Student stories

I’m really proud of my career as I fundamentally believe that my research has made a global difference. Everything I’ve done always comes back to Surrey and I wouldn't change a thing.

Before arriving at Surrey to study for a PhD in Sociology, Dr Melissa Pepper read Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, followed by an MSc in Social Research Methods at London South Bank University. Melissa was keen to pursue a career in academia – which, with the support of the team at Surrey, she was able to do.

I chose the course because I was excited to be one of the first student nurses at the University. There were only 20 of us on the course, and I loved being part of its growth in those first few years.

When I came across the nursing degree at Surrey, I was really excited by it – choosing Surrey is the best thing I've done.

My course helped me to choose what kind of sector I wanted to start a career in and it gave me the skills to be a strong candidate for those jobs.