Megan Smyth

Megan's Story

When Megan Smyth was deciding which university to go to, having a wide choice of subjects to choose from was an important factor for her.

“I chose the University of Stirling because it offered the most choice,” she said. “I needed a choice because I was hoping somewhere along the way, I would become clearer about what I wanted to do after university.”

A visit to the campus, helped to cement her choice of university

“I was obsessed with the campus from the Open Day, so it was a no-brainer really,” said Megan, from Cumbernauld. “I learned how to drive and my mum and gran bought me a car to help me get there. The rest is history.”

She chose to study Business and English, but soon decided to concentrate on Business Studies.

“Initially, actually deciding on a course I wanted to do was a struggle for me - it’s so hard when you don’t know what you want to do afterwards,” she said. “I played to my strengths with English and Business and then figured out the rest from there. When I started Business as a single Honours I knew I had made the right decision and my grades gradually improved with me being able to focus all my energy on one subject.”

In addition to her studies, Megan worked part-time so she could afford to go on holiday and save for a house. Her work-ethic paid off when she was offered an internship with a national car hire company. 

“I had my heart set on an internship,” she said. “It was the next logical step when it came to getting serious about the future. I’d worked in various jobs since I was 16, so I knew I was ready for a new challenge.

“I got an internship with Enterprise Rent-A-Car which kept me busy over the summer. Their management trainee scheme appealed to me because of the variety and I quickly discovered that no two days are the same there, so I knew I wouldn’t get bored. It enabled me to build on the skills I had acquired elsewhere and I was also given a lot of responsibility.”

When the internship finished, Megan continued to work for the company and is hoping to apply for an assistant manager post there in the future.

She attributes her success to the support she received from her lecturers.

“At school everyone tells you that you’re completely alone in university and nobody helps you if there’s something you didn’t understand, but that couldn’t be further from the truth and I’m so thankful because my grades massively reflect that.”