Jacob Dean

Jacob graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Forest Management in 2019/20.

The 26-year-old originally studied music and performance up to HNC level in Glasgow before travelling around Australia. On his return, he decided to pursue a career in forestry and joined the Scottish School of Forestry on its HND Forestry programme.

He said: “I really enjoyed the practical teaching from the wealth of experienced lecturers, as well and the practical learning and excursions to many different sectors and operations within forestry. The teaching staff were exemplary, with each lecturer having a great depth of knowledge and experience from which we could draw from. The support from lectures was great, with them going out of their way to present opportunities outwith the college, such as academic conferences and industry jobs. I particularly loved the close-knit, family feeling at the Scottish School of Forestry, where everyone was able to grow close bonds and have lasting experiences together.”

Jacob combined his HND placement year with working as a professional forestry surveyor, gathering forestry data and mapping woodlands, as well as taking part in a four-month Erasmus exchange program to the Czech Republic. While there he worked with the forestry department at Mendel University, Brno, to manage their university owned forests.

He continued: “My placement year was amazing. I got to do Erasmus and gain true practical work experience, which has proven to be extremely useful and sought after by future employers.”

Jacob is currently living in Austria and is keen to move into forestry drone operations and surveying.

He added: “The HND Forestry programme is a great course for getting practical experience and allows you to progress onto a BSc (Hons) programme and beyond. Studying at the Scottish School of Forestry was a great experience and I’m so glad that I made the decision to study there, it’s by far the best campus in the world, with a truly one of a kind atmosphere. No matter where you came from, everyone was accepting, welcoming and all there to learn about the fascinating world of forestry.”