Accompanied by families, friends, and loved ones, more than 300 students attended our in-person ceremonies to celebrate Arden’s Summer Graduation 2023.
With undergraduates and postgraduates present to collect their degree certificates at one of two ceremonies taking place on Tuesday 27th June in the prestigious Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London, we caught up with a number of them to see how they've enjoyed their time with Arden University and what they were looking forward to in the future.
Outside the venue we found Becky, who revealed she was a little nervous about graduating, accompanied by her parents and her partner. Becky felt the urge to take up studying during lockdown. Psychology had always been an interest of hers, and she found herself at Arden because she wanted to be able to study from home.
‘It was great,’ said Becky, when asked about her experience with Arden. ‘It was really flexible. The staff were really good and a lot of help. Next, I think I would like to work for maybe a mental health charity and use my degree for something.’
Also deep in conversation outside the venue were friends Damian and Mirko, who studied for BScs in Computing.
‘We learned a lot,’ said Damian. ‘The assignments were nice. There were some very interesting topics. I’m looking to do a masters next.’
Mirko, who wants to specialise in Cybersecurity, said it felt amazing to be graduating. ‘Today is our day so I’m just going try to enjoy it.’
Inside the venue, ready in her cap and gown, was Taylor who studied Criminology and Sociology via distance learning.
‘I'm overjoyed, overwhelmed, and just really proud to be here today.’
‘I did sociology at A level and it was something that I really enjoyed. And then seeing the programme with them both are intertwined, I was just really interested in it.’
When asked what her highlights were, Taylor said: ‘Probably just that that feeling of accomplishment every time I submitted an assignment or I'd overcome something. It was all really interesting, from start to finish.’
‘I started the a degree with just one child and then ended up with three by the end. Don't get me wrong, I struggled at some points, but I overcame all of it. You’ve just got to know your limits.'
‘I'm going into teaching now. I started my teacher training in September. Education has a massive influence, especially for people who might commit crimes. I'm really looking forward to it.’
Taylor was attending graduation with one of her daughters (in a pushchair) and her mum, who was clearly very proud.
‘I don’t know how she’s managed it all,’ she said. ‘She’s really incredible.’
Mathew, who had studied Senior Leader Masters Degree Masters of Business Administration Apprenticeship, also won our Katie Aubrey prize for overcoming adversity.
‘So, I've been at Arden for probably longer than I should have been, because I've had some personal challenges, but it feels good to be able to bring it to a close and be graduating.’
Mathew started studying with Arden thanks to an opportunity at his workplace, ‘I like to fill certain knowledge gaps so I can perform better in the in the workplace,' he said.
‘Throughout the course, we had some fun things – like Dragon's Den style games – where you can actually practically apply what you've learned in the classroom which helps bedrock it in.’
Ahead of the afternoon graduation we spoke to Abdur, who studied Accounting and Finance, ‘So, it was really good,’ he said. ‘I studied blended learning, as I was working full time. It suited me perfectly and that's the reason why I joined the uni.’
Abdur was also juggling family responsibilities with his full-time work and study, so the flexibility was a big help for him.
‘It feels good to be graduating. Achieving something and getting what I wanted. I'm going to go on to do my ACCA. And then after that, hopefully I’ll just keep going up the ladder.’
Inside we spoke to Indhresen, another Accounting and Finance student who has recommended Arden to his wife.
‘I'm very happy to be here, it’s a milestone for me, so I'm quite excited. Late in life (I left school 33 years ago) but it's all worth it.’
Indira, who was one of our prize winners for her achievements when studying Healthcare Management, was thrilled to be graduating today, with hopes of working to help dementia patients.
‘Graduating is brilliant. I still can’t get over it. It's an awesome feeling. I'm feeling very, very good. within myself at the moment.’
When asked about what motivated her to succeed in her course, Indira pointed to her mentality, as well as her commitment to inspiring her child.
‘Well, I'm a go-getter. I’m the kind of person that, once I start something, I must go to the end. Also, having a child, I have to set an example for him to know that you can achieve what you set your mind to. So, that was my biggest motivation.’
To find out how you could be graduating from Arden University, visit our course pages today
