Kayley Carruthers

BA Sustainable Development

My first year as a student on the BA Sustainable Development Course was an eye-opener. It was amazing to learn about all of the processes involved with studying, how it operates online, and your interaction with students. As an extrovert, I felt a little lonely to begin with because I lacked social interaction, however, as time went on, I learned how to make it work for me. I used discussion forums, joined students, and WhatsApp groups, tried to attend the live sessions whenever possible, and engaged with the tutor any time I had a question. This worked wonders for me, once I had found a rhythm that suited me and the style of learning I enjoyed, everything felt far better. The materials so far have been extremely interesting, and it is not just reading books every night after work, but there are podcasts to listen to on the way to work or walking the dog, short videos to watch and films to enjoy that bring the course more to life. Working full-time and studying is not easy and it requires determination.

You require determination if you wish to work full-time and study part-time, this is essential if it is a route you wish to take. I have had to prioritise my life to the point where ‘free’ time is almost structured.  I have found that 45 minutes before work is when I am best for writing assignments because I am a morning person, however, evenings are best suited for reading and watching whilst taking short notes. You learn a lot about yourself and how to effectively manage your time.  I have found it is best to imagine a two-year course and you get an HNC, then I will re-evaluate my life, decide how the last two years have been studying and then aim to achieve the HND and so on.

If you are considering studying with UHI I would highly recommend it! It has transformed my life, opened my eyes to real-world issues that need to be addressed and we are the only ones who can do that! Learning in courses, such as the BA Sustainable Development Degree, is the key to helping solve the global climate crises and changing mindsets. This course, despite being early in it, has shown me how I can think critically about these issues and allows my ideas to come to the table where previously I had my head buried in the sand without even realising it.

Study with us - BA Sustainable Development