Barney Morrissey

BA Geography

1. What has been the highlight of your time at Exeter?

I don’t think it’s possible to reduce my time at Exeter to one single highlight. It may seem cliché but thinking back to the person I was when I stepped in to my halls accommodation for the first time and comparing him to myself now, it’s amazing how much I’ve grown, learnt and experienced in these past three years. They were, without a doubt, the best three years of my life and I will cherish the memories forever.

2. What will you miss the most about University?

I will miss the close proximity of all my friends. University, particularly Exeter as it is relatively small, is such a great place to socialise. Having started full-time work now and with my uni friends dotted all over the world, I’ve realised that I didn’t really appreciate how special a place university is for friendships.

3. What did you enjoy about your particular programme?

I think what was great about Geography was the fact that I was exposed to so much variety in terms of teaching methods, content and assessments. I’ve always been the kind of person that gets easily bored doing the same thing over and over again, but I never experienced that during my degree. I was always learning something new and I feel like my world view has benefitted from this.

4. What advice would you give to current and future students?

I would advise future students to really get involved with everything the university has to offer as early as possible, whether that be sporting, academic and even career opportunities. Your first year really sets you up for how you will find the following two years so make the most of this time to make new friends, go out clubbing, and try a new sport but, most importantly, adjust to your new academic life as it is vastly different to anything prior. To current students, I simply state that it is important not to get lost in the stress and panic that university work can sometimes cause and enjoy every second of it, as I can guarantee you will miss it when it’s gone.

5. What are your plans now that you have graduated?

I managed to get a full-time job a week after I finished my third year exams. I’m currently a Marketing Executive for a tech events firm and I’m really enjoying learning new skills and working with a bunch of fellow 20-something year olds. Although, to be honest, I’m really not a fan of a 6am start…