Juliet Adu-Gyamfi

What made you apply to City?

When I came to the Open Day, one of the lecturers who delivered the Sociology presentation seemed to be really passionate about the subject. One of the main reasons why I wanted to study Sociology was because of the passion I saw in my A Level teacher which boosted my own passion. When I saw this lecturer showing the same kind of passion, it really drew me to her and ultimately to the university as a whole. Also, looking at the course outline and content, I realised that City offered a much more statistical approach to Sociology, which is something I’ve always really enjoyed. In my second year I took the ‘Quantitative Methods’ pathway to further this aspect while learning the core sociological themes that I’m so passionate about.

Once you'd received offers from different universities how did you make your decision to choose City?

Looking at the course content was very important in my decision. I didn’t want to be in lectures that didn’t tap into something I was interested in and looking at that in detail is why I chose City. Also, the fact that City was part of the Q-step and that being something that I really wanted to pursue, further pushed me to pick City over my other choices. Finally, when I visited the campus, the friendly and welcoming environment was so overpowering, it just made me really want to study here.

What was your favourite thing about studying at City?

My favourite thing about studying at City was the fact that 9 out of 10 resources needed in a lecture or for an essay are available in an online format. This saves you from having to buy or borrow books, you can just have a pdf or a web version which is a lot easier. Even if not available in a digital format, there were usually multiple copies of books in the library so it’s never been an issue getting the resources.

What kind of things were you involved in outside your course?

I have been a marketing student ambassador since my first year of university and this has been a rewarding experience. I was also a Widening Participation tutor and student ambassador. This entails me working as a Maths Tutor with students from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as being with them when they visit the university for taster weeks or taster classes. I’ve had the opportunity to show them that no matter what background you come from, if you really want to go to university, you can.

Have you had the opportunity to do any placements or work experience?

Yes, a part of the Quantitative Methods pathway I was on, in the second term of your second year you are put on a 11 week placement at a statistical based company. I was fortunate enough to do it at the European Social Survey, which is based at City’s Centre for Comparative Studies (Rhind Building). Here I worked with a number of talented staff looking at past and current waves of the survey and creating some very interesting statistics. I also had the opportunity to do a summer internship with the European Social Survey working on several aspects of the survey.

What would be your top tip for our applicants?

Before making any final decision, make sure you visit the university and have an in-depth look at what the course and the modules include. You don’t want to be on a course that doesn’t interest you because when things get tough, as they will do, you will need that passion you have for the subject or the course to push you to the finish line.