Making the call

Lilly applied to study at university as her next step in higher education. But it didn't initially work out as she'd planned. “I did really well in my A-levels and got into the University of York to do Law. But I didn’t enjoy it. It was a mix of living away from home and not being that keen on the course,” Lilly says. “I went back for my second year but wasn’t there for more than a week before I realised I couldn’t stay there for another three years. I’d had a really long summer as well because of Covid, but I got there and just thought this isn’t for me.”

So, Lilly returned home and decided to research all the universities that she could commute to from home, and decided that Derby offered the perfect balance.

“I called the Clearing hotline and explained my situation. The person I spoke to was so friendly and helpful. They went through what I got for my A-levels and said straight away that they could offer me a place. They were great on the phone. I didn’t have to pull teeth – it was faultless.”

Lilly recognises that Clearing can be an anxious time. “I remember my emotions were heightened at that time. The word Clearing is thrown around a lot and as soon as you hear the word you think “oh my gosh”. But it helped a lot that it was a relatively simple process.”

Choosing Derby

Making the decision to switch from studying Law to Business Management was an easy decision for her.

“After looking at a number of different courses I just thought “let’s do Business Management”. My mum had studied it, I thought I’d probably enjoy it and it felt like a broad subject area which will help me keep my career options open.

“I remember looking and being thrilled that the course was majority coursework based. I looked at other universities in the area and none of them quite fitted what I wanted to do. Derby’s degree had a good mix of everything – marketing, finance, accounting and other areas.”

Another thing that appealed to Lilly was the option to choose a pathway. “It meant I could specialise in one area,” she says. “I’d spoken to law firms and their graduate teams, and I remember thinking that I wasn’t interested in law, but I was interested in the people I was talking to and their roles in recruitment. I loved the idea of speaking to prospective employees.”

"I was impressed"

When she stepped foot on campus for the first time, Lilly was blown away.

“I didn’t know anything about Derby before. I ended up choosing here because it was practical and the course was the best fit for me, but I didn’t look at what was on offer before applying. So I was impressed when I saw the facilities here.” Lilly says: “I’d only been down the road and hadn’t acknowledged having the University on my doorstep! I loved the library too and the amount of eBooks available. It was so much simpler than what I’d been used to.”

Lilly settled into life at the University of Derby straight away. “Business Management is a big cohort but the course has always felt personable. I still found you could speak to a lecturer and they took the time to get to know me. Going to uni is massive – it’s such a step up from A-levels. There’s less hand-holding. Although Derby gave me a lot of resources and helped me.”

She credits her positive experience with the University to the support she received from her Personal Academic Tutor (PAT). “My lecturer, Sheena Bevvit, was absolutely amazing. She spoke to me about things that I could put in place to help me and offered for me to come and talk to her whenever I wanted. This kind of support makes a lot of difference to people starting at uni. And it was a major reason for me staying here and carrying on.”

Taking a placement year

After completing the first two years of her degree, Lilly went on a placement at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“I joined the Service Development Team as an Organisational Development Administrator. It was amazing. It really built my confidence and overlapped perfectly with my interest in HR," she says. "I always said I wouldn't do a placement year, however, I quickly realised how much it could help with my future career. I gained practical experience, was able to apply the theory I had learned in my modules and networked with industry professionals."

And any concerns about returning back to university for her final year were soon alleviated. “Going back to uni for my fourth year after my placement was seamless. You think you’ll forget everything but I got straight into the swing of it."

Commuting to university

Lilly feels there’s some negativity around staying at home whilst studying a degree. “Commuting and staying at home whilst you study at university has a massive stigma. But I’ve had a great experience and have made friends who all commute in. I feel like school and college pushes you towards certain universities but these were a little out of my comfort zone. I ended up following my heart and chose a university and course that was the right fit for me.”

Her advice for people considering the same mode of study? “There are other people that will be in your position. I made friends quickly and you get to know people who live in halls. Don’t be scared of the fact that you might not have gone down the traditional route and moved away.”

What does the future hold?

Lilly’s next steps are to work in HR (human resources) management. “I’m going into a graduate role in September in HR at Barratt Developments. This course and pathway has massively helped me to get there. I enjoyed the HR modules the most on my degree and was able to use terms in my interview that I’d learned through my modules. I’m looking forward to getting some life experience in that area and seeing where it takes me.”

Despite achieving a first in her degree and winning five awards including CIPD Student of the Year and the Chartered Management Institute prize for best performing Business Management student, Lilly is humble when she considers her biggest success.

“I’m most proud of just getting my degree. I had such a bumpy road trying out somewhere else first. I’m just happy I got through it.”