RGU student Gail shares her career journey living across different countries and her decision to go to university years later to study the online Business Management course to fit around her busy life.
A bit about me and my career
My journey back to education has been a long and convoluted one. Towards the end of high school, I applied to university as that was the “done thing”, but I ultimately decided that higher education was not the right path for me. At that stage, I thought that I would never pursue further formal education.
My career since leaving school has seen me grow exponentially, personally as well as professionally. It hasn’t always been linear – I never thought I would learn much working on a cattle station in Australia or in a factory in New Zealand, but these are some of the experiences that I look back on and can see how much I grew.
This growth was really kickstarted when I found the tourism industry. I started out as a cleaner in a hostel in Brisbane and from there progressed to a supervisor role, and then on to managing a hostel. After a while, I found myself taking a step back from the customer facing side of tourism and I am now an Organisational Development Manager for a leading online travel agent.
Deciding to go to university
I have learned a lot through life experience and on the job training, however, over the course of a few years, I began to realise how beneficial formal learning may be to my career development. Especially exposing me to aspects of business that I may not yet have experience in and may not get the chance to in my current role.
After doing a LOT of research, I found the Business Management online course at RGU and it was like a light switched on. A course that I could fit around work as well as life sounded almost too good to be true.
My experience studying the Business Management online course
I’m not going to lie, heading back to school as a *ahem* mature student, was daunting and I definitely doubted myself. But the team at the Aberdeen Business School alleviated those fears from the very beginning.
The course has been inclusive, informative and I have really enjoyed learning from the team. The discussions within the class push people out of their comfort zones just enough to really get the best out of them. The flexibility of online learning has meant that I can watch lectures in my own time and at my own pace and with a busy life, this has been key to my enjoyment of this course so far.
I always like to challenge myself and I have found that this course has been the perfect thing for my life right now. Coming to this with work and life experience has added a layer of depth to my learning that I don’t think I would have had, had I gone to higher education back when I was 18.
Doing this course has made me realise that it’s never too late to invest in yourself and that is something I will carry with me for a long time.
Fine Art student Kirsty shares her journey from studying an undergraduate degree in Painting at Gray’s School of Art, RGU, to staying for a master’s to develop her research and practice further.
Starting my art journey at RGU
When choosing what university to study at, I had a bit of a hard time making the decision, mainly because it was during COVID-19 which meant that I couldn’t visit the University for its open days. Still, I was able to visit Aberdeen and something about the campus and university was a big draw for me without having entered the buildings. It felt like Aberdeen had a comfortable balance between being a city and having places to go that felt quieter and more relaxed. I grew up in a small town and spent a lot of time in rural areas so I liked having the mix.
Once I had decided to move to Aberdeen and study at Gray’s School of Art, I couldn’t have been happier with my decision. I had so many worries about what studying art would really be like, whether I would receive harsh criticism, would my work be ‘good enough’, would I fit in? I had a lot of doubts but in reality, it could not have been further from that.
Whilst we [students] do have feedback and ‘crits’ with staff and peers, it has always been very constructive and given in a way that helps us improve and work towards a vision. It has also opened my eyes to much bigger and broader ideas that I hadn’t even considered, and my work began to change immensely for what I believe is the better. My research became something I really enjoyed and it began to drive my work, which was not necessarily the case before as I always struggled with reading, but once I found the texts and research topic that interested me, it became easier.
My experience on the Painting course
The painting lecturers were phenomenal at providing support. Helping me sort out the formalities in my work and honing me in on making my exhibitions make more sense has been very helpful and ultimately is what guided me towards such a successful degree show with two awards (RSA New Contemporaries & RGU Art and Heritage Collection).
I gained a lot of confidence through being able to speak in depth about my work and that is why I also took a chance in my final year of undergraduate to apply to various awards, residencies and opportunities alongside the ones that are arranged by Gray’s. I didn’t necessarily think I would win any, but I had the confidence to at least apply and try. With that, I managed to get an award with Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST). This has allowed me to undertake two courses learning how to make natural pigments, inks, dyes, natural tools and so on, which I am now doing alongside my master’s programme (many of these opportunities were sign posted by lecturers on our Moodle).
