Becka Savill - Realising university means more than a degree

I am originally from Luton and I didn’t know a lot about Leicester until I started looking at universities – and even then, it wasn’t really a city I seriously considered moving to.

If I’m honest, I had a vision for what I thought student life should look like and I wasn’t sure De Montfort University was the right fit. I thought I needed to choose a university that ticked certain boxes if I wanted to do well.

Luckily, my parents convinced me to visit DMU for an Open Day.

I will never forget stepping foot onto the campus for the first time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. And that’s something that I’m still astounded by to this day. It really feels like everyone is so happy to be here.

Within a few hours, I had fallen in love. I left the Open Day starry eyed, telling my parents that I had to study at DMU. It completely changed my whole outlook on universities and I just had a really good feeling about it.

And so, I accepted my place to study Psychology.

It was hard moving away at first. I am the oldest sibling in my family and had never lived away from home. Before I came to DMU, I guess like a lot of 17-year-olds, I was quite sheltered by my parents. I was really nervous but I wound up living in a flat with two really outgoing student nurses, so I quickly settled in.

I surprised myself with how brave I felt at DMU. But that’s because there are so many opportunities available. I have met such a diverse group of friends from the different extracurricular activities that DMU has to offer.

I joined the Korean Culture society and made new friends that way. I even took up taekwondo! I got to know new people with similar interests to me.

In my first year I went on a DMU Global trip to Seoul in South Korea. It was the first time I had ever travelled abroad without my family – another new, eye-opening experience for me.

I also did an internal placement with the Careers Team, helping other students to secure external placements and work experience of their own, and I took up a job as a student ambassador – something I never would have had the confidence to do before joining DMU.  

Thinking back to when I was applying to university, I was very stubborn about what I thought made a university a good choice.

In reality, and with the benefit of hindsight, I now know that what made DMU a good choice for me is that it is a vibrant, happy and diverse environment where I have been able to flourish.

Getting a good degree has always been the end goal but I never realised university would open so many other doors and help me grow like it has.

I feel like I got the reins to my life while studying at DMU.

I went from being a timid young girl to a social butterfly.

DMU is not perfect, but it’s been perfect for me.