Katie
Parry

Why did you choose to study your course at Brackenhurst?

Brackenhurst is well-known for its environmental courses and has knowledgeable staff and lecturers to teach the students. The campus on Brackenhurst is incredible and allows a wide range of practical sessions to be run on site. The campus offers a wide range of different habitats which is great for a countryside management course which you get the chance to work with and maintain.

Tell us more about your course. What do you enjoy studying the most?

This course is great for hands-on experience. Not only do you learn a lot during the lectures but also get to use this knowledge during practical sessions such as; hedge-laying, surveying and even tractor driving. The course offers a wide range of practicals which help to build up skills and experience. So far within this course, I have already learnt so many new skills including, chemical spraying, slab laying, strimming and the laws and legislations revolving around the countryside.

What do you think about the facilities available on your course and what do you use the most?

There are lots of facilities available on site that are accessible to all students. There is a library which has study rooms that can be booked for a quite study session or meetings. There are also laptops that can be rented for certain amounts of time and over the weekend too. The library is split into different sections based on the noise level. This is great as people who are on a break and chatting with friends can be in one area whilst others who are studying and need a quite environment can be in the other and this works really well. There is also a hall where students can sit with friends and have a break, this also has a kitchen space with microwaves and other kitchen appliances. There are a few car parks on campus too, some of which have barriers installed and can only be accessed through a student card which helps to keep the cars safe and secure. There are a few gardens around the site as well that are great for walking around or for somewhere to sit to have a break. There are a couple of cafes and a shop that sell a wide range of food and drinks (hot or cold) as well as stationary for students.

What do you think about Brackenhurst Campus? What do you get up to in your spare time?

The Brackenhurst campus is amazing so I quite often will go on walks around the woodlands and farmlands between my lectures. I sometimes arrive early and have a wander before the day starts. The library is always a good place to go to study and get some work done too. The walled garden is also a lovely place to have a break. The college also do Wellbeing Wednesdays, which are activities that take place after lectures have finished once a week. These are good as it allows students to have a go at doing something new and spend time with friends whilst also meeting new ones. These activities can be anything from karaoke to donkey grooming.

Have you had any support from other departments? How was your experience accessing these/was the service helpful?

I recently booked a careers appointment as I wanted some help and advice on deciding what was the best route to take after this course and to help find a job role that I may be interested in doing in the future. It was really easy to get this booked and the team were really helpful. They were very informative and took into consideration my thoughts and concerns about certain jobs. It was a massive help and I definitely had a better understanding of what steps would be best to take. I also find it really helpful that you can book as many appointments as necessary and you are not limited to a certain amount.

What is your top tip for someone considering studying at Brackenhurst Campus?

I found it helpful to start volunteering before starting the course. This just helps to get a good understanding of what sort of work is involved and helps you to figure out what sort of work wear you might need such as steel toe capped boots or gloves. When completing the course, you also have to do work experience, by volunteering this will help to gain contacts and make it easier to find somewhere to do this. It is also a good idea to plan how you are going to get to campus and what route you will need to take.

Have you been involved in any placements, work experience or volunteering as part of your course? If so, what did you do and what did you achieve? 

Throughout the course, you need to complete 300 hours of work experience. This is good as it allows you to expand your skills and knowledge whilst working in a different setting. It also helps to build contacts which can be useful in the future. By doing this, you are also gaining more experience which will help you in future roles. During my placement, I did lots of maintenance work including making and fixing fences and helping to build structures for children also. I was able to use a wide range of machinery and hand tools also and learnt lots of new skills.

Why would you recommend your course to someone considering studying it?

By completing this course, you can learn so much about a topic that you are interested in and can get hands-on experience. You also get to meet new people and build up friendships within the course. The lectures who teach the course are knowledgeable and engaging and are always willing to help and support you with any concerns and struggles you may have. During the course you also get to go on trips to do more activities like invasive species management and surveying.

What are your plans for after the course and how do you feel your course has/will help you to achieve that goal?

During this course, I have learnt and discovered lots more job roles that I am interested in which I didn’t know existed before which will be beneficial in the future when finding a job and career path. This course has inspired me to further develop my skills and knowledge and has also inspired me to travel to other parts of the world where I could work and experience different management techniques and have the chance to work with other animals that are not found in the UK, therefore, I would like to go to university and complete a degree level course and study abroad. I feel the course has given me a good understanding of the basics of countryside management and so I feel more confident to go to university knowing a little bit more about the topic that I did before.

Any additional comments?

One final thing about Brackenhurst campus is the security. There are loads of cameras around the site and there are also post where you can go and speak to a member of the security staff if you have a problem. This makes students feel a lot safer around campus. At night, the campus is also well lit so once again gives a good sense of security to students.