Aaron Mingay
What did you enjoy most about your degree programme?
Definitely the relevance of the content I learned; for such a niche degree all the lecturers genuinely were at the forefront of their field and all active publishers. The freedom to explore this subject with such momentum behind it was invaluable. Coupled with the breadth of people on the course I learned an awful lot.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
I was a part of Exeter University’s Men’s Hockey Club
What was the highlight of your time at Exeter?
Winning the BUCS league and Cup double in my 3rd year with the hockey club, without a doubt. Joining the club so late in my time at Uni could have been hard, but credit to the club, I felt right at home.
What will you miss the most about University?
Having so many friends so near all the time, and having my free time to spend with them. The course and degrees were useful, but I learned so much about myself through my friends.
What advice would you give to current and future students?
Be yourself, always. You’ll find people you like and don’t like and people who like and don’t like you, that is all part of it and finding your crowd and finding a routine around this that makes you happy is all that matters. There are days at a time I did no work and weeks at a time I did nothing but; make your life work around your friends too, as being isolated is something I wouldn’t have coped with. I will tell them that our university offers a welcoming and supportive environment. Also, you’ll find a lot of resources to help you adapt to a new culture and succeed in your studies.
What are your plans now that you have graduated?
I have a job on a gradate scheme for an international defence company as a project manager. My plans are to see where this takes me in the next 5 years and go from there. A late PhD is always an option in a few years, but for now I am happy and settling into my non-uni life.