Megan Tudor

About Megan

Current job: Graduate Environmental Consultant at Aval Consulting Group Ltd

Degree studied: Environmental Geoscience MRes.

Previous degree studied: Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc (Hons)

Studying at Newcastle

What did you most enjoy about studying your course?

The thing I enjoyed most about the course, was the flexibility in terms of choice of modules and the vast range of modules offered. The course allowed me to focus on those topics that I had a real interest in.

What were your career aspirations when you graduated? Explain how studying the MRes at Newcastle has helped you in your career.

When I graduated following my undergraduate degree, I knew that I wanted to work in the environmental field. However, before I started my career, I wanted to expand my knowledge and understanding of environmental issues, hence why I chose to study the Environmental Geoscience MRes. After studying Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry, I had become aware of the health effects of particulate pollution. This lead to my keen interest in Air Pollution. By studying the MRes, I was able to focus my studies on my already established interest in the environment.  Today, I work mainly within the field of air quality. However, I have been fortunate enough to gain experience within other sectors such as contaminated land and energy within my role. Studying the course has helped my career by providing knowledge of environmental policies, which I am required to use on a day-to-day basis. I also learnt the basics of modelling pollutants in air and water. This skill has been particularly useful within my career as it provided a foundation for software that I am regularly required to use.

What advice would you give students considering MRes Environmental Geoscience study at Newcastle?

If I was to advise those students considering studying the course, I would suggest that they choose a topic for their dissertation that they are interested in. For me, this really helped to find motivation when it came to writing the dissertation. I would also suggest that they ensure that there is enough breadth and depth to their selected topic for such a large word count. My dissertation was greatly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic which meant that the data I could use was limited and this did make my research project harder. Finally, when choosing modules, I would encourage students to speak to members of staff involved with the module and to get a full idea of the content included within the module.

What did you enjoy most about living in or around Newcastle?

Newcastle is a relatively small city, which I liked about it. The cost of living is much less than in other areas of the UK. There is plenty to do and the nightlife is great!  

How did you fund your postgraduate studies?

I funded my postgraduate studies with help from a postgraduate loan and my parents.

Why did you choose Newcastle for your postgraduate study?

The university was familiar to me because I had previously studied there for my undergraduate degree and I knew it had a great reputation.