now aged 37 years old, was able to ‘realise her true academic ability’ after completing a Social Sciences Access to Higher Education course at City of Bristol College in 2016, 15 years after she left college after studying a BTEC in Performing Arts in 2001. She said: “I loved my old course but it didn’t exactly set me up for academia! Without having completed the Access course at City of Bristol College, 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!” 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: “I then decided I wasn’t 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.” Sophi said her teachers on the Access course were ‘absolutely amazing’ and helped her feel at ease when she felt ‘terrified on her first day’. She explained: “I had not really enjoyed ‘school’ 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 ‘stupid’. 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.” Sophi, who never felt confident in maths, was supported by her statistics tutor to access material as they ‘helped [her] see [she] really could do it’. The adult learner found psychology and sociology ‘fascinating’ and told us she still uses the tips and techniques taught to her by her college tutors when completing her masters. She added: “I 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’m 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’t get me wrong – the Access course it hard work and there won’t be much time for a social life but it is so completely worth it!” City of Bristol College 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.

now aged 23 years old, left the college and went on to successfully secure an apprenticeship with the BBC. After some talks with her tutors, Georgia was advised to accept the sought-after apprenticeship as it would take her directly into employment in the industry and was ‘an opportunity not to be missed’.

A Childcare and Education student has been able to secure her dream job as an early years practitioner after finishing her studies at City of Bristol College. Eighteen-year-old Katie Hilton completed her Level 3 qualification with the college this year and has already secured a full-time position at a pre-school with her own group. Katie said the course ‘helped in a range of ways’ and allowed her to gain the relevant knowledge and experience from the course. She added: “I have gained a lot of confidence since being at the college which has allowed me to gain the confidence to apply for the job I have always wanted but wouldn’t have been able to do previously. Katie praised her experience of City of Bristol College over the past two years with the Level 3 Childcare and Education course delivered well by her two ‘amazing’ lecturers Gemma and Rachel. She added: “Gemma and Rachel have really enhanced my experience within the college as they have been very supportive with the course and also within my next journey. “I would highly recommend studying with the college. It has a lot of different courses to offer ranging at different levels – which shows they are inclusive for everyone”. Katie said she learned so much on the course and was able to develop and apply her knowledge in her new job. She explained how informative the course was and how she was supported with her assignments and controlled assessments. Katie finished the course with an A* under her belt as well as an additional Paediatric First Aid qualification to support her in the new pre-school environment. The two-year, full-time Childcare and Education course enables learners to work with children from birth to five years old and give them knowledge for older toddlers. This course offers learners a great opportunity to progress into higher education and previous learners have moved on to specialise in primary school teaching, children’s nursing and to become a nanny/au pair abroad.