Deciding to study a finance-related degree is a massive investment in your future, especially when you are looking at universities located in major business hubs. If you are researching the Finance BSc (Hons) at Aston University in the heart of Birmingham, you’re probably looking past the basic module lists and asking yourself, “is Aston good for Finance?” or “what should I know before choosing this degree?”
It is incredibly easy to get lost in glossy university brochures and official statistics. But if you want an honest review of the Finance course at Aston, the best place to get those answers isn’t from a marketing team. It’s from someone who is sitting in those exact lecture halls today.
At Already Doing It (alreadydoingit.co.uk), we connect you with vetted peer mentors who are currently studying this exact course. They can help you break down the prospectus claims and answer the questions that really matter to your day-to-day life.
If you read the official materials, you will quickly see that Aston Business School boasts a “Triple Crown” accreditation and heavily promotes the practical, industry-aligned nature of its degrees. The course descriptions often highlight a focus on financial modeling, investment analysis, and corporate finance, suggesting you will use professional-grade tools like Bloomberg terminals. But how much of this translates to your weekly timetable?
This is the perfect topic to explore with a student mentor. To get a real sense of what is it really like to study Finance at Aston, you might want to ask them:
How much of your first and second year is spent on theoretical economics compared to hands-on, practical financial modeling?
Do undergraduates actually get meaningful, regular access to software like the Bloomberg terminals, or are those primarily reserved for postgraduate researchers?
How mathematically intensive is the course in reality? Do you need to be a quantitative genius to keep up, or is there plenty of support for the statistics modules?
Speaking to someone already doing it can help you gauge whether the academic vibe matches your personal learning style and long-term career goals.
Aston is frequently cited as a major player when it comes to graduate employability, largely due to its strong emphasis on the integrated placement year between your second and third years. Because so many students take this route, the culture around the Business School is often described as being highly career-focused, with the building itself feeling almost like a corporate office environment.
But navigating a hyper-focused environment can be a unique challenge. You can get the unfiltered truth from a peer mentor by asking:
What is the reality of the “placement year” culture—is the cohort highly supportive of each other, or does the scramble for top City roles make it feel ultra-competitive?
How do students actually balance the pressure of keeping their grades up in rigorous exams while simultaneously networking and applying for placements?
Does the corporate, career-driven atmosphere of the business school make it difficult to experience a “normal,” relaxed university social life?
Instead of guessing, you can connect with an Already Doing It mentor who has either just secured their placement or is balancing those exact pressures right now.
When applying for top-tier finance programs, admissions tutors often look for something called “commercial awareness.” It’s not just about proving you have good grades in maths; it’s about showing you understand how the global economy works. Universities want to see that you are reading the room of the financial world.
But figuring out how to convey that naturally in a UCAS application can be incredibly stressful. A current Aston student who successfully navigated this process can be an invaluable sounding board. You might ask them:
How did they demonstrate their own commercial awareness in their personal statement without sounding like they were just summarizing a generic news article?
Did they focus on a specific market trend or a recent global financial event, and how did they link that back to their desire to study at Aston?
What is one specific thing they wish they had known about the Aston admissions or interview process before they submitted their application?
Your university experience is too important to leave to guesswork or polished marketing pitches. If you want to know what the academic workload is actually like, or how to navigate the infamous placement year, you need to speak to someone who is living it.
The only way to get the real answer is to talk to someone already doing it. Find your mentor at alreadydoingit.co.uk.
© 2026 Already Doing It Ltd. All rights reserved. The information on this site is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional career or admissions advice. Student Mentor Sessions and Our Insider Guides reflect student perspectives; always verify specific course details, entry requirements, and module lists with the official University Prospectus before applying.
