Duncan MacBride, BSc (Hons) Agriculture, Aberdeen

“I suppose it was my mum's idea, she suggested SRUC as a place to study. I used it for all four choices on my UCAS form, it was close to home and I just knew it was where I wanted to go.”

Growing up on a sheep farm on the west coast of Scotland, higher education wasn’t at the top of the list for Duncan MacBride when he left high school,

“I was always involved with work at the farm at home or with neighbours and stuff like that, getting dragged out of school” said the 20 year-old. “Before I started uni I actually took a year out for a year to serve on a fish farm. I just like being out and about.”

It was at his mother’s suggestion that he first applied, and he was accepted for deferred entry initially at SRUC’s Barony campus, he then moved to the Aberdeen campus for his final year.

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Despite a clear preference for outdoor work, he soon found he had a talent for study. Not only did he do well in class, but he ended being one of only two students selected to represent SRUC at the Salon International de l’Agriculture (Paris International Agricultural Show) last year.

“They sent me to Paris, to the show” he said. “It was just me and another boy from Barony. It involved lots of other students from across Europe, and we got involved in a sport judging competition. We got to set up connections with people from abroad, it was absolutely brilliant.”

Not one to rest on his laurels, Duncan also entered SRUC’s competitive Enterprise Challenge in 2023, coming overall second with the rest of his group,

“Our entry was for the module Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship” he said. “We had to come up with a business idea, and we did well. We got an A, then they asked us if we wanted to enter the competition. We didn’t win, but we came second and won £1,000!”

Achieving what he did wouldn’t have been possible without the supportive environment he found on campus, which gave him the confidence he needed to succeed.

“Where I come from, it's such a small village, everybody knows everybody” he said. “So I liked it when I came to campus and they know you by name. I especially liked Barony, they were brilliant, we all knew them really well. You never felt you couldn’t ask them a question.”

Now that he has finished, though Duncan has received a nice nest egg and a well-earned 2:1, for him the real prize is the friends and connections he has made,

“When I left home to go to SRUC, I had the chance to meet a lot of people who were like me and some who weren’t” he said.

“I’ve learned so much, and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of that SRUC community. It’s diverse, there’s lots of interesting stories and I’ve always felt very welcome.”

And for those thinking of applying but who are yet to hit the button, he has one answer,

“If you are interested in getting away and learning about stuff outside of home, just go for it.”