Originally from Slovakia and now based in Doncaster, Viktoria commuted to Leeds Beckett University one day a week while working in the construction industry. As a design manager, she was already used to driving and managing a packed schedule. But juggling increasing professional responsibilities with academic deadlines wasn’t always easy.

“The final year was definitely the hardest,” she says. “Trying to stay on top of my dissertation while handling work pressure – it was a lot to juggle. But I stayed focused on the end goal. I just wanted to get it done.”

Viktoria joined the course after completing a Level 5 qualification at Leeds College of Building. With her previous institution not offering a Level 6 top-up, she reached out directly to Leeds Beckett – a move that proved decisive.

“I’d just lost my job due to the company entering insolvency and was focused on securing a new one, so I didn’t apply right away. But I spoke with the course director, and they were really understanding. I only missed the first couple of weeks and managed to catch up.”

Her degree choice was driven by the relevance to her career and a desire to deepen her understanding across construction disciplines.

“There were lots of transferable skills – even though my job is in design management, the course gave me a broad base of knowledge.”

The synergy between work and study worked both ways:

“There were times when my work experience really helped on the course, and other times when what I was learning at university helped me at work. They complemented each other really well.”

Viktoria highlights the support from her course tutor, Dr Stanley Njuangang, as a key factor in her academic progress:

“I had good construction knowledge from work, but I struggled at first to translate that into academic writing. Stanley’s support really helped me improve – I wouldn’t have got the final grade I did without him.”

Her hard work was recognised with the CIOB Certificate of Excellence, awarded for outstanding achievement – a welcome surprise that adds weight to her goal of achieving chartered status with the CIOB.

“It was really unexpected, but I am sincerely thankful for this recognition. It is an honour to be recognised by the CIOB. It reminded me how far I’ve come and made me genuinely proud of my journey.”

Outside of work and study, Vikky leads a quieter life, enjoying time with her three Cockapoos. Looking ahead, she’s continuing her work with Torsion Group, managing design on construction projects and building on her experience as she moves forward in her career:

“The degree has really helped me grow professionally. Now I’m focusing on my CIOB chartership and continuing to develop in my role.”

Find out more about studying BSc (Hons) Construction Management