Carla Nearchou – Made the most of every opportunity

“I did a bit of research into UK universities before applying. I came across the University of Dundee because of its good ranking for business management and it was in my top 5 choices because of that.

“I would describe it very diverse as I got involved in various activities outside of my degree which also played an important role in my education. I think that Dundee is the ideal city for student life and although small, it has a vast amount of opportunities and activities for students to get involved in either it being to get professional experience or to socialise. One thing that I can say after having graduated is that I haven’t missed out on anything through my time in completing my degree.

"I feel like I have been able to socialise, develop skills outwith the university curriculum, work part-time and of course get an undergraduate degree.

“Another aspect would be the fact that the nature of the Business Management degree is such that coursework is to be carried out (partly) in groups which required from me to work with other people. That benefitted me in becoming aware of my working style but also in developing my team work skills. Another good thing was that through such group assignments I got to know my classmates better and made some good friends.

“The campus is close to the city centre, and everything is within walking distance. The University is actively trying to improve what it offers in terms of student services – especially the Careers Service and the Centre of Entrepreneurship are trying to help make students more employable after they graduate. With all the events and workshops that take place there is something for everyone regardless of their school or discipline. As a student I really appreciated that on behalf of the University.

“Dundee is starting to boom culturally for example the recent opening of the V&A museum, Dundee being named UK's first City of Design by UNESCO, the overall development in the business sector as more independent shops and hospitality businesses open. All these developments are contributing in re-vamping Dundee’s brand as a city and consequently attract more people to come and visit Dundee but also in the case of the University more students will be attracted to choose the University of Dundee.

“In terms of jobs, throughout university I worked part-time as a receptionist in a local hotel. In 4th year I worked as part of the student team at the Centre of Entrepreneurship at the newly opened centre that they have on campus in partnership with Elevator UK. My role was of Social media and data analysis officer. Working there was a great way for me to develop my skills and also to network as the Centre of Entrepreneurship is a place where lots of people get together which makes it a great networking hub to tap into.

“In terms of internships, during the summer after my 3rd year I did a fashion internship in fashion commerce with Rainbow wave Ltd. The company took us to Paris for summer fashion week where they ran their showroom for the week. It was a great experience as I’ve always had an interest in the fashion industry and I got to see first-hand what goes on in terms of buying and merchandising.

"Last summer I did an Internship with Insights Learning and Development Ltd at their HQ here in Dundee where I worked in the digital team. It was a great way for me to develop my skills in digital marketing and to get involved in projects relating to marketing, events as well as graphic design.  “