Andreea
Mihailescu

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I started looking for universities outside of Romania, my home country, two years before I finished high school. This would be equivalent to A Levels in the UK. Our high school organised a trip to an international university fair. NTU had a stand there; I took a prospectus and some other brochures they had available and moved on to the other stands. In the end I looked at about 25 universities from all around Europe and collated them all in a spreadsheet to help me compare them all by criteria such as location, fees, student satisfaction rating, entry requirements, TEF Gold or Silver awards, and facilities. This last one becomes important as the Animal, Poultry and Equine units played a big part in me choosing NTU as my university of choice on UCAS. NTU really fit what I was looking for in a university - my course of choice (BSc Animal Biology) would be based at Brackenhurst, an amazing rural campus, close to a small but equally gorgeous village of Southwell. And I was excited that I could volunteer and spend time with animals on site, not having to travel anywhere. I also just loved that we had horses on campus. For some reason no other universities had horses. I was accepted on a conditional offer, and I was pretty confident I could meet the requirements. A few months later I took my baccalaureate exam and was very excited to find out that I’d got the required grade and that I needed to go to university!

What did you learn - both inside and outside of lectures?

My course provided a sound base of both practical and theoretical knowledge for an Animal Scientist. I really enjoyed my classes, especially due to the amazing teaching staff that lead them. Even through the pandemic, I noticed our lecturers going above and beyond to help us connect with each other in first year, when all classes were online. I also learnt a new lab skill for every single laboratory class I had throughout my three years at NTU!

Outside lectures, the most exciting and educating events organised by the university included a full lambing experience, calving experience, an opportunity to attend routine dental procedures on the university horses, and an evening of guest talks. These were all great opportunities to connect and network with specialists from all kinds of backgrounds – critical when deciding which career path to follow.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I currently work for Anpario PLC, a feed additive manufacturer and distributor based in Nottinghamshire, which exports to 80+ countries. I had seen the post opening advertised on LinkedIn through my network and I have heard of the company before. The job title is Regulations and Technical Support Specialist. I thought to myself that I have no idea if I’m qualified to do anything like that, but it was looking promising as I wanted to pursue something in the field of animal nutrition. Natural feed additives that aid nutrition was something I therefore was very interested in. We develop and manufacture a range of products, from acid-based Eubiotics, to Omega-3 premixes, and our premium oregano oil based powder premix which boosts productivity by supporting the gut. I therefore feel very grateful that I have the opportunity to do something I enjoy on the daily.

What does your current day involve?

My daily tasks mainly consist of checking my emails, advising clients, attending project meetings, handling and collating signatures, handling product formulations and technical data. Not one day is the same in this role. I am still learning and developing every single day through discussions with colleagues, managers and directors.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

I only started this position for a few months, but one of the biggest highlights so far was when I found out I will be attending my first scientific conference with my colleague this spring. One of my biggest challenges was definitely the first couple weeks of my job, when I was questioning whether I was qualified enough to do the job. There was just so much to do and learn! And on top of that, we have had unexpected staff absences which have resulted in extra workload being given to me. I didn’t mind, I knew I learnt better by doing anyway, so I pushed through and it all went well in the end.

What are your plans for the future?

I am not very sure, the plan is to wait and see what opportunities appear and just enjoy being settled into a job for a while. I will be looking into possibly pursuing a PhD or Masters at some point, it would be lovely to return to NTU for my further education.

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at NTU?

Attend as many events as you can, such as NTSU events, library events, guest talks and volunteering opportunities. Take networking seriously from the start - it goes a long way. I would also tell myself that it gets easier. When I was stressing over assignments, I felt like that would be the biggest deal in the world, but it wasn’t.