Ben Rushton

Media and Communication - BA (Hons)

Ben was sceptical about going to university due to being autistic. Since joining BCU Ben has developed a wide support system, including a new friendship group who have been able to offer encouragement, and help Ben to overcome challenges such as his battle with social anxiety.

"I was instantly made to feel welcome during the University’s Welcome Week. There were a series of icebreakers and introductions to the course, which was comforting. The School of Media has Level Up Mentors which include students in their second or final year of study. These mentors invited me to a Facebook group which eased me into university life. We also have group chats for each course which made it easier to connect and form friendships having previously talked.

BCU has given me a mentor, which is funded by my Disabled Student Allowance. My mentor supports me with any problems; emotionally and academically. In addition to this, I have received support from tutors and from the careers department, enabling me to start looking at work placements and improve my CV.

The thing I find most challenging is the commute. I am claustrophobic and train delays can cause additional stress. However, I am proud that I am overcoming this challenge and have made a number of new friends – all of which are very supportive of me. I am now becoming more and more confident and comfortable in crowded situations.

I love being a part of the School of Media, it’s such a great community. The facilities available to us are great. I have enhanced my skills and learnt a lot about production. I would like to gain some experience in the media industry and BCU are teaching me the skills I need to thrive in the very competitive world of media. I have joined the Scratch Media group, with the hope of specialising in TV (particularly behind the camera). I would like to help create productions that others want and eventually develop my own work.

I am part of an amazing university, its one big community. I am changing the landscape of media by #doingmediadifferently."