I’d got in to a bit of a rut doing a job I didn’t like whilst living near London. I found this course and it was local to where I’m originally from and contained many modules that were of interest to me, so I decided on a career change and moved back to the Fylde Coast.

I enjoyed the course – there were plenty of field trips which gave us practical experience and the opportunity to meet people that work in or alongside the industry, which has helped during my new working life too.

Marine/coastal teaching staff offered plenty of encouragement. They genuinely care about their students and want the best for them. I found class sizes at College were relatively small too so the teaching was often more personal. I was also lucky to have some great fellow students who helped during my dissertation and the library staff would go out of their way to obtain any resources that were required.

There’s no such thing as a typical day for a Marine Adviser – I’ve informed stakeholders on Natural England’s work and how they can contribute to trying to find out the reasons behind a particular species’ decline and how this might be remedied. I’ve even conducted surveys from a helicopter in Morecambe Bay – exciting and fascinating all at the same time! I definitely believe having a degree has made it easier for me to gain a footing on the career ladder.

Time flies by at College, so make the most of it!