One of 魅影直播鈥檚 adult learners said returning to learning was 鈥榦ne of the best decisions she ever made鈥� after securing an Access to HE diploma, followed by a First Class Honours at university and now is studying for a Masters.
Sophi Noble, now aged 37 years old, was able to 鈥榬ealise her true academic ability鈥� after completing a Social Sciences Access to Higher Education course at 魅影直播 in 2016, 15 years after she left college after studying a BTEC in Performing Arts in 2001.
She said: 鈥淚 loved my old course but it didn鈥檛 exactly set me up for academia! Without having completed the Access course at 魅影直播, I would not be as far into higher education as I am now. It was a real stepping stone and entering the academic world is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made!鈥�
After completing her Access course with the college, Sophi went on to secure a place on the BSc Social Policy with Quantitative Research Methods course at the University of Bristol. She finished this course in June and earned herself the top accolade of a First Class Honours.
She added: 鈥淚 then decided I wasn鈥檛 quite finished with education so am now engaged on a MSc Policy Research in the same school at University of Bristol. I am doing this full-time and also working part-time for a charity, working with women released from prison.鈥�
Sophi said her teachers on the Access course were 鈥榓bsolutely amazing鈥� and helped her feel at ease when she felt 鈥榯errified on her first day鈥�.
She explained: 鈥淚 had not really enjoyed 鈥榮chool鈥� as a young person, so entering it as an adult I was very nervous. But the lecturers really want you to succeed and never once did I feel my questions were 鈥榮tupid鈥�. I was helped to realise my true academic ability and was encouraged all the way through to engage in a meaningful and authentic way. Everyone is professional while really personable.鈥�
Sophi, who never felt confident in maths, was supported by her statistics tutor to access material as they 鈥榟elped [her] see [she] really could do it鈥�.
The adult learner found psychology and sociology 鈥榝ascinating鈥� and told us she still uses the tips and techniques taught to her by her college tutors when completing her masters.
She added: 鈥淚 absolutely loved college. If someone had told me as a teenager that I would be returning to education in my thirties, I would have laughed. But, it was an amazing experience and I鈥檓 still loving it. With support and encouragement, I was able to see that I could do academia. I just needed to be studying something I was interested in. Don鈥檛 get me wrong 鈥� the Access course it hard work and there won鈥檛 be much time for a social life but it is so completely worth it!鈥�
魅影直播 offers a range of Access to HE courses in a number of areas, including: Environmental Science, Business Studies, Health and Social Care, Humanities, Engineering and Science.
Find out more about Access to HE courses on our website or calling 0117 312 5000.
