Rebekah Lumsdon

I studied the Foundation Year in Humanities, followed by a BA in American Studies. When I first started looking at uni courses, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. American Studies was the very first course I came across and it sounded really interesting - I knew that I had to take the time to think over my course choice so I kept looking at other courses for quite a few more weeks, but I would always come back to that one and I’m really glad I stuck with it  

What are you doing now?

I currently work as a Programme Delivery Coordinator for an apprenticeship company.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

I'm local to the North East, but Northumbria was far enough out that I could live away from home whilst still being close enough if I needed to get back (and send the washing home). I also knew people that had had a really positive experience with the university, and it felt like a really nice atmosphere when I went to the open days.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

 I really enjoyed my time at Northumbria and the staff/lecturers were always really approachable - especially important during those late night library sessions during deadline season.

What was the best thing about your course?

 I would say the size of the cohort in my year was definitely the best - there were only 6 of us so we all made friends pretty easily. It also helped in lectures and seminars since we were more comfortable sharing ideas and having debates. Lecturers usually knew the American studies students too since there were only a few of us.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?

 I was able to complete an employment-based module in my second year which gave me an insight into industry and the skills I would need to get into a career. It also meant I had a jump start on the steps I needed to take once I had graduated to find a job.

Which skills/ knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now? 

 It is definitely the transferable skills that I use in my day-to-day life. Being able to manage my time effectively is really important in my job as I have to manage my own caseload. Writing information in a way that can be understood by different audiences is also important so that my colleagues can understand it with only the information in front of them.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

Meeting loads of different people. 

What advice would you give somebody who is thinking of studying at Northumbria?

 You can tell a lot about somewhere just by going there and seeing what the atmosphere is like. I would also say to ask around as you will get a lot more from talking to someone than reading a brochure.

How would you describe your time at Northumbria in 3 words?

Enjoyable, informative and memorable.