A year to remember

By Dimitris (MSc Accounting and Finance)

Moving to Exeter on the 10^th September 2017 to become a student again on the the MSc Accounting & Finance programme at the University of Exeter feels like yesterday! I have so many memories that make it impossible to include everything in a description of a student’s day, but in this case, I’ll do my best!

Personally, the fact that J.K. Rowling is an Alumni of the University was enough to persuade me to choose the city and the University of Exeter to be my home for the year, but trust me there are numerous more reasons to do so.

I remember I had applied to 10 universities in the UK and I got accepted into all of them. After researching, I managed to narrow down my choices to two universities, Exeter and another one in Glasgow and that was mainly because these universities had an excellent reputation in their Accounting & Finance programmes and their Business Schools were among the greatest of the UK. Apart from the universities’ reputations and ranking tables, I also started to look for more information about the two cities. A lot of people laughed at me when I said this in the past, but the weather was also a major criterion for me. I come from Greece and I am used to more calm and warm weather. So, I believed that Exeter’s location would be a better choice for me. Apparently, there were a few cold days.

The information that I was able to find online through various websites, blogs, etc. about the life at the University and the city of Exeter, were the most convincing for me and helped me choose Exeter as my final choice. Exeter is small city with lower living costs and it is clearly set up in ways to serve the students. It’s easy to navigate, with a great city centre full of shops, restaurants and bars.

I am a big fan of the countryside too and the University of Exeter made it a lot easier for me! I always enjoyed the route I used to take every morning to get to the campus. It took me a while to get used to the uphill but after that, I enjoyed every moment of my morning walk (apart from the rainy days), as the campus is astonishing. A really interesting fact about Exeter is that you don’t need to use any means of transportation and everything is located within walking distance (University – City Centre – St. David’s Station – etc.). I walked everywhere for the whole year, and still try to do whenever possible, as a way of contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and help the recovery of the environment.

I remember the first lecture I attended, it was an early afternoon class in financial modelling, and I didn’t understand a thing. I felt completely lost and started panicking. Then I started talking to other students and realised that no one was really sure and that made me feel more comfortable. It took me about a month to adjust to University life and I believe that was mainly because it had been quite some time since I’d last been studying. After that, is when I started to really enjoy University life. The staff were also extremely helpful, making it easier for the students to adjust, trying to solve any enquiry that you might have.

I believe that you can achieve so many things by being part of a university of this calibre. It is not only about (in my case) the financial knowledge you can gain, it is also about other skills, such as critical thinking that you might need to develop or improve if you want to be able to compete. Skills that eventually will also help you grow as a person.

I always enjoyed going to the forum, a place full of energy and positive vibes. The forum was always busy, full of students enjoying their coffee or lunch break. One of my favourite spots in the forum was the library. I wasn’t used to that kind of facility in the past, and from the moment I walked in I knew that it was the place for me, I found it a lot easier and more productive to study in there. I usually stayed there until late at night, not always to study but also to chat with fellow students. The library was always a great place for me if wanted to focus and study but also a great place to meet new people to chat, share ideas and have fun!

The only think that I regret is that I wasn’t very active with the communities and societies of the University because I felt that I wouldn’t have the time for it, which was not true after all. My advice would be to be as active as possible!

Finally, I would like to share a story with you,  it was something new, which I’ll always remember and narrate to family and friends. It was six in the morning and was heading back home after a long day. It was early August and I was practically living at the library at that time, as I needed to make progress with my dissertation. As I was walking back home, I stopped near the old library area to take a picture of the magnificent view and suddenly one of the most beautiful birds just landed next to me. It turns out it was a pheasant, a very friendly one and we instantly became friends and sat there for about half an hour, enjoying the view. I know a bit sentimental but still impressive.

 

 

There are a lot of things you can do in the University and the city of Exeter to keep you active, so you don’t need to worry about making friends with the birds!

What a great year!

Dimitris Koupas

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