Callum Anderson
BA History and Spanish
Tell us a bit about your background…
I’m from Cumbernauld, just outside of Glasgow and went to Greenfaulds High School. I came into Glasgow a lot when I was younger since it was so close and really liked it, so I was pretty happy when I got into Strathclyde!
Why did you decide to study at the University of Strathclyde?
I knew that Strathclyde provided classes in areas of history that really interest me, especially the British Empires and Irish Society classes. I also knew that the languages department was well renowned for a high quality of teaching. So, it really made sense for me to come to Strathclyde as I knew I would benefit from and really enjoy the whole course.
What made you select your programme?
I have always been interested in History and knew that I wanted to study it at university, so it was an easy choice for me. I never actually studied Spanish until sixth year of high school but I had a great Spanish teacher who was really encouraging and after really enjoying learning the language I decided I wanted to take it further. The possibility of the year abroad was also really exciting and was something I knew I wanted to do.
What has been the best part of studying at Strathclyde so far?
The year abroad is definitely one. Strathclyde gave me the opportunity and confidence to go to Spain and supported me throughout the year, so that was definitely a highlight. Fourth year was also great, it was stressful at times but I really enjoyed being challenged in the classes and really engaging with the topics!
What would you say is one of the key takeaways from your course?
Definitely to do things with confidence. I learned this especially from studying Spanish. Even if you’re making mistakes keep practicing and have confidence in your own ideas.
What would be your advice for people considering studying at Strathclyde?
Not to stress about the small things, the university is really supportive and there will always be someone you can contact to sort out any problems you have, so just focus on your work and enjoying yourself and everything else will sort itself out!
What has been the main challenge while studying at University?
Definitely balancing all the different classes and deadlines, especially with joint honours. Your different classes can be on totally different subjects and require different ways of thinking so it can be hard to jump between them and still do everything well. But it’s not impossible, you just need to focus and prioritise!
If you could travel back in time to give advice to yourself on your first day at Strathclyde, what would you say?
Just really enjoy the experience, it goes by really quickly so make sure you take any opportunities to enjoy it that you can!
Have you joined any clubs or societies while at Strathclyde? Tell us a bit more about your experience!
This year I was an English Language Assistant Ambassador at Strathclyde, so I spoke to a lot of language students about the year abroad and what they can expect/ how to prepare for it. I really enjoyed getting to tell people about how great the year abroad is and what they can look forward to, as well as help with any questions or concerns that they had.
What do you hope to do when you complete your programme?
I plan on coming back to Strathclyde to do the PGDE in Spanish secondary teaching. My time as a teacher in Spain was really rewarding and I knew it was something that I wanted to do when I came back. I’m looking forward to another year here at Strathclyde!