Vickie Houlihan

What made you choose Surrey? 

I felt welcome at Surrey from the moment I attended an Open Day and that feeling never left me. The beautiful green campus and the historic town centre combined made Surrey the perfect place for me. 

The course itself is unlike any others offered elsewhere in the UK, with practical language skills at the core of the Modern Languages courses. Moving away from studying traditional literature opened up a world of politics, culture, translation and history that I wouldn’t have been able to study otherwise. 

What are your memories of Surrey? 

When I first think of being at Surrey, I picture the beautiful people it brought me during my four years of study. I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people from my course, my halls and my part-time jobs, and we remain super-close even now. I remember meeting one of my closest friends on my first day moving into our accommodation - we unknowingly brought the same sausage-dog-patterned bedding, had a Chinese for dinner and the rest is history! 

I also think of my graduation day, when I had the honour of writing and delivering the student address in front of my peers, lecturers and family. That will always be one of my proudest moments, a culmination of four years of hard work and fun. 

What were the highlights of your course? 

My course was small and student-focused, with genuine care coming from every member of staff. Studying practical skills in small groups with like-minded people, rather than literature, was a big draw for me to choose Surrey, and the same was true of many of my course mates. The focus on skills gave us the practical ability to go out into the world and use what we had learnt immediately. Spending a year abroad was also a highlight, not just of my time at university, but of my life! Studying in Germany and working in Spain were unforgettable life experiences, learning to be truly independent, celebrating achievements and being brave enough to take on new challenges. 

Tell us about your life after Surrey

I am now Tours Supervisor at the Royal Albert Hall, a role which requires me to adapt to ever-changing demands and circumstances day-to-day as we tend to have a different show every night at the Hall. A highlight was definitely hearing Adam Lambert doing a soundcheck from my office in my first week! 

Languages lend themselves to so many careers as they are useful for pretty much everything! In my job, being able to speak other languages is invaluable because we welcome visitors from all over the world. 

What advice would you give to future students?

Being adaptable, energetic and enthusiastic are great things if you want to work in guided tours or any entertainment venue. Being confident to use your languages is also key, without worrying if you make mistakes, as people will remember how welcome you made them feel, not the one time you got the tense wrong! 

How would you sum up your time at Surrey? 

Surrey will always be a special place for me, home of so many happy memories and the place where I met so many important people. My time there was the most formative time of my life and I will always be grateful for what I learned.