Mature student looks to construct a new career after graduating with honours
Monday 03 December 2018
A mature student and single mother of three is set to embark on a new chapter in her life after graduating with a BSc (Hons) Construction Management from RGU at a ceremony on Tuesday, December 4.
After years of being self-employed and raising her children, Andrea Bolt who hails from Shetland, made the decision to come to university and embark on a career in the construction industry.
She enrolled on the course at RGU after speaking with Scott Sutherland School of Architecture Course Leader, Rob Leslie, at an open day.
Despite nearly throwing the towel in when receiving what she believe was a very bad grade, which turned out to be the top mark, Andrea has enjoyed the course which offered her the opportunity of a year-long placement.
“After telling myself for years that I would never be able to go to university, I'm very proud I have proved myself wrong”, she said.
The course looked interesting – no two jobs would be the same and would always be in different places. What appealed to me was there was no chance of getting bored or sitting at a desk all day.
“Even at difficult times when the kids had clubs, homework and holidays, I worked hard and never missed a deadline.”
Andrea spent her third year at university on an industry placement, which gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a contextual setting while learning from mentors and experts in their chosen field.
“Industrial placement was the best part of my time at RGU. I got a job with Morgan Sindall before placement started so I just carried on my placement with them and during the year I worked on Marischal Square and Stoneywood Primary School.
“The placement allowed me to meet some great people and gain knowledge which I would not have learned in a lecture theatre.”
Andrea is now looking to gain her first role in industry, putting her new skills and qualifications into practice.
“Having lecturers that have come from industry is great, hearing their stories and experiences from the projects they worked on helps you see that every project is different and you will be working with an array of people with different skill sets.
“RGU has prepared me for the next step, it gave me broad knowledge of many aspects of the industry – connecting the university-based with practical experience was great.”