Katie Armitage

When choosing what to study at university, I decided to start with what I’m passionate about. I’ve always loved watching sport and knew I wanted to work in the industry. Marketing felt like a natural fit for me due to its creativity and the opportunities it offers to use communication and interpersonal skills.

University has been the best experience of my life, and I encourage anyone who has ever considered studying a degree to do so. Due to Covid-19, I didn’t start at Edge Hill until I was 20 (coming up to 21). I was initially worried that, as someone who wasn’t an 18-year-old fresher coming straight from sixth form, I might struggle to fit in or face challenges adjusting. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was more motivation to study and work hard and I have made some friends for life.

I visited several universities – some had courses that were interesting, and others had nice accommodation. However, Edge Hill had everything I was looking for. I liked the vibe of the modern campus, which contained everything I needed, and my course was really appealing. My favourite place to study is sitting overlooking the Chancellor’s South Lake from upstairs in the Catalyst.

The top three skills I have gained on my degree are:

• The ability to network with strangers.
• Learning to adapt quickly to situations.
• I have learnt to multitask when working to deadlines.

In Year 2 I selected the Graduate Enterprise module, which is a module available for all business students. This module runs as part of international competition, where students form teams to create businesses. I was fortunate enough to go on to become a regional and national finalist. I’ve loved the range of modules to choose from.

To anyone considering studying marketing at Edge Hill, I would say come and visit the university campus and the department and speak to the lecturers. By visiting this you get a real sense of whether this is the right fit for you as a university and as a course. The team of lecturers for marketing are very friendly and approachable. What I love specifically is how close they are as a department, and nothing is ever too much trouble for their students.

I’ve had support from Edge Hill throughout my degree. In first year, the SpLD team arranged an official assessment for me where I was diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia. Following this, they have supported me through providing coloured overlays, creating a Student Support Plan and giving me exam modifications such as use of a laptop, individual room and extra time. This has really been of great benefit to me during my time at university. The level of care and support for students, especially when living on campus was excellent. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. Any maintenance issues were always thoroughly and swiftly dealt with.

I would like to pursue a career in the sport industry, working for PR, media, or events team.