Sebastian Graves-Read

Solent jumped out at me because I knew it was a place where lecturers go the extra mile. They are there to teach and enjoy time with students, unlike other institutions which can be more research-oriented.

We had whole modules on employability, law in business and understanding the context that the legal system exists in. This approach meant that I was always able to contextualise a job in its wider industry (even if it wasn’t legally focused) – which really helped when I was applying for the civil service as I was able to take the what I knew of wider government projects and agendas and weave that into my interview answers.

When I showed interest in the subject, and put the effort in, the lecturers saw that and put a lot of time into making sure they were there to support me. This was especially the case when I presented my final year thesis at the British Conference for Undergraduate Research! My lecturers – particularly my supervisor – went out of their way to give me the support I needed to excel.

When we were introduced to mooting, or legal arguments in front of a judge, I remember thinking that this is cool. Especially in criminal law, where there are surprisingly plentiful ‘grey areas’, I found it fascinating to think this gladiator style system between two barristers could still be how we deal with issues in the 21st century.

After doing a master’s degree I joined the civil service, and currently work as a programme delivery support officer in the Home Office. I have learned so much already, though I don’t think I could have settled into my role so quickly without the experiences I got from Solent. Mooting taught me how to think on my feet, while social enterprises taught me how to run complex projects efficiently.

I was part of, and ran, several societies at Solent. I was the president of Enactus, a social entrepreneurial society who became one of the top 10 teams in the country! I was also president of the mooting society, taking part in the national OUP competition.

I was part of other societies as well; the variety of options really helped me meet a range of people and get a range of experiences, all of which were super useful when I applied for jobs in third year and after.