Reigate College was the obvious choice for me as I lived nearby, but I knew it was highly rated. Its biggest enduring impact came in the form of my Politics teacher, Nick. I’m not a morning person but I remember waking up excited when I had a Politics lesson: Nick’s passion for teaching and his seemingly endless knowledge had me hooked, plus his gift for highlighting the politics all around us in everyday life really stuck with me. Events like the mock hustings with all the Reigate Parliamentary seat candidates were a brilliant real-life demonstration of democratic engagement.
The College’s Rainbow Society was also a huge help to me in terms of finding community, connecting with new friends and becoming more comfortable with myself throughout my gender transition – I’d highly recommend it for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.
At school I honestly had no idea where my academic future was headed, but within the first term of my Lower Sixth I had pretty much made the decision to study Politics at uni. Attending a lecture by Goldsmiths University led me to study there, and I fell in love with London and haven’t left!
With Politics being a relatively research- and essay-heavy degree, I found it important to foster creative interests as well, so I took up Zine-making and jewellery crafting. Goldsmith’s Student Wellbeing Centre was amazing and helped me access support and extended deadlines when I was experiencing mental health struggles.
When it came to writing my dissertation, I felt it was important to be engaged by the topic given it would take up most of my final year. My subject librarian at uni was a brilliant resource and so useful, helping me to hone the focus for my research – Trans Rights and Liberation in the UK – as well as drawing on my lived experiences as trans man.
During university I was lucky enough to take part in the SHAPE Sustainability Impact Project with The British Academy, which expanded my knowledge of sustainability work in the modern world. These credentials played a key role in securing my current role in sustainability.
After graduation, I made use of the uni’s careers fairs to expand my understanding of the job market for someone with my degree. They helped me perfect my CV for the types of roles I was interested in and I attended a six-week public speaking course which helped me perform more confidently in job interviews – I still use these skills in presentations and when hosting events in my current role.
As the Administrative Assistant in a specialist sustainability consultancy, I’m responsible for co-ordinating with clients on construction and fit-out projects. I also get involved in on-boarding projects, events organisation and customer relations management plus take care of our company’s social media and the day-to-day office management to keep our staff team of 16 working efficiently.
I found my job through LinkedIn, which I like because you can quickly get a feel for the atmosphere and culture of a company workplace. In the year between graduating and finding my current role, I needed to earn some money and had some pretty negative experiences working in hospitality, but perseverance gets you there eventually. These experiences helped me realise I’m best suited to a 9 to 5 role, and I love how focused JAW are on staff wellbeing and work-life balance.
I never expected to be working within the construction industry, but the job aligns with my passion for sustainability and preservation of the natural world. I love the company, the people and my role, and hope that my experiences here will be a stepping stone to a career in a more explicitly political field in the future.
I wish I’d known at College that it’s OK to not know exactly where your career is headed. When you’re surrounded by friends who have dreamed of being doctors, musicians, writers or lawyers for years, it can be daunting to not know what field you will end up in. Going to university was instrumental in showing me the wealth of career options that are out there.
My advice to College students is that enrichment activities are your best friends! They help demonstrate your passion for a field, particularly if the subjects you have chosen to study aren’t explicitly associated with your career goals.
While I loved uni, I’d recommend thinking about non-university options for after College too: with the rising cost of fees, I feel perhaps I could have considered alternative paths such as paid internships or apprenticeships.
Nathaniel Lindsay
Reigate College: 2016-2018
Higher education: BA Politics, Goldsmiths University of London
Currently: Administrative Assistant, JAW Sustainability
