Katie Duxbury: Without my placement year, I don’t think I would have as much certainty about where I want my career to go

When I was in my final year at college, I still felt very lost and unsure about what I wanted to do and didn’t know if I even wanted to go to university.

However, I loved my college media studies course and knew that I wanted to go down a creative route for my future career, so I chose to look further into this.

I started applying to universities and visited many, but didn’t fall in love with them and it made my decision no easier. I then visited the University of Portsmouth and instantly loved the lively energy and the campus feel of the university. After visiting the Media Studies building, I knew this was the right place for me and I’ve never looked back.

Each year of my course has given me a new perspective to Media Studies, and I was lucky enough to work in industry during my placement year at Vacherin in 2018, where I took on the role of their marketing assistant. This was of great value to me, gaining experience of working in a real-life company, and the opportunity allowed me to learn new skills in a professional setting. I made invaluable contacts there and can now move forward with a better insight into what is expected.

Vacherin also nominated me for Best Placement Student of the Year 2018, an award that recognises the significant contributions students make during their placement year. This was exciting for me and I was even lucky enough to win the award; it is one of my proudest moments of university.

After graduation, I plan to move into the marketing industry. With this in mind, Vacherin have recently offered me a job when I graduate. This will hopefully lead to even more opportunities and without my placement year, I don’t think I would have as much certainty about where I want my career to go.