Adela Salman - BA (Hons) Business with Human Resource Management

Having grown up in Helsingborg, Sweden, the 23-year-old has always valued the importance of knowledge and wanted to experience higher education for both her and her family.

“My parents immigrated to Sweden in the 90’s and always provided for me and my siblings, but my mum did not have the chance to experience higher education. In many cultures, higher education is important and valued because it cannot be taken away from you once have obtained it, which was something I wanted to be able to do, both for me and my family.”

After leaving school in Helsingborg, Adela came straight to RGU in September of 2020 during the pandemic. She chose RGU for the Business with Human Resource Management course, enjoying the prospect of combining business management and human resources, something not offered at other universities that she’d researched.

Her experience in Aberdeen has been a triumph, graduating with a first-class degree despite understandable struggles during a time when it was difficult for many.

“The Inclusion Centre was of great support in my first and last year specifically. I struggled a bit with my mental health in first year, with the pandemic and all. In fourth year, I did struggle with my physical health and the people involved were so incredibly kind to look after my wellbeing.

“Overall, I am so incredibly proud of myself, coming to Aberdeen in the middle of the pandemic not knowing whether my studies were going to work out for me because all of the uncertainty with learning almost completely online for my first year.

“Now, four years later, I did it! And not only just passed, but a great achievement in my whole third and fourth year, especially graduating with an A in my thesis. Pride and overjoyed are probably the first words that come to mind.

In Adela’s third-year, she experienced the benefits of going on placement, taking up an opportunity in Poland with AstraZeneca Pharma which has now materialised into a full-time HR Advisor job in its Warsaw office later this summer.

“Placement was probably the best thing that has happened to my education thus far. The opportunity was an eye-opener regarding what we as students are actually capable of. I learnt so much during that year in particular, with great support there as well.

“I felt that placement linked really well with my degree. It was such a great experience in terms of teaching me how a career can be built, and gaining overall knowledge about the ‘business world’ has helped tremendously.”

Having moved to Aberdeen from Sweden, a path not so well-trodden, Adela emphasised her gratitude to the staff and friends she has met and dealt with while in the North East while praising the Garthdee campus.

“So many individuals from academic staff at RGU are probably the kindest people I have met. Some lecturers are truly the ones that put my mind at ease when it comes to my academic performance.

“Other than that, the University might be a bit out of the city centre, but there is nothing as rewarding as having a coffee by the beautiful scenery by the river after a long day of classes”