HUNDREDS of students from the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) arrived at Cirencester Parish Church last week to celebrate a major life event, graduation.

The university held three convocation ceremonies for its four schools from Thursday 21 to Friday 22: the School of Agriculture, Food and Environment; the School of Real Estate and Land Management; the School of Business and Entrepreneurship; and the School of Equine Management and Science.

Special guests included the mayor of Cirencester, Councillor Mark Harris, and the high sheriff of Gloucestershire, Lady Bathurst.

This year, 79 per cent of undergraduate students were awarded a first class or 2.1, and 86 per cent of postgraduate students earned a merit or distinction.

Over the past five years, 96 per cent of RAU undergraduates on average are in employment or further study within six months, according to an annual survey organised by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

It was also revealed that 80 per cent of undergraduates who graduated in 2015 secured jobs classed as ‘professional or managerial roles’.

RAU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Gaskell, said: “Convocation is a very special day for the whole University.

“Congratulations to all of our students who are graduated last week – we wish you every success in your future lives and careers, and hope you’ll keep in touch with each other, and with us.”

The Standard spoke to a few graduates from the School of Real Estate and Land Management on their special day.

Rural Land Management graduate Jennifer Stewart, 22, from north of Glasgow, said: “I’m pleased. We’ve worked really hard so it’s nice to finally be rewarded and relax.

“I’m going on to work for a firm in Guildford so I’m sorted which is a good relief to have. We’re quite lucky being at the college because it’s quite vocational.

“I plan to enjoy the rest of my summer and start work in September. I’m doing a two-year further training to become chartered.”

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

(Jennifer Stewart, 22, and Jessica Allsop, 21, Rural Land Management graduates)

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

(Gina Cole, 23, and Isabelle Bateman, 23, who studied masters in Real Estate)

Gina Cole, 23, from Lechlade, finished her postgraduate degree in Real Estate last summer.

She said: “I’m very happy. It has taken a while because I finished my masters last year so it’s quite nice to come back and see everyone.”

Gina, who did her undergraduate degree at the University of Surrey, has been working in Savills in Oxford since April and plans to undertake APC training to become a chartered surveyor.

Isabelle Bateman, 23, studied a postgraduate Real Estate degree and will be working in the London business Paragon after the summer.

Isabelle, from Hockley Heath in Warwickshire, said: “It’s very exciting, slightly sad.

“I’m hopefully starting a job in quantity surveying. It will be different moving to the city. It’s exciting, a bit daunting.”

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

Lewis Steer, 21, who finished his undergraduate degree in Rural Land Management was part of the Young Enterprise society.

From Dartmoor in Devon, Lewis runs his wool business Lily Warne Wool on his family’s farm in Chudleigh.

He said: “I plan to carry on my own business and start up a Dartmoor Shepherd sheepskin company that will sell woollen products.”

Fellow Rural Land Management graduate Edward Cheevers, 22, also looked forward to starting a job after graduation as he will be working in West Sussex for a land agents.

The rugby player from East Sussex said: “I’m excited and pleased to have got this far. We’ve made it out to the other side.

“Graduate employment was the main factor for choosing RAU. It’s been 99 per cent for many years. When you go to a university, you need to know that you can get a job when you come out of it.”

Find out more about the university at: www.rau.ac.uk.