Harriet reflected on her Summer School programme and shared some insights into her daily life on her degree course. Read on to find out more.

 

What does a typical day look like for you?

“My classes begin at 8am in the morning until 2pm in the afternoon. Evidently, this is a long time to be constantly learning one language for. After class, I complete all of the preparation work for the next day. If I have time after that, I will explore Amman and all of its sights, including the Citadel, the Roman Theatre, and its many galleries of which the majority are free for students studying at Qasid.“

What’s the best thing about what your currently doing?

“The best thing about where I am right now is the fact that I am surrounded by other people who are passionate about Arabic. I have met so many people who I will remember for the rest of my life, and it has massively extended my network. For example, I have met lots of people from London universities including SOAS and UCL, as well as people from other universities including the University of Manchester and the University of St Andrews.”

Tell us a bit about your background:

“I am a farmers daughter from a small town in Staffordshire, the West Midlands. Having loved school for the entirety of my life, it was only natural for me to exceed in my GCSE’s and A-Levels and to progress onto university, which was a very different story when compared with that of my mum and dad, who both only share a few GCSE’s between them, as well as the odd O-Level. My mum and dad are immensely proud of me and everything that I have achieved, but have been unable to help me financially when it came to rent and life expenses, so my maximum student loan has helped out massively.“

How did you hear about the Sutton Trust and what led you to apply?

“I first heard about the Sutton Trust when I was in Year 12 and my tutor at the time recommended the Summer School programme to me as a good way to spend some time at a Russell Group university. I was accepted onto the University of Bristol Summer School, but unfortunately it was online that year due to Covid-19. I did not let this ruin my experience, however, and successfully completed the Summer School which awarded me a contextual offer of BBB into the University of Bristol. Although I did not, in the end, choose the University of Bristol, it gave me the motivation to aim high when it came to my future, which is why I ended up at the University of Durham. A few years later, I was then successful on the Opportunity Bursary programme which allowed me to complete an online German language course to get me up to speed with my fellow classmates that were able to go to Germany during the Summer when I had to work.“

What do you remember about your time on your Sutton Trust programme?

“I remember vividly feeling very comfortable with other people from both of my Sutton Trust programmes, as they all shared parts of my background. People from my home town rarely progress on to Russel group universities, instead preferring to stay at universities close to home, so I did not have much in common with them. In comparison to the University of Durham, however, whereby there is a huge percentage of students that went to private schools or grammar schools, I don’t really feel like I fit in much there, either. When it comes to the Sutton Trust, the people within it are so down to earth which is why I continue to keep in contact with the organisation and its people.“

Did you know what you wanted to do for a career before university? Did your Sutton Trust programme help shape that decision?

It has always been the case that I am unsure of what career path I want to go down. I am hoping that by the end of my year abroad this year that I will have a clearer idea of what I want to achieve and what I would define success as being. My Sutton Trust programmes have allowed me to aim higher, without a shadow of a doubt.

Any other reflections or memories you’d like to share?

“I was also lucky enough to be mentored by somebody from JP Morgan as another bonus of being successful in my Opportunity Bursary application. My mentor inspired me to challenge myself more, which is why I am now aiming to find internships that I would not previously have considered myself good enough for, such as with the Civil Service.“

If, like Harriet, you’d like to share your story with us – just get in touch with the alumni team via [email protected].

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