Work hard, play hard - award-winner Lucie looks back at her first year at University

From discovering her passion for the food industry, including creating award-winning food product, Riff, as part of her Young Enterprise team, to throwing herself into societies and campus events, first-year BSc (Hons) Food Business Management student Lucie Campbell has certainly made the most of her first year at Harper Adams University.

Our motto, Utile Dulci, has inspired the modern interpretation, "Work Hard, Play Hard" among our students, and that's exactly how Lucie has embraced life at Harper Adams.

In this guest blog, she tells us what she's been up to in her first year.

I'm originally from a mixed sheep and cattle farm in the Scottish Borders. Growing up rurally, big city universities were just not my cup of tea, so I decided to have a look at Harper. My journey actually took a bit of a detour. I was originally going to study Agri-Business, but during my gap year, I worked as a chef in Northumberland. I fell in love with the food industry and realised just how many incredible career opportunities exist where food and agriculture meet. 

One of the best things about Harper’s business courses is the flexibility. Because the first year is shared across similar routes, I knew I could easily swap back to Agri-Business in my second year if I wanted to. However, getting a taste of the food side completely won me over. 

Coming to Harper has been everything I hoped for and more. I really appreciate the smaller class sizes and the genuine one-to-one support from the teaching staff, who actually know your name. I’ve never felt like just a number here. The staff all have real industry experience, so they bring real-life examples from their careers into their teaching, which has helped me apply parts of the modules to real-world scenarios. Plus, having all of our lectures recorded makes sitting down for revision completely stress-free. It’s also an incredibly well-connected university, especially in the food industry, which is already helping me look ahead to my second year, where I hope to secure a great placement in food retail buying. 

"At Harper: work hard, play hard" This saying has definitely been the theme of my year. 

Personally, I like to keep my calendar packed. I’m part of quite a few sports clubs and societies, including Women’s Rugby, Equestrian, Cross Country, Snow Sports, the Agricultural Society, and even gave Horseball a go. Getting to compete in BUCS rugby and the university Horseball league has been so much fun, and the Snow Sports ski trip to Les Arcs was unforgettable.

We love a formal event; between the Christmas, Paddy's, Summer, and Agrics ball, charity matches, and RAG week, there is always something happening. Living in halls during my first year was the perfect way to stay right in the middle of the action. Despite not being a big city university, the social life here is non-stop (if you want it to be). There are so many local events, and on nights out everyone knows each other, which is great fun. 

To add to the juggle, I also work as a Student Ambassador, a Digital Ambassador, and a Course Representative. On top of that, I work part-time as a chef within the Harper Adams catering team and represent a sustainable farming research programme, Joined-Up Landscapes, at agricultural shows across the country. Harper is a place where if you want to gain experience, the opportunities are endless, you just have to ask. 

Without a doubt, the absolute highlight of my first year has been participating in the Young Enterprise programme. It’s an initiative backed by the university that gives students the support to launch a real startup business. 

Our team started a little project back in February, and it has completely taken off. We won the West Midlands regional final, and just recently, we won the UK national final, beating out 1,200 teams from universities across the country!

Our little startup is now heading to Latvia this July to represent the UK at the Gen-E European Entrepreneurship Festival. The backing we’ve received from our mentors has been incredible. It’s exactly the kind of opportunity that gives you a massive edge alongside your degree.

Looking back, I am so glad I took the plunge to come here. Travelling nearly six hours from home to a university in England where none of my friends were going was daunting, and I wasn't even entirely sure if university was right for me. Visiting for the Open Day and Offer Holder Day 100% changed my mind and gave me a feel for how special this place is. 

If I could give any advice to someone considering Harper Adams, it would be to make the absolute most of it. University is entirely what you make of it; it's so much more than just a piece of paper at the end. You have the perfect window of opportunity to try cool things without massive financial risks or life responsibilities.

Be willing to try new things, put yourself out there, and don't be afraid to ask for help. The friends you meet and the memories you make are truly the best. I have absolutely loved my first year, and I can't wait to see what the second year brings!

Vote for Riff Snacks here.