Martin Horton-Eddison

BSc International Politics with Strategy

Newport

"I found settling into academic life as a mature student a little difficult at first, the pace is somewhat slower than that I was used to in the working environment, but then as soon as I started reading I realised that there’s a lot of reading to do. So I devoted myself to that on a 9-5pm basis, Monday to Friday, and before I knew it I was treating the university course like a job. I felt that was really beneficial and as a result I got reasonable results last year. At the same time it left me enough time and energy to go out and learn new sports, and meet new people and get involved in the social life in Aberystwyth.

A friend of mine on the course asked if I’d like to join a rugby seven’s team for the annual rugby sevens team that they hold here in May. We played that and enjoyed it, I was made captain of the team and then we decided to establish a rugby sevens society. There are now 250 members in the society and we run a rugby sevens league, and the Christmas cup, and we culminate in the Aberystwyth rugby sevens tournament in May. We have great socials, we have our own rugby shirts and outfits, and everyone gets on really well, it’s a great place to meet people and keep fit.

What I like about the town is that it’s small enough that you never feel alone, and you bump into people you know from your course or from campus all the time; but it’s large enough that if you want to find a quiet corner, maybe sat on the beach, or on a hill overlooking the beach or the town, then you can find that. It’s got all the things that you need from a town, like a supermarkets, lots of pubs and restaurants and things, but also again that it’s small enough to walk around at any time of day or night. It’s well lit, and safe, and everybody’s really very friendly.

My ambitions for the future are that when I graduate from my BSc in international politics, I’ll be looking to take part in a postgraduate course such as a Masters degree here, most likely in Aberystwyth because the department is so good. After the masters degree I’ll either go into the world of work again, or study for a PhD.

What surprised me about being at university was that I felt I was a well-rounded individual before I arrived because of my more mature years, but actually I’ve learnt an amazing amount of interpersonal skills that I never thought I’d had. I’ve been able to talk to people from all over the world because it’s an international course in the international politics department; and relate to them and understand and gain empathy for where they’re from, places like Africa and Eastern Europe, Germany and the United States. I’ve gained an international feel to my outlook in life, directly as a result of being here as part of Aberystwyth University.

I’d definitely recommend Aberystwyth University to others, and the reason for that is that I genuinely feel that I couldn’t have gone anywhere else to have been as happy as I am both in terms of my course and my social life, and the campus and the town. I think that whoever you are, from wherever you are from, and whatever you’re going to study that Aberystwyth is the place to do it."