Trayana Vladimirova, BA International Politics and Law

When I found out about Aberystwyth, I knew straight away that this was the place for me. I didn’t have the luxury of actually coming and seeing the place – I judged the department purely on its academic reputation and on the prospectuses, which proved remarkably correct.

Later on, I applied for an entrance scholarship which I’m now a very proud holder of Aberystwyth’s excellent academic reputation in International Politics, coupled with the range of scholarships it offers defined my choice, which I don’t regret.

What I enjoyed about the department is its flexibility. You can combine your major in InterPol with a variety of subjects – from law and economics to different foreign languages, or you can opt for a joint honours degree. Although your degree is in your own hands, you get a lot of help along the way. Everyone in the department always welcomes you with a smile and is ready to help. You always get very prompt feedback on your coursework and exams, so you know what you’ve done well in, what you need to improve on and why you have been marked in a certain way.

As well as what happens in class, you have many extra-curricular activities to choose from. For example, during my first year, I participated in the department student-led undergrad conference on Water Cooperation where I gave a presentation. Later on, I participated in an International Undergraduate Conference at the UEL, where I was able to use my presentation from the Aberystwyth conference.

My highlight for this academic year, though, was my Parliamentary Placement, which was organized by the Department. I worked for an MP in the British Parliament for six weeks. I thought it would be very hard, however, I was pleasantly surprised that through my university studies, I was very much prepared for it – I managed to settle into the atmosphere of Westminster very quickly and worked as if I wasn’t an intern, but a full-time member of staff of an MP. All of this thanks to the skills I acquired at Aberystwyth.