How your donations to scholarships at Nottingham make a difference

Since my dad passed away three years ago, my mother has really struggled to pay the bills for our home as it is, and university would only be adding to that. Whilst my student loan covers most of my rent, I have to work to cover other expenses such as my food shop and course materials, as it is a cost that my family now cannot afford.

Whilst I still save money over the holidays, it alone is not enough, and the scholarship money means that I don’t have to work evenings and weekends whilst at university, helping me to get the most out of my degree, and to maintain work-life balance. Without the scholarship money, I would either not be at university following my dream or I would simply be overworked, and disadvantaged.

Coming from a small household of just my mum and I, I didn’t want to be too far from home, but I still wanted some independence, and Nottingham was the perfect distance. It also has a perfect combination of a large, very green campus with a busy city centre just a bus ride away.

So far, Nottingham has exceeded my expectations as a university and as a city, with its stunning campus, array of sports and social facilities and amazing community of staff and students. University life has made me grow into an independent and responsible young lady and has taught me a huge amount about myself already.

Two highlights of my time here so far have been the amazing friends for life that I have made as well as all the opportunities my course has given me, such as my study trip to Paris, lectures from professionals in the field and abundant transferable skills.

I always knew that I wanted to be an architect as I flourished in mathematics and fine art, however I was originally leaning towards apprenticeship pathways as the challenge of finance overshadowed the opportunities of attending university full time. When I found out that apprenticeship routes for my degree are restricted, I considered the possibility that architecture was not possible for me, until I found out about scholarships and bursaries available, which reignited my dreams of becoming a successful architect.

As mentioned previously, finances were a huge concern to me before university, even as someone who is good at budgeting and money management, but this scholarship has alleviated those anxieties and allowed me to cook exciting, nutritious meals, to stay active and to thrive in my studies without worrying about financial barriers.

Whilst small donations may not appear to make a huge difference, when lots of people come together to contribute small amounts, it can make a life changing difference to people like me, who have been given an unfair start. Young people are the future and investing in our education can change not only our lives, but the world.