Learning from legal aid

The University of Bristol Law Clinic allows students like Mariya Kolomiyets to solve real legal problems and develop the kind of practical skills that textbooks alone can't teach.

“I've always liked helping people and problem-solving with others. The University has a unique service that offers free legal advice to anyone in the community. Just having the opportunity to have an impact and reduce people's stress is amazing. The University made me feel at home. Made me feel wanted. As an international student that made a difference.”

Sound of the city

The close-knit community, broad curriculum and renowned staff of Bristol's Department of Music have had a lasting impact on final year undergraduate Ping Bai.

“The University is an energetic, fun and exciting place to be. With music you are constantly involved with productions and concerts - there are endless opportunities to participate. Our three-day 'Music hack' in partnership with Radio 6 Music was an opportunity to see how music can be linked to social enterprise - it was a real learning curve. We developed an app featuring an interactive map of Bristol with GPS tags showing points of cultural and musical interest.”

Engineering new partnerships

Dr Carren Holden is an Airbus ambassador and Bristol graduate who helps mentor current Engineering students as part of our partnership with the leading aircraft manufacturer.

“I studied Aeronautical Engineering at Bristol, and now I work for Airbus. It's really nice that as part of our partnership I'm working again with the University. My work to mentor Bristol students helps them understand a big international business and know where they might eventually want to go.”

Putting literature into practice

Hayley Hall spent an intensive year away from her medical studies to focus on philosophy, literature, and art as part of our intercalated degree in Medical Humanities, led by Dr John Lee.

“The skills we're learning in humanities can be really relevant to doctors practicing medicine every day,” says Hayley. “It's important to be able to look at your patient as a whole and appreciate all of the things that come with being human. This year has really helped me think about that and to read books I wouldn't have known existed. It has been a real privilege.”

“The ethos of a Bristol student and the University itself complements our city perfectly,” says John. “There's a sense of productive chaos as we use our traditional foundation as a base to drive innovation - this course is a great example of that.”

Leadership through sport

History undergraduates James Moulder and Trinity Handley train fellow students as part of our Sport Leadership Award, a nationally recognised qualification that supports organisation, communication and teamwork.

“I came here and thrived in a way that I hadn't done before,” says Trinity. “I'm doing History but I'm not going to side-line my other hobbies and passions. We just held a sports festival for 850 local children who otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity to be so active. I'm proud to be involved in something that's making a difference, not only in students' lives but also for the children.”