Phillip Wallace - BA (Hons) Management with Marketing
Phillip will cross the graduation stage at Aberdeen’s P&J Live on Tuesday 12 July in front of friends and family to accept his BA (Hons) Management & Marketing degree from Robert Gordon University (RGU).
“I am very proud of myself for achieving a 2.1 degree,” says Phillip. “It means a great deal to me as it reflects my hard work and determination to succeed. I have experienced some challenges in my personal life, and university helped me focus my mind on something else, which allowed me to overcome those challenges, staying confident and optimistic.
“In my fourth year of studies, I felt pressure and stress like I had never experienced before due to my thesis and other deadlines for modules in the same period. I felt like I was falling behind, especially with working 20 hours per week at my part-time job. I knew I needed to be calm, motivated, and fix my mindset.
“I changed my diet, started working out more, focusing on myself, got into a routine—all of which enabled me to become much more organised, motivated, and work with greater quality and pace.
“I was also determined to keep a healthy work-study-life balance by being part of an amateur football team and volunteering at my old primary school, teaching children key football skills. I very much enjoyed helping the younger generation.”
Reflecting on his time at RGU, Phillip enjoyed many of the University’s curricular and extracurricular offerings, including playing for the 1s football team, travelling across the country, teamwork tasks with other students, and sharing his perspective during class presentations.
“These memories will stay with me and play a part in my career and future,” says Phillip. “I am now a confident individual who is comfortable approaching, communicating, and working with anyone, which will create endless opportunities for me in the business industry.”
Phillip transitioned into university life using Degree Link. After his fifth year at Westhill Academy, Phillip went to the North East Scotland College (NESCol) to study for an HND in Business Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, allowing him direct access to the third year of his degree.
RGU and NESCol have a longstanding relationship, providing guaranteed progression opportunities for learners across 40 pathways through Degree Link. It allows students to have the best of both worlds: to study first at college, and then to complete a degree without any time lost.
Phillip adds: “Learning the process and fundamentals of running a business has always intrigued me, and I have always hoped that one day I will have my own successful business. Both the college and University made the transfer between these business qualifications feel comfortable and exciting.
“When making the transfer to RGU, I decided to target Business Management with Marketing. I believe I am a creative individual, and with technology being such a large focus for the future, the marketing side of businesses must adapt accordingly. I believe this is a real strength of mine; I can engage with numerous target markets and always have a clear idea of consumers’ best interests, which can give organisations a larger audience reach.”
Both of Phillip’s sisters studied Law at RGU and highly recommended the University. They, along with his mother, would provide encouragement and support throughout his studies, particularly during the pandemic.
"I produce greater quality work when I am in a working environment and not as much at home,” says Phillip. “To accommodate this during the pandemic, I took advantage of RGUs 24-hour library facilities which helped me through my fourth year significantly.
"Now, expectation has become reality, which again makes me so proud to have gained this degree.”
Phillip now hopes to gain greater life experience through travel and has diligently saved for this throughout his four years of study.
“I understand the importance of financial stability and kept a part-time job throughout my studies. I am grateful because my hard work paid off and I was awarded a promotion.”
He adds: “I am open and excited to see the opportunities that come my way. After I received my results, I continued to use RGU’s helpful services, and I had a career meeting on campus to understand the possibilities of international employment, which I am very interested in.
“I believe I can adapt and comply with numerous different industries and environments, and I would love to explore this further by working in another country.”