Lily Bayford’s magical moments include the skills she has developed as a Digital Ambassador while she studies on her Psychology course.
These are some of my favourite magical moments at ARU as a third-year psychology student, and how they've impacted my life.
Being a commuting student, it has been quite hard to make friends and I’m sure a lot of people will relate. However, I think quality over quantity is more meaningful. In my first year, I got very lucky with who I would call one of my best friends now. We connected through the ARU Facebook group and have stayed in touch ever since! Finding new connections with people who you never would have met outside of ARU makes me appreciative for this experience, and I know I have made a friend for life.
ARU Temps [ARU's campus employment bureau] has been fantastic for me since I joined in my first year. It has let me create and develop my social media skills which is something I enjoy and have not been previously given the chance to do so. Content creating has always been a hobby which I have wanted to lean into, and being a Digital Ambassador, I have really enjoyed my time doing it and will be sad when I must go. I can see myself carrying on doing something with social media in the future, and ARU Temps has given me that idea for a future career.
Now I am going to be a bit vulnerable in this section. Throughout sixth form I was an anxious 18-year-old, and now leaving ARU, I can see how much I have grown. Reflecting on my experiences and memories at ARU, it has all led me to grow as a person and step outside my comfort zone for the better. I now am not afraid to start that conversation with a stranger, and that is something I never thought I would be able to do.
Throughout my course, we have been delivered live briefs which are essentially organisations who come in and talk about real-world issues and we develop a solution. These assignments have been beneficial for me and I’m sure a lot of other students, as it covers issues which you were not even aware of. This has also led me down a path of opening career options of being a teacher due to my educational psychology module and how I want to be that teacher which makes a change.
Overall, I have a lot of magical moments and experiences which stand out to me throughout my journey at ARU. Leaving in April will be a sad time as I really enjoy education and learning but on reflection, I will be so grateful for my experience. I hope whoever is reading this, whether that be a first, second or third year, you can also make the most out of your time at ARU.
Read more careers and employability support at ARU, including our Student Ambassador scheme, or find out more at an Open Day.