Denise Silvey

What attracted you to choose the University of Surrey and to study your course here?

I chose the Guildford School of Acting's (GSA) online course at Surrey as I wanted to top up my diploma and turn it into a degree. I read through the course description and thought it was perfect for me. I knew about the course and liked the idea it was online as my working life is quite busy.

What is your strongest memory of your time at Surrey?

The support and encouragement from the staff and the discipline of studying. The tutorials are all recorded and you have access to those during the whole time you are studying, so you can keep going back and watching again if needs be.

What were the best things about your course?

Everything I learned and the access to the vast amount of material both written and on screen. I initially did the course because I wanted a degree to be able to teach, but I got so much more than that. It taught me a different perspective on life and myself and has given me more confidence in my abilities.

The module on professional development planning was inspirational because it made me sort out exactly where I wanted to go with the rest of my life. I also chose to write a play script for the Final Project module. That experience has made me further my writing and I have just been offered a place on a MA Creative Writing course.

What do you do now and what do you find most enjoyable about your work? 

It’s only been a year and I still work as a theatre producer, but I am now branching out into more teaching and writing and am following the five-year plan that I drew up during the Professional Development module. I love teaching and writing, but without taking the time to consider these and to work on lesson plans and writing with the support from the lecturers, I would never have had the confidence to take the steps to pursue these.

How did your time at Surrey help you choose what career to go into?  

I was a very mature student when I started at Surrey, and I’m still working in the same profession as I was before I went. But now, the course has enabled me to branch out into different aspects of it and I think that is totally due to the confidence and feedback I received during my time as an online student at GSA.

What is your advice for students aspiring to work in your profession?

It’s tough, but if you make it work for you the rewards by far outweigh the downs. By studying on this course, you are given the opportunity to see so much else that this profession can offer.

Finally, do you have any other comments you’d like to offer about your time at Surrey or life after university?

If you have ever considered converting your diploma into a degree, but you think you just don’t have the time, consider again. I found the whole experience literally life changing and I couldn’t recommend it more highly enough to everyone.