Olivia’s Universify story, discovering her passion for Politics

‘I AM NOW STUDYING BA POLITICS AND SOCIOLOGY WITH PROFICIENCY IN RUSSIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER AND KNOW THAT IN PART I OWE THIS TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNIVERSIFY PROGRAMME AND ITS LASTING IMPACT ON MY GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.’

I took part in the Universify programme as part of the 2017/18 cohort, the programme consolidating my want to attend university and introducing me directly to the type of study I wished to enter into. The experience not only helped in building my academic confidence but in introducing me to new friends and building a network of peers with similar aspirations to my own, alleviating much of the social anxiety I had previously experienced in relation to meeting new people within academic environments. Most distinctly the subject sessions offered as part of the programme geared me to towards the social sciences as the discipline with which I most connected, influencing not only my A Level choices but my degree subject. After completing the Universify programme I found that what had been a personal interest in Politics was something I wished to place much stronger focus on, taking it upon myself to volunteer in my MP’s office for a year as well as entering into Model UN during my time at Sixth Form. I am now studying BA Politics and Sociology with Proficiency in Russian at the University of Exeter and know that in part I owe this to the influence of the Universify programme and its lasting impact on my goals and achievements.

Olivia completed the Universify programme in 2017-18. She volunteered for our alumni panel as part of Cohort 5’s Universify 2020 summer course online, sharing her advice and guidance from her experience of the programme and applying it to university.