60 Second Interview: Business Management and Marketing Student

Business Management and Marketing student Katie Mishner talks to us about life at Nottingham Trent University.

What course are you studying:  BA Hons Business Management and Marketing at Nottingham Trent University.

What did you study at school/college:  I studied the International Baccalaureate at Newcastle College, which is the equivalent to A Levels but instead of 4, I studied 6 subjects including Business Management.

Why did you choose this course?
During my time at college, I began to grow tired of studying and craved the independence that working life could give me. I began looking into management courses but nothing seemed to fit for me, until I came across the Business Management and Marketing course at Nottingham Trent University. The course is joint honours, which means that I get to study management and specialise in marketing; this is great because such a rounded education has definitely shaped my future career prospects! My favourite thing about this course is that after my second year, I can do a year in industry – earning real money and in a real life job role! I am learning a lot in the lecture theatre but I have the option to gain real experience to enhance my future.    

Why did you choose this uni?
I was initially reluctant to go to University and this mind set made the process of deciding where to go a lot harder. I would browse the places that my friends were set to go but nothing seemed right. I found Nottingham Trent University on UCAS, I had already been to Nottingham before to see live music and really liked the city, so I did my research and for the first time in the process began to get excited. The Business School was highly regarded, the course was perfect for me as it had a placement year included and all of the facilities were either renovated or in the process of being updated. For me, Nottingham Trent seemed to be about really making your future better instead of a continuation of studying and that fits in with who I am perfectly.    

What are the facilities like?
Nottingham Trent have been and are still investing a lot of time and money into the renovation of University, mainly the city campus, and even a brief walk around the site really shows this. My favourite is the Student’s Union, it has it all – there’s a sports hall, gym, three different floors of bars, restaurant, coffee shop and plenty of social space! I even managed to get a job there because they only hire students. The modern SU is also opposite the library and within a couple minutes from the University buildings, so you can go get yourself a (very reasonably priced) drink or meal after you’ve been studying. 

What's the student experience like?
When going to university you are riddled with worry that you wont make any friends and that you may not find something that you enjoy, it’s a perfectly rational worry – but I can ensure you that you wont have that issue at Nottingham Trent. There are plenty of bars and clubs, if that’s your thing, including the Student’s Union which doubles as the club to go to on Saturday when the locals take over the other clubs. I prefer bars personally and there is a whole host of them, catering to everyone’s taste. My favourite is the sports bar where I go watch Newcastle United lose and play pool, but if you like the more old fashioned style pubs, Nottingham is home to the oldest pub in the UK! There are over 80 societies at the uni, so you don’t have to worry about finding something that you’re not interested in. During fresher’s week you can go to the societies’ fair and choose the groups that you’d like to get involved in. It’s a great way to socialise and make new friends; I’ve even made some of my best friends through this! With 25,000+ students, you’re bound to meet your kind of people and there are plenty of ways in which the Uni facilitates this.    

Best thing about studying at your uni?
Around this time last year, I was accepted to study in Norway for summer and this was all because of the partnership that Nottingham Trent has with Universities around the world. I had the best month in Norway, I learned so much and made friends from all over the place – including America, South Africa and France! I think that the international opportunities that Nottingham Trent provides is the best thing about studying here, there’s a global lounge too for exchange students so you can get involved with different cultures from the comfort of Goldsmith Street, Nottingham.    

Have you done any work-experience?
 I’m currently managing and planning Social Media (specifically blogs) for two not-for-profit organisations because I have a deep interest in digital marketing. I’m hoping that this will help me on my hunt for a work placement and when looking for a graduate role.    .

What are your future career plans?
Right now, I’m looking for a work placement and I’m most interested by the technology industry and the games industry because they both are international and focus a lot of their marketing efforts online. Once I’m graduated, I hope to get into a marketing grad scheme and work my way up. In 10 years, maybe I’ll be chief of marketing somewhere!    

Any tips for students thinking about going to uni?
Don’t settle – when you’re thinking about what to do, where to go, find something that genuinely excites you. You don’t want to look back in three years, with 27 grand worth of debt and have not enjoyed what you have done.