also a variety of other modules on offer outside of these subjects, including Marketing and Psychology. The choice of final year research and dissertation projects available was outstanding; there was something that interested everyone. The compulsory placement year was definitely a highlight for me; I worked for Cadbury in New Product Development where I developed Cadbury Hot Choc Chunks and changed artificial colours to natural in Trebor products. This industry experience definitely gave me a competitive edge when applying for jobs in a recession.
What did you enjoy most about life at Newcastle University?
I loved everything about going to university in Newcastle - my course was perfect for me, all of the lecturers knew us by name and took a real interest in us and of course, Newcastle night life is unrivalled, there is something to do every single night of the week.
Did you make good friends at the University?
Yes! It's easy to make friends at University because everyone is in exactly the same situation at the start and you soon find a group of friends that you fit right in with. I made friends quickly living at Richardson Road and after living together in first year, we were house mates until we graduated. I also made some friends for life on my course.
Were you a member of a club or society?
I was a member of the Student Communications Team (SCT) where I worked alongside the Careers Service to promote events through team work and coming up with creative ideas. We were set tasks every two weeks and the team or individual who did the best job received Amazon or cinema vouchers, which came in very handy as a student!
My responsibilities involved coming up with innovative marketing strategies and implementing creative ways to promote careers events. Working as a team and individually allowed me to build upon my team working, communication, presentation, time management, organisational, initiative, and creativity skills, as well as learning about marketing, publicity and PR.
As well as being great experience to enhance my CV, it was also a lot of fun, for instance we had monthly socials paid for by the Careers Service.
If you could give any good advice or tips to new students about financing yourself through university what would it be?
My advice for financing your way through university is pretty simple: 1. Don't get over excited as soon as your student loan comes through - budget! Work out all your outgoings so you know exactly what your student loan needs to cover for the entire term. Once you have covered the essentials, such as rent, bills and food, you can then see exactly how much money you have left to spend on going out and luxuries. 2. Be realistic and tough on yourself, if you don't really need it or can't afford it, don't buy it. 3. Look out for discount codes and vouchers - before you buy anything online search the internet for discount codes to enter at the checkout. There are constant 2-4-1 restaurant vouchers online, print them all out and carry them with you so that you never have to pay full price when eating out. Take advantage of being a student and ask everywhere if they do student discount - many places you wouldn't even think will give you 10% off!
What have you done since leaving University?
Since graduating in June 2009 I have had two jobs. Over the summer I worked for Greggs Plc as a Technical Services Technician where I was responsible for maintaining and controlling the supplier approval process, co-ordinating specifications and assisting buyers and the new product development team in obtaining required supplier information.
In September 2009 I joined the United Biscuits Graduate Programme as a Central Quality Assurance Technologist. Here I am responsible for conducting technical audits of all 11 United Biscuits manufacturing sites, ensuring consistency of audit protocol across all sites, identifying compliance and non compliance in line with the BRC, (British Retail Consortium) retailers requirements and United Biscuits' GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practice).
I am also responsible for the management of external warehouse approval process, audits and schedule and product and packaging assessments across manufacturing sites.
I not only have a job I love, with real responsibility from day one, but I’m also benefitting from a 12-month structured training programme with development modules. These modules are specifically designed to ensure that I develop the business acumen, self-awareness, leadership skills and networks I need to progress into senior management roles.
How has your degree helped you to get these jobs?
Having a science degree was essential for both of these roles and a degree in Food Science was even more desirable. A degree in Food and Human Nutrition from Newcastle University, along with my placement year, gave me many of the skills I needed and a lot of relevant knowledge required to undertake such roles.
If you had to recommend Newcastle to a student trying to choose a university what would you say to them?
If you're looking for a University with an impressive academic record, in the centre of a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclubs then Newcastle University is for you. I am so proud to be a graduate of Newcastle University; it’s always a conversation starter due to the reputation of both the University and the city.
What is your favourite memory of your whole student experience?
I have so many amazing memories. One thing that I would recommend to everyone is to go on the Newcastle University Ski and Snowboard Club (NUSSC) Christmas ski trip. I went in 2006 and it was the trip of a lifetime full of memories.