Malina Ioana Amortoaie LLB (Hons) Law, 2019

Southampton is my new home. Here I feel welcomed all the time, I feel I receive all the support I need, here I am encouraged to improve myself.

I chose Southampton University because it felt like it offered a hub of opportunities in regards to my legal studies. Mooting, negotiations, the option of going abroad for one year or taking a year-out in industry, the Law fair… all made me decide to do my Law degree here.

The social factor was also an important aspect for me, I had dear friends in Southampton, and they all told me about how friendly is everybody here, how easy is to make friends, especially taken into consideration the big number of exciting extra-curricular opportunities through student societies. Southampton is my new home. Here I feel welcomed all the time, I feel I receive all the support I need, here I am encouraged to improve myself. Here I met some of my best friends, building relationships that will last a lifetime.

Southampton is where I proved that I can do it! From academic performance to reaching professional targets such as securing an internship in my first year, and now a Year in Employment opportunity, Southampton is the place where I made it! University of Southampton made everything possible through the high-quality support I have received through lectures, tutorials and MyCareer service.

In my first year I won first place in the internal Mooting competition at Southampton University (February 2016). The experience was fantastic as I got to prove myself and demonstrate my advocacy skills, as well as to get a feeling of the real-life court etiquette. In his feedback, Sutherland Williams J. said that I proved logical thinking and sustained research skills through my arguments and this is partly the reason that made my team win. The competition allowed me to improve my analysis skills and attention to detail as in order to put together arguments within the permitted time limits, I analysed large quantities of information and decanted them into cohesive set of points.

I have also completed the Business Innovation Programme by IBM. Acting as Business Analysts, together with my team, I put forward a plan for a Social entrepreneurship workshop for our client – ‘'The Social Impact Lab' at University of Southampton. During this process, I have published a survey, synthesized the survey data and came up with recommendations and suggestions of next steps by submitting a Business report with our findings. The experience was for me a great chance to learn about social entrepreneurship and to have the real-life responsibility to advice my client. The extra-curricular activities I do contribute to my overall experience of the world. They help me in balancing my work and in my studies as they influence my way of approaching, analysing and understanding tasks.

I joined the Rifle Society at Southampton University. I consider sports such as rifle shooting a challenging and entertaining way of enhancing physical and mental growth by learning new skills and further improving abilities such as attention to detail and concentration, teamwork and building trust. These skills are something which I then bring back into my work, and in the Library as well. I am also involved in the ‘Women in Business’ Society, ‘Fish on Toast’ Business & Entrepreneurship Society and ‘Bright Futures’ Society. All of these organisations help me improve my general business knowledge and are of a fundamental importance in my career development through all of the workshops, talks and seminars I get to attend as a member.

One of the most valuable opportunity that might classify as an extra-curricular activity is the Mentoring programme through University. My mentor is a lovely Marketing professional that helped me improve in various ways, from gaining skills such as confidence and improving communication skills, to building Business acumen. We have regular meetings and I can always address my concerns to my mentor.

I think the tutorials are the best part of my course. There I get to think critically, engage with the knowledge delivered in lectures, articulate arguments and there I feel I am encouraged to think outside the box and to push my limits. Normally, there are around 12 students in a tutorial, with our tutor going through a number of questions about the topic we studied at home. The tutors help us understand difficult issues whilst raising new, interesting points, challenging us to develop advocacy skills and debating skills, all in a warm environment, where mistakes are accepted as key is to learn from them.

The employment opportunity which made me fall in love with Southampton even more, allowing me to expand my network and to gain a valuable work experience, was working for 6 months as a Research intern in a property tax firm in Ocean Village, Southampton. I started on a 3 months summer internship, and, after successfully completing it, I was offered a part-time job during my first term, including a Brand Ambassador role on campus.

Working in a SME allowed be to be included in every aspect of the business, from Sales and Marketing, to actual surveying projects within the firm. Also, part of my job consisted in attending a variety of networking events, where I represented the firm. I attended events in Southampton, in Bournemouth and Portsmouth, at local stadiums, Universities, hotels and other locations, where I met important businessmen from the Hampshire Chamber of Business and Dorset Chamber of Business. This experience was of paramount importance in my personal and professional development, as I got to improve and develop a wide range of skills. Furthermore, it was highly beneficial in me adapting better to the English culture, as coming from a different cultural background, I had a different way of doing and thinking, and now I have a better understanding of the realities of my new home.

I think Southampton is the right place for me when it comes to the city’s size and the city’s opportunities. I have always been fond of nature and always dreaded traffic, crowds, busyness. For me, it’s important to have space and to have places to explore when I’m taking a break from my study. Southampton Common is my favourite escape after studying in the Hartley Library, whereas the beautiful New Forest is just around the corner for weekends in nature. The student life is amazing too! For nights-out, Southampton offers a variety of clubs and pubs, and there are so many great restaurants with cuisines from all around the world!