Madi
I am hoping to go into the magazine industry as an editor, which is why I believe my role as editor-in-chief of The Stag student magazine is such a great opportunity.
Entry year
2022What do you like about your course and why?
I like that the Sociology team is so well connected and provides such a great community for the students. Sociology itself is a lovely space to be and work in. I also like that the lecturers take part in their own research and intertwine this with their teaching, allowing for the students to understand the topics in greater depth.
I love how creative the assignments are; as a more theory-based course, it allows the students to use media to express their research.
What do you enjoy most about Surrey?
I think Surrey is such a beautiful campus, the lake was a huge selling point for me! The campus has pretty much everything you need, from coffee shops, to a nightclub, to a well-stacked library. The widespread availability of societies is a great addition to the university - with the help of the Students' Union any and all clubs and societies are supported. I, myself, am not someone who particularly enjoys clubbing, but the town centre and nearby towns provide lots of other activities and great days out.
What opportunities has Surrey given you?
I've taken full advantage of all the opportunities that Surrey has provided to build up my CV. This included getting involved in the Global Graduate Award (GGA), societies and being a course rep. The GGA gave me extra credits on my degree and an insight into the entrepreneurial world. I am currently the president of the student magazine society, The Stag, which is relevant to my degree and allows me to actively use the skills I have learnt. Working within the university has helped me develop my people skills and provides an insight for prospective students. Finally, my role as a course rep, providing feedback about the course, has helped me build stronger relationships with my peers and lecturers, as we have all worked together to respond to the feedback.
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I am hoping to go into the magazine industry as an editor, which is why I believe working on The Stag student magazine is such a great opportunity for me. My role as editor-in-chief allows me to run the magazine alongside the rest of the team and to share students' work. It provides me with contacts, which I will be sure to make use of when I am looking for a job post-graduation! It also gives me hand-on experience of what it will be like for me to work in a position like this.
What advice would you give to new students?
The staff are so friendly, really helpful and understanding, I think this really helps when you are a first year student. My lecturers have helped me out a lot (and continue to do so) with navigating university life and guiding me toward opportunities.
If you are someone struggling to decide between a media, sociology and criminology degree, I think Surrey stands out with the modules they offer. Take full advantage of the optional modules in your second and third year; they allow you to study aspects of criminology and sociology with a media aspect. I think this is a really unique learning experience that can give you much more knowledge than many other media and communications courses.
