Will’s story
My internship was a great way to bridge the gap between student life and a graduate career. The entire experience illustrated how everything you learn at Sussex can translate into the workplace, and definitely broadened my future ambitions.” Will Hanson
Geography BA
“I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue Geography, but the bigger question was choosing where to study.
I’ve always been drawn to the human side of geography because I enjoy exploring topics like economics, history and culture. Many courses are pretty rigid in terms of modules, but Sussex gave me options – their Geography BA was really flexible and offered a range of electives I could pick and choose from. I grew up in Norfolk and love the outdoors, so the idea of studying in the South Downs also really appealed to me.
One of the major highlights of my degree was definitely the fieldwork. In my first year, we had the chance to discover the local area, which was a great way to learn more about Brighton while getting to know other students on my course. I was also lucky enough to visit Rhodes, where we put our learning into practice. Having the chance to explore topics like tourism and climate change in context demonstrated just how interconnected everything is.
Sussex offers so much support and so many opportunities, both within and beyond your course. In my third year, I became more involved with Careers and Entrepreneurship initiatives, and I wish I’d started sooner. I took part in the Student Consultancy programme, attended networking events and learned more about internships, which encouraged me to apply for a five-week placement at the Brighton Dome.
I gained a lot from the experience. Sustainability was the major thread throughout my projects and I liked that no two days were the same. I had the chance to work across a range of departments and took part in lots of different tasks, like calculating the carbon footprint of the entire Dome complex, suggesting ways to streamline procurement processes, shaping social media messaging and even assessing the environmental credentials of beer suppliers, which was really fun.
My colleagues were incredibly supportive and I learnt a lot from them. I also felt like they appreciated my external perspective and encouraged me to challenge their existing approaches to sustainability. Being able to collaborate with so many different teams, including senior management, also strengthened my ability to articulate my ideas and gave a much clearer sense of the possibilities open to me.
I think my internship was a great way to bridge the gap between student life and a graduate career. The entire experience illustrated how everything you learn at Sussex can translate into the workplace and definitely broadened my future ambitions.
My advice to new students is simple: even if you’re not sure about something, sign up anyway. Be willing to try new things, meet new people and get involved. Having a can-do attitude can take you a long way – in my experience, at least!
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