Adult learners from City of Bath College’s renowned Access to Higher Education course are celebrating gaining places at many of the country’s top universities.
The students marked their achievement at a special celebration event, which took place at Bath’s Chapel Arts Centre.
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 one-year course 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.
One of this year’s successful students is Tim Grubb. Tim, 24, was discharged from the Royal Marines after two tours of Afghanistan which left him with slight hearing loss.
Tim, who will be studying Paramedic Science at the University of the West of England, said: “I really enjoyed the first-aid training for the Marines, which is what got me interested in becoming a paramedic. Every day as a paramedic will be different and to know you’ve had a positive impact on someone’s life, perhaps even saved their life, is incredible.
“I didn’t have the A-levels I needed for university, so the Access course was the perfect choice for me. I can’t recommend it highly enough, it’s a fantastic course and the staff are amazing.”
Bwalya Chinakidzwa, 31, who is originally from Zimbabwe, is a qualified nurse but didn’t have the qualifications she needed to go to university to study Mental Health Nursing.
She said: “The Access course has been perfect for me. It’s not just what I have learned on the course, but it’s the way that it prepares you for university life.
“I was ecstatic when I found out that I’d got a place at the University of the West of England for a Mental Health Nursing degree. I’ve always been very interested in mental health and hope to work in community healthcare once I’ve graduated.”
Kevin Friend, 21, was working at a supermarket before he decided to enrol on the Access to HE course.
Kevin said: “I felt I was just drifting, I wasn’t doing anything I really wanted to do. I’ve always been interested in history and decided I wanted to go to university to get a qualification which could help get me a job with long-term career prospects.
“I enrolled on the Access course and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made – I’ve loved it. It’s a challenging course and a lot of work, but very rewarding. I’ve now got a place at Liverpool John Moores University to study History and I can’t wait for September.
“The Access course is perfect for anyone in my position and I’ve already been recommending the course to people.”
Carolyn Guy, Access Course Leader, said: ‘’We are so proud of all our learners who have worked very hard on this challenging course and been so successful in their applications to university. For many it has been a life-changing experience and it is fantastic to see so many students of all ages moving on with their lives.”