Choosing to come back to Gray’s to study a master’s in Fine Art
So, what I am trying to say is that my undergraduate studies really put me in good stead for going on to do a postgraduate course. One of the things that really led me in the direction of the master’s in Fine Art is, that during my undergraduate course, I discovered a great interest in my area of study into Scottish culture and plants.
I felt that, while I was really happy with my dissertation in 4th year, there was also so much more information and research I did that could not fit, and I wanted to continue my research with the support of an institution like Gray’s where I have access to tutors’ advice. Also, I thought there was so much more to explore within my creative practice as well – hence applying for the QEST funding.
I knew there was so much more to learn and I wanted to have an environment where I could continue to do that.
Differences between undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Gray’s
The biggest difference I have noticed is that the undergraduate course really focused on finding your area of interest. There was a focus on experimenting with various ideas with a wide array of possibilities for where your work can go, and then having those one-to-one chats with your personal tutor to help see what, out of everything you are learning, actually interests you as an individual as well as giving us advice for how we can better curate our work and connect everything together.
A focus on research and practice in the master’s
The classes focused on ‘studio’ and those focused on ‘critical and contextual studies’ (CCS) were also somewhat disparate in the undergraduate. You didn’t necessarily need to connect your CCS research to the work that you were creating in the studio, though some people did, not everyone chose to. What I have noticed most from the postgraduate course is that CCS and studio have become much more linked.
The master’s continues to introduce us to more research areas and topics with somewhat more challenging texts to read, and there is a good level of independent study whilst still having quite a lot of student-tutor contact. Because I have that background of having done my undergraduate, I am confident in what I am currently doing in the master’s, which allows me to work more independently.
I know what area of study I am interested in at this point, and what I am learning from the master’s is expanding upon the research I did in the undergraduate, and developing upon my studio practice as well. The undergraduate got me to a stage where I finally found out what I wanted to do with my art and it was really just the beginning of my more refined art practice that I am delving deeper into now.
Because I have such a strong interest in my research area, I have even considered going on to do a PhD in the topic area of Scottish Culture and plant connections with a dream of one day writing a book. This is something I never would have considered doing in the past but with the support of lecturers and fellow students too, I feel like it is an opportunity that would be really interesting and exciting as it would allow me the time to create something in a supported environment, which would be much harder to do on my own out with the University.
A quieter environment
The classes are smaller in the postgraduate course, with a much quieter environment than what you have at undergraduate level. The positive side of this is getting to know a wide range of new people from different backgrounds. This includes people who perhaps graduated the same year as you, but from a different department within the school, graduated years ago, or in some cases are new to the scene of study but have been a practising artist for many years.
In your postgraduate course, all the different disciplines come together, CAP, Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Fashion, Digital, so it gives such a different perspective. The variety of skills and backgrounds is exciting with the smaller class numbers too as we all get to know each other well and become quite a close little cohort.
Expanding on your artistic practice
Whilst I was able to be quite experimental and playful in my undergraduate, creating sculptures alongside my paintings, within the Fine Art course of the MA I feel that my mixed media approach and creation of different kinds of objects as well as paintings makes more sense being defined within fine art itself than it perhaps did when I was on the painting course.
Alongside this, I have also found myself making much more use of the facilities and workshops available at Gray’s as a master’s student than I did when studying my undergraduate. I am not necessarily sure why I didn’t utilise all the different areas of workshops at Gray’s, perhaps it was because the undergraduate felt more fast-paced in terms of deadlines, but with the master’s introductions/reintroductions to the workshops and facilities, I have found myself experimenting with so many other ways of making.
Why would I recommend a master’s in Fine Arts?
Overall, I really recommend to do the master’s for many reasons. One of those reasons could be the same as my own, that you wish to hone in on your research some more because you felt there was much more you could do with it. Or perhaps you want to develop your artistic practice further because you learned of some new techniques and didn’t get to explore them fully in the undergraduate. Maybe you want to gain more confidence in your work, and I believe there are a lot of nerves that come with leaving art school and the idea of sustaining your practice and finding a job, and you might just want some more time to decide what you want to do. Maybe your goal is to do a PhD and the master’s is a good stepping stone towards that.
