New social care degree helped Spanish student make Northampton his first choice

Northampton has quickly become a home-from-home for one European student who made the University his first study choice after his dream degree underwent a content overhaul.

Raul Sanchez Corredor – who was born in Umbria, Italy but grew up in Madrid, Spain – arrived fresh-faced in Northampton in September 2018 to start his three-year degree in Social and Community Development, but now called Social Care & Community Practice. It was Raul’s first trip to the UK.

This new focus of the degree was instantly attractive, as Raul explains: “I was very interested in social work or care, but for me social work seemed very legalistic and centred on the individual and I wanted a degree that offered engagement with communities.

“Social and Community Practice was exactly what I was looking for, so much so that I didn’t feel the need to come to the University for an Open Day. Most of my research was about the degree content and the town; I honestly just turned up in September to get started on my degree.”

It was a bold decision to move, but the right one for Raul: “Everything has been what I expected and a bit more. The University has been welcoming and supportive and even though I’ve only just finished my first year, we’ve covered a lot of ground and I have been exploring the types of communities I would like to work with.

“Studying this degree has been a very positive experience so far. Already, I have been volunteering with Mencap and I hope to start training with The Lowdown, the young people’s mental health support charity in town, very soon.”

Despite the University having only just opened its new, £330m home at Waterside, the new campus wasn’t a factor in Raul’s decision to study here: “I didn’t pay too much attention to the new campus when making my decision to come here. The degree and the facilities on offer were more important than the look of the University. But once I got here I was pleasantly surprised to have my lectures in such a lovely location. I miss Madrid, but Northampton is a good place to study as everything is close-by and it’s easy to get around here.”