Name: Amy
Age: 33
Lives in: Ongar
Amy studied Access to Higher Education - Nursing, Midwifery & Health Studies and is now off to the University of Hertfordshire to study Nursing
Did you enjoy your Access to Higher Education course?
Yes, I made some really good friends and I learned so much in a short space of time. The course is quite academic, but I really surprised myself. It was quite the confidence booster. It was nice to achieve the qualification and it's taught myself to believe in me, more!
The encouragement and support we had as a class gave me the push I needed, it was lovely. The feedback and grades I received for my assignments was motivating and encouraged me to keep going and thinking "I can do this!"
I was quite timid in the start but by the end I felt empowered, like I can do anything.
Did the Access course fit in with your work, home and lifestyle?
I was working full-time and I have two children, so at first I wasn't sure if I could fit everything in, but I tried to do as much as I could in my free time. I worked on my assignments in the evenings and I was lucky enough to have support from family. It was intense, but I got everything done. It's about finding a healthy balance throughout the day and having good time management.
How did you hear about the Access course?
I was taking my GCSEs the year before I started and I've always wanted to go into Nursing. I just researched my options on Google and I stumbled across this Access course at Harlow College. After doing some more research in the College and the course, everything fell into place - it worked out really well.
Now you have finished your course, what are your next steps?
I start my first year of Nursing next week - I'm off to University! I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things after a nice break.
What parts of the Access course did you enjoy the most?
I think I took something from every single assignment I did. I feel like we dived into so much like maths and science, anatomy, the mind and the unconscious bias.
The assignment I enjoyed the most was a Research Project with a presentation to the class. We could pick anything. I liked owning a project and doing my own research, I really got stuck into it. I got so much confidence from speaking, I actually feel like I could do that more.
Would you encourage others to do the Access course?
Definitely! From talking to people who are at Uni and have done the Access course, it helps so much. I don't think I would feel as confident going into year one without doing the Access course. It prepares you well. It’s given me a good step forward for year one of University.