Steffy Mossini

Biomedical Sciences - BSc (Hons)

Steffy was hesitant to start her university experience as she was too shy to talk to people and thought commuting would stop her making friends. With support from the BCU community, Steffy’s confidence has grown, both in her academic abilities and herself.

"I’ve always wanted to go to university and I’ve always had a love for science. Even as a child, I loved watching science and health programmes on TV. I knew that wherever I went to university, I wanted to develop not just as a scientist but also as a person and feel prepared to go out into the wider world after my studies.

BCU was my first choice because I really liked the atmosphere at the University; it feels really relaxed and I instantly felt at home. Plus, it’s local to home so it doesn’t take me long to commute. However, I was nervous to start university as a commuting student. I felt like I’d be the only one at university who lived at home, but I honestly don’t feel any different so I’ve still been able to fit in so well! There are a lot of students that commute at BCU, so I never feel alone.

I feel part of a community at BCU and I’m really close with the people on my course and my tutors. The staff at BCU really look after their students and always make you feel at home. They’ve always been there for me if I’m struggling. My tutors didn’t throw us in the deep end when we first started, they were really encouraging and helpful and willing to do extra sessions if we were struggling with something or had an exam coming up, which really helped me with the transition from A Levels to university.

After completing my first assignments, I hadn’t done as well as I’d hoped so I reached out to the tutors for more feedback on assignments and they really helped me understand how to improve. The Centre for Academic Success were also a huge help to me during my first year. They offer courses that help students achieve academic success such as referencing, grammar, critical thinking. I’ve been able to attend lots of workshops that have helped me develop skills to use in my assignments. It was a great help in first year when I was still adjusting to university study.

During my first year, I also joined the Afro-Caribbean Society. It’s been a great opportunity to meet friends outside of my course and campus. We even do events with other universities, play netball tournaments and get involved in events around Birmingham.

I have now become president of the society! I was really scared and nervous to become president, but my friends convinced me to go for it and it’s been a great decision that’s pushed me out of my comfort zone.

During my time at BCU, I’ve definitely become less shy. I was very timid when I joined and felt nervous talking to people I didn’t know. Being around like-minded people has opened doors for me and helped me discover more about myself. I’ve gained the confidence to know now what I like and what I don’t like, and really understand my interests. I feel like I’m becoming an adult – and when I joined, I was just a kid.

To me, 'I am BCU’ means I’m not just any student, I’m a BCU student. I feel part of a family that makes me feel special and that I’ll be a part of no matter where I am."