A former student of City of Bath College’s Access to Higher Education course, who twice failed English Literature at school, is celebrating graduating from university with a First.
Alison Guerin, from Bath, graduated from Bath Spa University with top honours in her History degree.
It’s a great achievement for the mother-of-two, who returned to College as a mature student in a bid to get the grades she needed to make it to University.
During her time on the Access course, Alison had an essay on the Man Booker Prize winning novel Life of Pi published in the English and Media Centre’s E-Magazine.
Alison, 52, said: “I was thrilled with a First. I thought it was an achievement just getting a place at university, but to come away with a First was great.
“I wanted to prove that I could make it to university and be a success – and I have! The Access course at City of Bath College was so important in helping me get where I am today. It prepared me so well for university and really helped me hit the ground running when I started my degree.
“The teachers are wonderful and they gave me so much self-belief. When I got my essay published it was really important time for me – it made me realise that I could achieve so much and how far I had come.”
Alison chose to return to education after getting fed up with a series of part-time jobs.
“The course has been perfect for me and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone in my position, or any mature student who wants a second chance to get to university,” she said.
Alison now plans to take a year out before possibly tackling a Masters.
The Access course – one of the College’s most popular courses – is targeted at adult learners who want to go on to Higher Education. It aims to re-familiarise students with learning processes and help them achieve the nationally recognised qualifications needed to go on to Higher Education.
All students on the course, which can be taken over one or two years, study English, maths and study skills as well as subjects related to their degree choice.
Successful students from this year’s course have achieved places at respected universities across the country including York, Leicester, Sheffield, King’s College London, Cardiff, Exeter, Westminster, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Birmingham. Many students will be studying at top local universities including UWE, Bath Spa, University of Bath, Bristol and Gloucestershire.
