Umberto Azeglio Politro

In 2015, I decided to relocate from Italy to study and live in a country where I could improve upon my English language skills whilst attending a prestigious and internationally well-known university. The University of Stirling attracted me the most since it is considered to be an excellence for several reasons, among them its fantastic campus and outstanding reputation of its Management School.  The campus was definitely an important factor in bringing me to Stirling since, when I lived in Italy near Turin, I was used to the sight of the Alps and I always loved the countryside. For me, the campus was a way to connect with nature and to relax throughout the academic year. Another reason is the fact that the University of Stirling uniquely enables student to be flexible about their degrees: for example, in the first year, I had the chance to study Psychology and Politics even though they were not correlated to my chosen degree fields, Business Studies and Management

Studying at the University of Stirling has been fundamental for my personal growth. For example, I achieved my initial objective, which involved improving my English and communication skills. This was possible due to the essays, presentations and team projects I had to do. Secondly, this experience enabled me to understand what I want to do in my life, which is to work in the field of Human Resources. This is thanks to the above-mentioned flexibility which allowed me to attend two HRM courses that completely changed my career perspective. Thirdly, due to the reputation of the University, I secured an internship in HR and Recruitment in a Scottish company, which I carried out during the first semester of my final year. There, I had the chance to put my learning into practice and have a first-hand experience of HR in an international company. Another benefit of Stirling is that there are many societies and optional language classes to join. For example, I attended a Japanese language course where I had the opportunity not only to learn a new language but also to appreciate Japanese culture. Finally, I could make many close friends who have accompanied me during this journey.

One of the features that I liked most about the course is the exceptional level of expertise demonstrated by the lecturers and professors. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to learn from highly-skilled experts in their fields, who always took the time to answer my every question and satisfy my curiosity. Another vital, if not the most important, factor is that I could write my dissertation under the supervision of Dr Dean Pierides, a recognised and influential Management professor and researcher. Thanks to his guidance, I wrote an exceptional Dissertation which was awarded as the best undergraduate Dissertation of the Management class. His precious insights and advice have proven to be incredibly helpful, as they led me to improve not only as a student but also as a person

The most important advice that I would give to prospective students who are considering Stirling is that this university is not easy or a walk in the park. If they really want to come and succeed at the University of Stirling, they must have the right mind-set and be prepared to work hard to successfully achieve high grades. The University of Stirling is a leading institution regarding different disciplines and, thus, its students are always encouraged to achieve academic excellence

My studies at Stirling will have a great impact on my future career. Being an internationally renowned institution, its brand has already helped me to get in contact and network with Scottish, Italian and international recruiters and HR managers. Having met people that moved to Stirling from all over the world, I had the opportunity to interact with people that have different cultures and to truly appreciate their uniqueness. This will prove to be very helpful in my future workplace since successful companies, especially multinationals, promote diversity and inclusion in their workplace order to value everyone in the organisation as an individual and see the cultural differences as a benefit.