Jacob Dyer

Trying something new 

After completing his A-levels, Jacob saw an opportunity to try something new and applied to study politics at Herts. He says, ‘They took a chance and offered me a place on their undergraduate programme. I enjoyed every moment of the course and I got to know my lecturers well – they were second to none.’

The quality of teaching and the postgraduate alumni discount convinced Jacob to stay at Herts after his undergraduate degree and complete his masters here too. He says, ‘When I heard that they were introducing an MA programme in International Relations, I relished the opportunity to continue receiving their tutelage. It was an easy decision for me.’

Making friends for life 

Since graduating, Jacob continues to meet up with friends he met on the course and those he lived with. He says, ‘We had the best time at Herts and supported each other throughout. The support network we created was great, and it was fantastic to be able to work with people from different backgrounds.’

Falling in love with academia 

Jacob is now a Commissioning Specialist at an open-access academic publisher, where he works with academics to create collections of research in a variety of different fields, increasing the number of open-access research available to the public. He is hoping to begin his PhD soon and has ambitions to become a lecturer. He says, ‘My time studying at Herts has made me want to remain in academia for the rest of my life. I want to continue learning and teach a new generation of students.’

Jacob believes that building a network at university is one of the most important things you can do. His advice to others is to, ‘Find your niche and explore what you can do with your degree. But most importantly, enjoy your time here!’