What Is Studying Surveying Online Really Like? Miltos’ story

Miltos Konstantinou is from Denmark and has a background in Civil Engineering. Choosing to study Surveying online with Northumbria from his home country, he began his journey to becoming a Quantity Surveyor in 2019. Below he shares his experiences of distance learning alongside his family and work commitments, a balance he describes as a “win/win situation”.

Why did you choose to study with Northumbria University?

It has a good reputation combined with lower economic costs.

What have you enjoyed most about the course, so far? What has challenged you?

I’ve enjoyed learning new things, which I can use in my job as a Quantity Surveyor and that will help me advance further in my career. The biggest challenge was time management, as all my time had to be shared between work, study, and family.

Why did you choose to study via distance learning over studying on campus?

It was not possible to move to the UK for the course because I am working full time in Denmark and have a family here.

Being based internationally, how has online learning helped you?

If distance learning was not available, I would not be able to study the course I wanted as a Quantity Surveyor because there is nothing similar to it in my country. Also, having a family and work obligations makes it very difficult to physically attend a course at the university campus.

What has your experience as a distance-learning student been like so far?

I have only good things to say. It was much easier than I thought to get in contact with teachers or student colleagues via the online platform or by email. I am also happy about the academic content and how it relates to a real working environment. I use my local library to study in on weekends as it has rooms with absolute silence – something that helps me focus on my homework. The support I received from my student advisors, Francine and Robert, whenever any study-related issue arises was really timely and helpful too.

What would you say has been the biggest benefit so far to studying this course? Has it helped you in your day-to-day role?

If I should highlight one of the benefits from studying this course, it would be the level of knowledge provided to me within the two years on this course, and gave me more of an understanding about the role of a Quantity Surveyor. When I started this journey, I had hoped that it would help me find a job in the surveying sector. One year later, I had secured a position as a Quantity Surveyor in one of Denmark’s biggest hospital projects. Hopefully, in time, it will enable me to become a Chartered Member of RICS as the course is also fully accredited by RICS.

What advice would you give someone who is considering a distance-learning course with NU?

I would advise anyone considering studying on a distance-learning course with NU to go ahead and do it, as it is academically and professionally rewarding, and also financially benefitting compared to what other universities offer. For me, it is a win/win situation.

When you’re not studying, how do you spend your time?

I usually spend my downtime watching TV or listening to music, but I do like hill walking too. I usually go to the Peak District as the scenery is so beautiful.

How would you describe your NU experience so far in three words?

Unique, rewarding, fun.