I loved the six months placement in London

Keerthana Jose is an Indian national who grew up in Rome, which means she speaks English, Italian and Malayalam, and knows how to make perfect pasta as well as curry! She is completing her final year of BA International Business Management and says: “I love the course! It has helped me grow a lot. I loved the six months placement I did in London.”

She reflects on her beginnings and how confused she was when she first moved to the UK. She was never afraid to ask questions and found the teams at University of Gloucestershire helpful and approachable. “I love that the University has a Helpzone on each campus. They will help you whatever silly questions you may have like – where do the buses stop? How can I pay for the bus? How can I get student discount? – I had so many questions and they were always helpful.”

Course

Keerthana describes her course as very practical and engaging. “We had some guest lectures, for example, from Range Rover. The University took us to a football club, to show us how they run the business. There has always been a practical focus to our course. And we have many field trips. I’m going to Barcelona in May. It’s impossible to get bored, to be honest.”

Working and studying

Keerthana knew she wanted to get work experience in the UK and to strengthen her CV. “The team from Your Future Plan is amazing. Before coming to the UK, I didn’t have a CV, I didn’t have any work experience. I had never worked in my life. I didn’t have a LinkedIn profile. So, they helped me a lot through their workshops so that I could compile a CV and a LinkedIn profile with their help.”

Although the beginnings were challenging, she was determined and progressed to the job she enjoys. “The first year was hard because I worked overnight shifts at McDonald’s, and I was constantly tired. Then I changed to retail, which I loved. And then to office work. Currently, I’m working remotely on my computer, it is very flexible, and I enjoy it.”

Moreover, Keerthana was selected as a Student Ambassador and later on as a Senior Student Ambassador for the University, a work experience that has taught her a lot. “It helped me to grow my managerial skills, language skills, people skills.”

Keerthana’s course included a placement year. Though she was successful in securing her placement in U.S, it was cancelled just a few days before departure because of the covid pandemic. Still, Keerthana did not lose hope and created a plan B. Instead, she did a six-month placement in London, a place she had always wanted to live.

“Since I did my placement, I understand what working full time means, so I’m trying to enjoy my third year as much as I can.”

Advice

While she spent her last three years studying and working, Keerthana says it is important to enjoy student life and everything the university has to offer. The Student Union has more than 40 societies that organise regular meetings and events. Therefore, her advice to other students is: “Join societies and clubs. Don’t make the same mistake I did. In my first year I didn’t know about societies and how important they would be. Later, I joined the Bollywood dance society. Societies and clubs are great for making friendships and getting to know other people who are not on your course but have the same hobbies. Just don’t be shy. Get out in the world!”

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is also important for your student experience. Keerthana advises: “I always tell students to live in university accommodation because that’s where you’re going to meet your friends. During my first year I lived in Ermin Halls and then I lived at Blackfriars, both in Gloucester, they were both very nice. Now I’m living privately with my friends.”

Favourite places in Gloucester and Cheltenham

In her free time, Keerthana enjoys hiking at the Robinswood Hill Country Park to see the sunset. But she also loves the hustle and bustle of Gloucester. “I love the city centre. You have everything. All types of shops, from good clothing brands to excellent food restaurants. There’s an Italian restaurant Settebello with proper Italian food. The pizza is just like from Naples.”