Student views

Why Teesside?

I’m originally from South Africa but I always wanted to study abroad. I wanted to go to university as a back-up to my sporting career in case of serious injury – I felt it was important to have an education for life after a sports career. I began my undergraduate studies at Teesside in 2015 and studied LLB (Hons) Law. After doing some research, I knew that law at Teesside ranked highly and as I was also living in the area at the time Teesside was ideal. Now this master’s course is the perfect top up on my law degree, broadening my knowledge from law into the business and financial sector.

Tell us about your course

I like that my course covers most of the areas in the business sector, allowing for a better understanding of the business environment and how it operates. The module Developing Self and Others has a lot to do with the psychology behind people in organisation, and how your own mindset can positively or negatively affect the people around you. I started to think about this in a sporting sense as well with my team mates.

I also enjoyed the module Managing Operations and Finance – it deals with the financial and operational side of a business. I find this really interesting and beneficial as I want to start and run my own business outside of sport.

What do you think about the campus?

The campus and facilities are some of the best I have ever seen. Comparing them to all top ranked universities in the UK and worldwide, Teesside is up there with the best facilities. The library, again compared to others, is first class with everything you need for the complete learning experience.

What are your ambitions?

My ambitions are to play professional cricket and one day play for England. In future I also want to manage my own business and this course will help me to do that. My course has taught me how to manage my time and how to interact with people from many different countries and backgrounds.

Would you recommend Teesside?

I would recommend Teesside University to others. It has a compact campus compared to other universities, and with this you get very personal and focused help from all staff. Coming to Teesside has helped me become more independent and created more opportunities for me than I would have got had I stayed in South Africa.

What advice would you give to students thinking about coming to study here?

Get involved as much as you can – you will reap the rewards. But bring a jacket as it gets very cold in winter!