Calum Langdale
MSc Environmental Management
Scotland
I’ve made use of extra-curricular activities at Stirling as a member of the Mountaineering club, there’s a club and sports team for everyone. From undergraduate, the staff are approachable and friendly and will have time for you to drop in and discuss any questions you have.
What first attracted you to choose the University of Stirling to study your course?
I had studied here from 2011-15 at Undergraduate level and chose the University of Stirling then because of the individual course on offer and the intimacy of studying in a small town and campus-based facility.
Returning to do an MSc, I knew what a great place it was to study and socialise, the campus is friendly and the library/support services are great. The staff are friendly and approachable and go above and beyond prescribed contact time to help.
My course, Environmental Management takes topics touched upon at BSc level and goes further in depth and provides a management based perspective. Additionally there is flexibility to choose topics and research areas that interests you most, which is great.
What specific feature(s) did you like most about the course?
The flexibility you have to tailor topics within modules to your interests for example I took the opportunity to devise my own dissertation research project as opposed to picking from a pre-set list.
The academic staff are great at framing every topic within a future employment scenario and go the extra mile to bring in relevant speakers.
The course also promoted the development of other skills not just coursework or academic writing – a heavy emphasis was put on presentation skills which has certainly had an impact.
What advice would you give to prospective students considering coming to Stirling?
You have lots of time ‘free’ from lectures but keep on top of work.
If you are doing a postgraduate course: make a list of things you wished you had done better at undergraduate and ensure they are done, for me it was getting up early and setting a daily work routine and not leaving hand-ins to the last minute.
Get to know Stirling and the surrounding area, don’t just camp in the library or halls. There are some great hidden places to explore in town, in the surrounding countryside and further afield too.