Karina Karushkova

I’m originally from Bulgaria but it has always been a dream of mine to study abroad and begin a career in the UK. I have always wanted to specialise in the web development industry. Of course, a degree is important in this industry and enables you to choose what area you would like to specialise in – for me it was : front-end, back-end or full stack development.

Choosing to study Web and Mobile Development at the University of Suffolk was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The University has a high reputation within the fields of technology especially in relation to the degrees it offers for programming and system design. There is also a clear emphasis on employability after graduation. The modules of my degree were very well thought out, which was clear from the enthusiasm of our lecturers. They taught us, prepared us and supported us for our future careers. All requests for additional support with both my career and academic work have always been welcomed.

Before I started at the University, I was concerned my programming skills would make it more difficult for me. However, the first year’s module in programming gave me a good foundation to build upon in future years. Now as a graduate, I am applying what I have learnt over the previous three years in industry - my permanent position at the University of Suffolk – Web Services and Process developer. . I can’t express how happy I am to work here – my team and all the staff have been amazing and so helpful! I just love it here. I am very happy with the progress I have made. The Web and Mobile Development course has taught me how to work in a group and on my own, using modern tools like Jira, Atom, Visual Studio, WordPress and programming languages such as PHP, Python, C#, HTML and JavaScript. These are all essential and required skills for the web industry, which made this course even more valuable.

The University itself is modern and full of opportunities. My social life has improved drastically because I have taken part in the activities and societies created by other students. There were loads of opportunities like this there, with new societies being formed each year. The campus is student-focused and has all the facilities needed. There are also many events organised to support student mental wellbeing and physical health, which is always useful!

I am extremely happy with my decision to join the University of Suffolk and study the BSc (Hons) Web and Mobile Development degree. I am a bit sad that I am graduating this year, as these three years went by so fast! This whole experience has given me the knowledge, tools and confidence to progress into a career in the web industry. If I could sum up the University in a single word it would be 'motivating'.

Oh, and my advice to the people who are not certain if they should enrol in the University of Suffolk – well - just do it! You will thank me later!