Betty Lewis is a final year Social Anthropology and Data Analytics student, at The University of Manchester. She’s shared her experience at The University of Manchester, and her plans for the future.

I first wanted to move to Manchester because I loved the city, the location of the uni campus, and the flexibility of the BA Social Sciences (BASS) courses. I knew I wanted to do a degree in social sciences but wanted to continue learning quantitatively and engaging with the mathematical side of my brain, so being able to combine social studies in anthropology with the data analytics pathway perfectly satisfied this for me. I also loved that the BASS course gave me the opportunity to pick up modules in different humanities subjects throughout my degree. This gave me so many fascinating options to choose between and meant I could continue to engage with politics and sociology despite not picking these for my degree.

During my second and third year of studying I’ve led the Uniboob team, which works with the charity CoppaFeel to spread breast cancer awareness and chest checking advice around campus. Over this time, we’ve run talks at events, stalls around campus, and hosted socials with other societies to reach a wide range of demographics. This has allowed me to develop skills in leadership, public speaking, event organisation, and social media alongside academic growth in my degree. I’m also currently taking part in the nascent Data4All initiative, a student-led group focused on creating accessible data spaces. Next year we hope to speak at the ESRC Festival of Data Science about our latest project on poverty and the cost-of-living crisis in Greater Manchester, which we developed using data archives from The John Rylands Library.

After I graduate this Summer, I’m moving onto an MSc Data Science (Social Analytics), still at Manchester. I can’t wait to further the skills that I’ve learnt in my undergraduate degree, and while this will be more computationally focused, I chose the social analytics branch so that I can continue to apply my data skills across the humanities and home in on social issues. Following this, I plan to start my career, and I am currently looking at internships and graduate schemes in the food industry, particularly in trend forecasting and buying. This isn’t a career path I’d thought about before my degree; it was an idea that was triggered by an inspiring social anthropology module that I loved. I was further encouraged through career sessions that I attended throughout third year.

For those who are about to start studying at UoM, my best advice is to get involved! Take time to explore the city and get involved in extra-curriculars, I met so many amazing people this way and picked up some great skills. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out for help – UoM has been great for all kinds of support, and it never hurts to ask. I’ve had so many problems solved and new opportunities given to me just from dropping a simple email to a lecturer or my academic advisor. All in all, I’ve had the best time at Manchester and hopefully have one more exciting year to come!

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