Sajid is a BSc Economics, Statistics and Mathematics student. He accepted a place to study at QMUL after obtaining A*, A* and B in his A Levels (Maths, Further Maths and Economics). Sajid is from Newham and as the eldest of four siblings is the first in his family to go to university.
Sajid Ahmed, Annual Fund Scholarship recipient 2017
"QMUL was an obvious choice for me because it’s one of few London universities to offer these three strands in one degree. My A Levels really helped cement my skillset so I felt confident and prepared to tackle a three-part degree.
"I’ve really enjoyed my first year so far and I’m excited about all the modules I’m going to study in the next two years. My course is intellectually stimulating and it’s really gotten me thinking about the different career paths available to someone doing a degree like this – there are so many options post-graduation!
"Because I commute to campus and I work part time, tutoring GCSE and A Level students, I didn’t want to take out a maintenance loan at the start of the academic year. I was terrified of the thought of all that mounting debt and thought I could manage without it for the first year. But it has been tough! So when I was recently awarded an Annual Fund Bursary, I was so relieved and grateful. After looking into the Annual Fund and learning about alumni donations, I felt pleased to have been given this award. It has enabled me to put it towards my studies, a laptop (everyone needs a good laptop) and even some savings for a rainy day!
"Financial worries are a concern for all students. If you’re commuting to campus, you always worry about the cost of travel fare. If you’re living on campus, you always worry about rent. But this is part of the student life and we accept it, but that doesn’t make it any less easy! We’re always conscious of the debt we’re all going to be in as soon as we graduate and I think finances are getting more and more difficult for each cohort of university students.
"I’ve applied for several internships this summer to bulk up my CV and I’m currently preparing for eight exams in May, so my studies are keeping me really busy! In the long run, I’d really like to work in the field of actuary, and go on to do a Masters.
"This bursary will really help me on my way to achieving all this, so thank you to the alumni who made this possible. Whatever the size of your contribution, its sentimental value outweighs the monetary value. This bursary really boosted my morale and makes me want to give back to students of our university soon. Even though you don’t know me, our common link is QMUL, so thank you for thinking of me."