What made you decide to come to Bradford?

I had been working in an IT job full-time for about two-and-a-half years when I decided to apply for the course. I went on holiday for three weeks in August and when I returned I realised I hated my job. There was also no opportunity for promotion. I would say to anyone working in a similar position to me to just go for it. It’s worth taking a couple of years out. It is hard to explain how much happier I feel for no longer being in a job which is not going anywhere.

I had been to college and already had a diploma in Computing but I wanted to turn it into a degree. Other IT jobs were looking for people with degrees. I had a friend in Leeds who already had a room for me, so I looked at the universities that had courses near to there - Leeds and Bradford. The BSc Computing and Information Systems course in Bradford was more closely related to what I wanted to do, as, after University, I would like to become a systems analyst.

I remember looking on Bradford’s Clearing website, following through the links and finding the course I was interested in. It was already quite late - the end of August - and I called up and spoke to someone from the Department. I explained about my job and my Diploma and they offered me a conditional place over the phone. I had to send in my Diploma certificate and my UCAS form and that was it - the Clearing system was very easy for me.

What's been your impressions of the course so far?

I have found the first year on the BSc Computing and Information Systems course really good. There are also quite a few people on the course in a similar position to me. We meet up regularly and a few of us are now planning to rent a house together next year. It’s great as we all get on so well.

What do you do in your spare time?

Although I currently live in Leeds I have spent a lot of time socialising in Bradford with friends. There are some good night-clubs around - and they are cheap, which is a bonus.

What's your opinion of the staff and facilities at Bradford?

I think the facilities are really good. The library is great and the silent computer rooms are very useful for getting on with your work in peace. In the main building there are a lot of labs you can go into. The fact that the labs are open late is very good. There are always computers available and they are always working, daft as that may sound! I have a friend at another university who says the students are having lots of problems with computers not working.