Ryan Gardener BA Film

Hi, I'm Ryan Gardener and I studied BA Film within Film at the University of Southampton.

There are so many opportunities that the university offers in terms of the societies, the social life and, of course, on the course itself. You will meet so many different people, have so many different experiences and hopefully learn a lot about a subject that you’re passionate about.

What do you enjoy about the course?

Since my first day here, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at the university. In studying Film, I have had the chance to get taught about really interesting subjects by really enthusiastic lecturers, while also being able to get involved with various societies. There have been so many opportunities that the university has given me, in particular, the month I spent attending an international summer school in Seoul, South Korea, that the university arranged for me, was a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget.

What is Southampton like as a place to study?

As a place to study, Southampton University seems to have such a friendly and relaxed atmosphere to it. The lecturers are always happy to help you with anything you may have problems with and they are really enthusiastic about what they are teaching. And the cafeteria does curly fries every now and then, which helps make it the perfect learning environment.

Tell us about your career aspirations

In terms of career ambitions, I am still not exactly sure of what I want to be doing, although something in film production or publishing would interest me. That said, after I graduate, I intend on continuing my education at the University of Southampton by studying for an MA in film. After that I am planning to teach English in South Korea for a year. Hopefully during that time I’ll be able to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

How do you think your course will help you in your chosen role?

Not knowing yet what my chosen role is, it is difficult to answer this question, but I have nevertheless found a great deal of value in the course. The skills you learn doing a film degree here can be easily transferable to many different careers. Presentation skills, working with others and the ability to write clearly and coherently, all while studying a subject that I love, are just some of the many skills I learnt or improved upon during my time here and all of which I believe will help me in later life.

What advice would you give to a student starting their degree at Southampton?

My advice to any students starting their degree at Southampton would be just to throw yourself into the university way of life here. There are so many opportunities that the university offers in terms of the societies, the social life and, of course, on the course itself. You will meet so many different people, have so many different experiences and hopefully learn a lot about a subject that you’re passionate about. Not that you’ll need to try hard to but just do your best to enjoy yourself here.