Business with Law BA(Hons): What our students say

"You may have heard that nothing compares to university life – well, I agree. University is where you feel that the constant monitoring of academic performance is a thing of the past and you have your destiny in your own hands.

"Business has always been a favourite subject of mine and I developed an interest in law after I enjoyed studying contract law during business studies lessons at secondary school. This gave me a strong desire to do a degree that allowed me to study the two subjects I enjoyed most.

"Years back my mother had studied nursing at Kingston and through my research I discovered that it had one of the best business schools in the country. Therefore it seemed heaven-sent when I found out it also offered a joint honours course in business and law.

"The course has been everything I thought it would be and more. Doing a joint honours degree is not easy and requires hard work and dedication. If you are not deterred by hard work, it is challenging and enjoyable. There is a wealth of information available at the Learning Resources Centre for coursework and there are electronic databases and journals, which can be accessed online wherever you are.

"StudySpace (an online learning support system) is also an integral part of studying at Kingston University. I have found it provides useful information and help for the modules I'm doing. It's also a place to receive feedback from lectures and have discussions with students taking the same module.

"Another positive thing about studying at Kingston is the help provided to students – be it academic, financial, social or anything – the University staff are friendly and willing to help.

"During my second year I had the opportunity to hone my leadership skills by becoming the course representative. This has meant sharing my knowledge and experience for the benefit of others and helping with the first year students' induction. As well as being rewarding, it will make a great addition to my CV."

"I have always been interested in studying either business or law, so this joint degree was ideal as I could cover both areas.

"I found coming to University a big step up from college, especially as I came from abroad (Gibraltar). But Kingston is a very convenient place to live, which made the transition easier. Everything is close by – the University, town centre and accommodation are just a walk or short bus ride from each other – which makes your day-to-day routine less stressful than it would be in central London.

"There's also lots of opportunities to get involved in sports, which I really enjoyed – I played American football for the Surrey Stingers, rowed for the University and also played some football for the Uni. I've made lots of friends and can't believe how quickly three years have gone by!

"The high-standard of teaching at Kingston meant we could question and learn from the lecturers rather than just sit and just listen. I particularly enjoyed the practical workshops, which gave us the chance to get involved ourselves.

"I realised just how much I had gained from my time at Kingston when I was able to put the theory into practice during a two-week internship in Dubai. I worked on the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) apprenticeship scheme, an annual festival that promotes Dubai as a family holiday destination.

"The intensive programme involved attending workshops - on topics such as marketing, advertising and media relations – and preparing a presentation about our ideas for the future for top DSS staff. It was a busy two weeks but it is an experience that I will never forget and one that gave me huge benefits. Not only will it look excellent on my CV but I now have a good reference from this top organisation.

"I've always said that life is an open book and you never know what tomorrow will bring, but I'm confident that this course has been the foundation to my future career. In fact, I found my time at Kingston so beneficial that I've decided to continue my studies here at postgraduate level and work towards a Law PgDip."

"I have always had a passion for business and knew I wanted to do some type of business-related degree. I had also become aware of the way in which the law governs how businesses act. So I decided studying Business with Law would provide a perfect balance of two dynamic fields.

"At the time, Business with Law was not offered as a degree by many universities. Of those which did offer it, Kingston outshone all the others, both in terms of its academic reputation and the social community it provides. I take a lot of pride in knowing that I attend a university that is rated top five in the country for new universities and also from being part of a faculty that is renowned in its field.

"I have really enjoyed the range of modules on the course, especially in the second year, when you can choose what to study from a number of options. The combination of tutorials and lectures works well. During tutorials there's lots of interaction with the lecturer and fellow students, which makes learning easier and fun, and this, mixed with the structured teaching in lectures, creates a perfect balance. I also like the University's encouragement of group work; it develops your team work skills and it is a great way to meet new people.

"Kingston is renowned for its teaching quality and this is clearly visible, with lecturers continuously relating text to their own experiences making it more comprehensible. Outside of lectures, both lecturers and administration are willing to help with any type of problem you have, which, in a campus serving thousands of students, is really special.

"The style of teaching at university focuses heavily on independent learning. At first this can be quite scary because it is up to you. However, with every assignment you gain a little more confidence and skill and this gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

"I found the transition from living at home to living independently at university very daunting. Yet with the support provided by those such as my course director, I soon realised that if I ever needed any advice or had a problem there were people I could go to who would help.

"I am currently on my work placement. The experience of working in a relevant field for a year is allowing me to transfer theory into a real working environment. My placement is working as a student support assistant at the University and through doing this I have developed new perspective of what Kingston is about and striving to achieve.

"The course has reinforced my ambition to work in the business world. I have not narrowed this down to one specific area. With the diversity the degree offers, I feel I have the opportunity to explore a wide range of sectors."

"Development and challenge were two really important factors for me when choosing a university. One of the great benefits about Kingston University was the level of courses and subjects offered. You have the ability to choose your areas of interest and pick degrees that can seem tailor-made to your own needs. This has given me the opportunity to study not only business but engage in business related law modules, such as contract and company law.

"I also undertook an industrial placement at Microsoft during my third year. The placement opportunity is a great offering that not only allows students to graduate with valuable work experience, but also improves time management and work methodology during your final academic year. Kingston has great relationships with both placement and graduate employers, and the placement office gives you advice on how to make sure you stand out in a highly competitive environment.

"The University has always shown an interest in allowing external speakers to come and present. These ensure that students are aware of important issues in the corporate world and offer students a chance to meet very influential and interesting people that you might not otherwise be able to speak to.

"As my final exams approach I am able to reflect on the great experience and fantastic opportunities that Kingston University has given me. I have a degree that not only combines different areas of business, but also covers the legality of the corporate world giving me a vast variety of knowledge. This knowledge combined with the work experience I have gained has in my opinion given me the best starting point for my career."