Robyn Hogg

Why did you choose to study this course at the RAU?

You can study business anywhere, but in order to have a higher level of understanding about the agricultural world and how to synthesise the ideas then the RAU is the obvious choice. I also love the family atmosphere that you get from a small campus university – it’s like you know everyone!

What was the best part about this course for you?

The best part of my course was the tutors – not only are they incredibly knowledgeable, but they also have an open door policy which I have been happy to exploit throughout my years. They help with coursework, applying for jobs and generally helping in any way they can. 

What did you enjoy the most about studying at the RAU?

I come from a farming background, but my favourite thing about being here is learning about people from all over the country and their farming experiences – I learn more from my peers than I possibly could elsewhere because, accidentally, everyone seems to be an expert in something and has a way to help!

What would you say to a prospective student thinking about choosing your course at the RAU?

First of all, I would say, ‘do it’! The RAU is small enough to care and let people have individuality, but large enough to immerse you into a great academic environment. The course itself is not like those taught at other universities, we don’t have lectures just based on theory and how to apply it – we have them based on current agricultural and food issues and we talk about their progression. In life we cannot just use theories, and our great lecturing staff helps guide us into a new train of thought. 

The RAU is small enough to be able to care and large enough to immerse you in a great academic environment. The course is not like those taught at other universities, we don't have lectures just based on theory.

What are you doing now?

I recently began making soap with my father from products that are grown on the farm, we were planning on using his OSR crop, but we were so much of a success that we needed to find larger suppliers! And so, Foam-O soaps was born.

We sell gift boxes of beautiful handmade soaps – which are vegan, palm oil free, cruelty free, plastic free and SLS free. These boxes are able to fit through the post-box, saving on postage costs. Fantastically, our soaps are helping people with eczema, rosacea and other skin complaints and I have been able to utilise the knowledge I gained by studying at the RAU.