Student Perspective | Adrianna Proetta | Marine Science

I was lucky that this University exactly offers the course I want to do.
18th March 2021
I am Adrianna, 21 years old and originally from Gibraltar. I recently graduated from university in Sussex, UK, where I did my undergraduate in Marine Biology. It was kind of a happy accident that I ended up here in my country of origin because I planned on doing an internship abroad. But obviously, COVID had other ideas, so I figured since we don’t really know what is happening in these times, it would be a good use of my time to do a Master’s in Marine Science & Climate Change here in Gibraltar. I’ve always been a conservationist. The fact that this course does do so much on climate change, conservation, and environmental policy caught my attention, so I was lucky that this University exactly offers the course I want to do.
If you compare studying in Gibraltar with studying in the UK, it’s completely different. In the UK, my classes were huge; at least 150 people in each class. Which meant that we did never really get to know the professors, and also no one-to-one attention or not much help either from professors or advisors. At the University of Gibraltar, we have such small classes which allow us to have that special, more intensive interaction with professors and they are there to help with everything that you need. Definitely the relationship with the professors is much better here compared with the UK. 
Another remarkable difference is that we do a lot more practicals here. We gain a lot more hands-on, practical experience rather than just studying and sitting exams. Also, there is more coursework to do here. The University prepares you more for ‘the life after Uni’, whereas studying in the UK was just focussed on getting your degree and that’s it. But here, it feels like the professors want to make sure that you’re going to be prepared for whatever it is that you are planning to do after University. It is hard to think about similarities because I am enjoying this master’s so much more than my undergrad. The quality of lectures is the same, but for me, the content is more interesting because of the applied aspect.
I love the fact that I’m the only local in this class. Getting to know so many people and making friends from different nationalities and places… This might sound cheesy, but this course has given me a completely different view on Gibraltar, and it makes me fall in love with Gibraltar in a different way, because of the people that I’ve met during this course. 
I started living at home, in Spain, during the beginning of the course. But then I saw how much more social and fun it could be, as well as to have my own space for studying, so I decided to move to the student accommodation too. Our whole class lives in the accommodation and we get along so well. Besides, I made friends at the University outside of our class too. I can’t complain about living with my friends and having my own place, it’s the best of both worlds.
The good thing about Gibraltar is of course the amazing weather. It allows us to do many outdoor activities. You can literally go to the beach for a swim in March. And this ‘little’ rock is always there for a hike. Besides sporty activities, Gibraltar is full of history and unique landmarks. There are caves, war tunnels, bunkers, and batteries to explore. It’s a very unique place with a rich history. If it has your interest, you could do several city tours and learn much more about this place. And last but not least, for going out there is Ocean Village with several bars to enjoy a nice evening out.