Young people chart careers in geography at UON

Academy students ‘mapped’ new career options after visiting University of Northampton (UON) to explore the world of geography.

Year 9 and 10 students from Northampton Academy attended workshops to understand what geographers do, what skills they need, and the wide range of careers that geography graduates go on to have.

Joined by UON Geography students, they explored real-world scenarios that use geography. By examining the opening of a new supermarket, they gained insight into what geographers need to bear in mind with such developments.

The students also took part in a fieldwork session using land surveying equipment including an optical level, survey staff, and compass to measure the locations of various points on the campus for 3D mapping.

They soon discovered how geographers have a wide range of skills that can be useful in many job roles.

The day was part of a national project called Geography for All from the Royal Geographical Society. Geography for All seeks to increase the diversity of students from different backgrounds studying geography at A Level and highlight the benefits of continuing to study the subject as a degree and career.

UON student Matthew Naidu is in the final year of his degree and co-supervised the outdoor activities. He talks about why geography is such a valuable subject: “What drew me to study geography is it is so versatile, there are lots of ways you can go with a degree in it.

“What we did during this week’s workshop showed the mix of indoors theory and analysis and outside field work, showing a good mix of both main aspects of a geographer’s work. I like the land surveying aspect of geography and using the GIS computer systems to map data and create interactive maps, such as those that showed us where Covid rates were highest during the pandemic. It’s an ever-growing field and is where I see myself after graduating.

“You need diversity in all aspects of life, and geography is no different. Geography has a huge impact on our lives, so everyone’s opinions and views need to be reflected in what geographers do, so I am glad to help spread the word about the discipline.”

Natalie Sharp is a Geography Teacher at Northampton Academy, and she adds:  “This was such a fantastic day for our students. The Society and UON had pitched the activities just right to engage Year 9 and 10 students and it was clear the time and effort planning the day paid off. For many of our students, university may not have been on their radar as a future prospect. But the friendliness and enthusiasm of everyone seems to have sparked an interest in this path, with many asking questions about geography degrees and university life after we left. This was a rewarding opportunity that I would love to bring more students to.”

Shanique Harris, Project Coordinator for Geography for All, dropped in for the day and says: “It was great to see students having the opportunity to share the geography they learnt in lessons outside the classroom with lecturers and University students during their sessions.

“Some of the questions the school students asked the undergraduates just proved that more dialogue between the two groups is needed to dispel misconceptions of studying at university.

“Being exposed to this early on will help inform the decision-making process especially for the first-generation students. Thank you to Faith Tucker and colleagues for a well-planned morning and the students who made themselves available. This was a great example of what can be achieved through subject specific collaboration.”

Find out more about Geography at University of Northampton.