Is this the end or a new beginning?

Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Diego

Now that the end of term has gone, with exams finished and coursework handed in, you’ve finally reached the finish line!  And with the Olympics happening, there will be plenty of time to enjoy watching them.

 

But it's not quite ‘all over’ yet. It will really help you if you view the next few weeks as a new beginning too. The reasons why are as follows. Firstly, it would be good to spend time reflecting on what you have found interesting, challenging or dull this year and why. The reason? By reflecting on the knowledge gained this year you can decide if or how you could use it in a potential career. Does the thought of using what you’ve learnt about equine nutrition, landscape design or commercial horticulture excite you?  What does this tell you about your career aspirations?  Do you need to talk this through with your tutor or Careers Adviser? 

Secondly, it is not just about the knowledge that you have learnt.  It’s useful to reflect how your skills have developed this year.  This is equally as important as reflecting on your knowledge.  Employers and universities want to see that you can identify and apply the skills you’ve gained to a new situation, e.g. a job or a postgraduate course.  Not only is it important to show others you can do this, but it is crucial for you too.  Why?  Because you need to be able to compare what you have to offer to what an employer or university are asking for.  If you can’t demonstrate that you are a good match, an employer or course scheme manager won’t do this for you.  So part of this ‘looking back’ is about applying this to developing your career/study plans for the future.





Planning ahead will help you graduate!

Are you wondering about whether to use the knowledge and skills you’re gaining or if there’s a ‘better something’ out there?  Within each degree area there will be a variety of related and unrelated careers or further study you could go into.  About 80% of graduate jobs don’t require a specific degree subject, so you could apply for any number of interesting graduate schemes or jobs.  Roughly 10% of graduates will get onto a graduate scheme, often these schemes do not want a specific subject.  There are a huge number of SME (small and medium enterprises) who are very keen to take on students who have developed graduate level skills, in a variety of career ideas.  Just being a graduate itself will give you plenty of skills and experience which will be appreciated by employers if you can present them well enough.



Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Petey21

So, the end of this academic year is here, and the beginning of the future is just around the corner!  Is this true for everyone?  If you are finishing your degree course, the answer will be an obvious yes.  But if you are in your first or second year, it is also worth viewing this summer as a new beginning too.  Doing an audit will help you identify what opportunities might be worth targeting to develop your skills or test out your newly acquired knowledge over the next academic year.

 

Your career is going to last a very long time, and it can take time to find the ‘perfect’ career or vacancy - this won’t always happen straight after university.  Did you know you can use the College careers service for up to 3 years after finishing your course?  Careers support is often about helping students audit themselves, to develop their own career management skills.  And you can use the service forever if you are an employer looking to fill a vacancy in the future!  So, whatever year you are in, now is a good time to celebrate the end and start to plan for the beginning.

Written by Mark Yates, Careers Coordinator

What it's like being a Horticultural student at Writtle...

Samuel Moore tells us what first interested him in Horticulture, and how he pursued his passion for plants by studying Horticulture at Writtle College. During his time at the College, Samuel, along with his classmates, has achieved many prestigious awards including 'Best in Show' at the Ideal Home Show earlier this year. But you'll see from Samuel's blog below, their success didn't end there! 
 

The only way in which my horticultural education experience can be best be described is 'magical'.

I first became interested in learning about plants and gardens when I was around about 15; this cumulated in myself studying an ICS Diploma in Garden Planning and Development and this allowed me to progress into studying at Writtle College.

I was offered a place on the Level 1 in Horticulture, but just a few days into the course the experienced and supportive staff at Writtle felt that I was capable to undertake my studies at level 2.  I learnt many practical skills and the theory behind their practise which enabled me to progress on to the level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture.

Samuel (right) and classmates at the Ideal Home Show

My time at Writtle College has enabled me to take advantage of a some fantastic experiences that all of the horticultural departments have made possible.  From designing and building a show garden at the prestigious Ideal Home Exhibition, to representing Writtle at the National Final IOH 'Young Horticulturalist of the Year'.   

Entering ‘Young Horticulturalist of The Year’ has left me feeling proud of my efforts and it has capped off a great academic year after achieving Gold, ‘Best in Show’ and ‘People’s Choice Award’ with the rest of my classmates for our show garden ‘Beyond the Wood’ at the Ideal Home Show.

I entered the IOH competition last minute and I would never had imagined reaching the final. The heat at Writtle was tense with two tie-breaks needed to separate a winner… something that was unheard of!

The regional final was nerve racking but good experience. The competition included plant and 'pest and disease' identification and buzzer rounds, along with directed questions. I managed to win the regional final which I never would of expected! 

The national final was exactly the same format as the regional final, and it was held at Barrington Court in Somerset. Again, I was nervous and the competition was of a very high calibre. The other competitors were very knowledgeable and my nerves left me too slow on the buzzer, which proved to me finishing 7th in the competition.

Ben Wincott (right) and students

I would recommend studying horticulture at Writtle College to anyone, as every aspect of the course is amazing. The opportunities and knowledge I have had access to has given me the confidence to continue my studies at Writtle on the Bsc (Hons) in Landscape and Garden Design.

Without Writtle, I wouldn’t have experienced the wonderful world of horticulture and the range of opportunities that are available through it. I particularly feel that the lecturers are of a high quality and that they put their students first, particularly Ben Wincott who absolutely inspires me with his knowledge and his attitude towards education, horticulture and his students.
 

Written by Samuel Moore

120 years of Writtle College

With 2013 drawing to a close, Writtle College continued to celebrate its 120th year of educational excellence in style. Here we look back at how the students got involved to mark this success.

Established in 1893, the College has a proud history and is extremely delighted to have reached this landmark. Last Wednesday (4th December) saw students from various study levels, backgrounds and subject areas come together to mark this accomplishment by taking part in a unique photo shoot.

Students begin to gather outside the College's main building.

With the photo taking place outside the front of the College's impressive main building, this provided the perfect setting to capture the moment on camera.

There were a large number of students wanting to take part in this photo, which really reflected the level of appreciation for the College achieving this landmark.

Students arrived from programmes including Agriculture, Sport, Horticulture, Conservation and Animal Care. There was also the delightful surprise of the College's Floristry students arriving with beautiful bouquets! What a fantastic addition this was.

Eye-catching bouquets created by floristry students.

There have been a lot of highlights during 2013. These include winning Small and Specialist Students’ Union of the Year in the NUS Awards, as well as having its innovative research featured on the popular BBC television programme 'Countryfile'. 

The photo turned out perfectly and really was a moment to remember.

For more information on Writtle and its history go to www.writtle.ac.uk/120