Overall, there are many reasons as I said, and I have so far felt that doing the master’s was a good decision for me and has already been so useful in helping me understand what I want and learn more.
RGU offers Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) courses designed around the needs of businesses which allow employees to continue to work while they earn their degree over the course of four years. Emma McGowan, Hire Administrator at STR, is a first-year student on the Business Management GA. She answers our questions about the application process, her experience of the course, and how it has benefitted her and her employer.
How did you first discover RGU’s Graduate Apprenticeship courses?
I first discovered the RGU course when looking for some additional development to expand on my current role. I originally started off looking at the Business Management course at RGU, which I could do online in my spare time. After a conversation with our HR Director Jill, she suggested an alternative version of the course she had recently heard about through Gregg Walker from RGU which would allow me to incorporate my studies with work.
I did some research into it and decided it was something I might be interested in. Gregg came to my workplace to tell me more about the course and to offer me a chance to ask any questions I might have, which I had prepared for.
Can you tell us more about your current role?
My current role at STR is Hire Administrator where I currently deal with the day-to-day admin of our rental equipment as well as the generation of month end invoices. STR are a subsea technology company supporting the energy industry.
How do you think the course will benefit you and your employer?
I hope the course will give me a wider knowledge of the behind-the-scenes workings of the business world. The Graduate Apprenticeship has already given me an insight into areas of the business I wouldn’t have previously been involved in, allowing me to explore new skills and learn new knowledge in different departments of the business.
I believe from taking on this course my employer will see an increase in skill, allowing me to apply my learning into my own role as well as giving suggestions and feedback based on other roles which I collaborate with.
What was your experience like with the application and onboarding process for the course?
The application process was much easier than I had first anticipated, the application form was easy to read and understand. This was then coupled with a copy of my CV and a personal statement. There was no formal interview process as such, myself, my mentor from STR and Gregg had a few meetings between us making sure that the course was the correct fit for me and my employers.
From day 1 of being enrolled on the course I have felt supported by all RGU staff I have come across; all induction information was incredibly clear and all support services very well signposted. The Moodle support page was particularly helpful for me before any of the modules started to give me a feel as to how to use their online services and where to get help if I needed.
I was apprehensive about the induction days, meeting new people and being in a new environment. After the first half an hour of being at the University, I realised everyone was in the same boat and we were all as nervous as each other. I have since formed a good relationship with my study group which I feel has enhanced my experience on the course.
How do you juggle your studies with your full-time work?
I was previously worried about the workload of taking on full time study as well as having a full-time job however, I soon realised that a lot of the work-based learning activities I was able to incorporate into my role with the help of my employer. STR have also been flexible in allowing me to have separated study time to work on my Graduate Apprenticeship, meaning I have felt the transition between full-time learning and full-time work to be easy.
Could you provide examples of how you’ve integrated your studies into your work projects?
The modules have expanded on my communication skills allowing me to integrate new ideas into my workplace. I feel I have had to be more proactive in engaging with other departments at work discussing areas of the business which have innovated new ideas and created efficiency opportunities.
Were there any hurdles in beginning your studies on the Graduate Apprenticeship course, and how have you addressed them?
One of the things I found difficult was the academic writing and referencing part of the assessments. But after discussing with my study group, I found that I wasn’t the only one experiencing this. We shared resources we had found useful from the study skills section of the Moodle as well as accessing support from tutors.
Anything else you would like to add?
RGU has been incredibly supportive so far and I am looking forward to completing the next few years of my course. I feel the content of the course so far has been really interesting and relevant to how I see my professional development progressing going forward.
Emma McGowan
A word from Jill Williamson, HR Director at STR
Engaging with RGU to support Emma to accelerate her learning through the GA programme has been fantastic. Understanding how the course was structured and the supported learning RGU offers was fundamental when we agreed with Emma that this was the right course for both her and STR.
We have worked with Emma to ensure she is able to focus on delivering her role to a high standard in conjunction with her course work and we are exceptionally proud of the commitment she has shown, which has been reflected in her excellent results.
