My name is Gianmarco Tortora, I am a BSc (Hons) Banking & Finance student and a Course Rep for my department. Here I am going to share what makes my experience of studying Banking & Finance motivating and enjoyable:
STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE
In the first year, of study I am learning all the finance-related subjects’ fundamentals, which are essential to start a career in the financial industry. This is giving me an idea of what I love most and want to specialise in. In fact, in the following years, within the optional modules, there would be a further level of each subject, apart from the compulsory ones.
EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT
Each module is structured with engaging lectures taught by experienced academic staff which means that they are able to bring the subjects to life by creating debates and discussions on the specific topics. Lectures are followed-up by seminars, which allows for further discussion with other students to share and compare ideas; this has really improved my learning!
HELP FROM MY TUTOR
Although I feel like I get all the support needed from my lecturers regarding the modules; my personal tutor is like a mentor. They give me an effective one-to-one contact and can help with issues such as coping with stress, planning my studying routine, and many other tips that are helping me to be more efficient and get better results.
CAMPUS AND FACILITIES
All Cardiff Met campuses are well equipped to satisfy every student’s needs. There are plenty of public computers available for study and research. There are also many study rooms including quiet rooms, and rooms that can be booked for private or group study. My favourite facility has to be the gyms on both campuses which are free for students where I usually workout after my uni day.
WORK EXPERIENCE FROM THE BEGINNING
Doing internships and work experience from the first year is crucial if you want to be more employable at the end of your studies. Cardiff Met have given me plenty of opportunity for this. This summer, I will be doing 10 weeks of work experience in Malta, through an agency that works with the University. That drastically increases my motivation, as well as ambition and self-esteem.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Cardiff Met offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and I am taking full advantage of that, to gain as many skills as possible and make the most out of my University adventure. This year, I have attended a Chinese class every Wednesday, as well as enrolling on to a Microsoft Specialist Office Excel and PowerPoint course, which will give me a recognised certificate and enhance my CV.