Tiegan Royce

‘To be honest, Henley wasn’t originally on my radar, but I was quite underwhelmed at a number of Open Days at other universities. Then I saw that there was an Open Day at Reading, and one of my family members had studied there.

‘My dad and I watched some videos from Henley and it looked really good. And as soon as I came to the Open Day, I just knew this was the place I was meant to go to.

‘I liked the idea of a campus-based university, and everyone was so friendly – it really felt like a community. The talks were so interesting and engaging and the focus on placements was really impressive. It really made me excited about the course, so Henley became my top choice.

‘The lecturers were all so knowledgeable, and the students I met were so enthusiastic – I can still remember the name of one in particular who talked about their experience of a placement and how useful it was to have the help from the Careers team. Hearing that from another student’s perspective was really helpful. I remember thinking to myself: ‘yes, I’ll be fine here!’.

‘The other thing I liked was the flexibility in the module choices, so for my final year, for example, I can choose any 6 subject areas from about 30 options. I can create my own pathway on my course.’

‘My first year was mainly spent working from home because of Covid, so coming back to the campus this year has enabled me to discover some things I never knew existed here, such as the Harris Gardens and lots more social opportunities.

‘I got involved in several extra-curricular activities, such as the Business Society and the Dance Society, and this year I’ve also joined the Drama Society and the Singing Society. I was also a Course Rep in my first year, which meant that I was in regular meetings with the programme directors and academic staff, which was great for building rapport and getting my name known. And I did an interesting research project on improving student voice, which was paid work!

‘At Henley I’ve met such a diverse range of people, which gives you a wider cultural perspective, and I’ve found that really fascinating.

‘It’s definitely a big step up from A-levels – we’re expected to do most of the work ourselves – and at times, balancing the workload with applying for placements can be a bit stressful. But I have really enjoyed the course so far, and I’ve had lots of support with writing my CV and application letters from Helen and the Henley team. The career webinars and employer panels have been a big help too.

‘I've dedicated several hours applying for industrial placements with many well-respected companies such as Walt Disney, and I’m through to the next stage at a couple of companies.’

‘Make sure you stay on top of your work, but just enjoy the learning, have fun, and use all the help and support that Henley provides. Don't hesitate to apply – you won't regret it.’