Penny Dryburgh
I studied Access to Social Work at Dundee College and have now just started a degree in Social Work at the University of Dundee!
- What is an Access course?
- How much did you enjoy being a college student?
- What made you decide to go to college?
- What did you do before becoming a student?
- Now that you’re at university, how different is it to college?
- What challenges have you faced as a student so far?
- What do you hope to do once you’ve gained your qualification?
- Do you have any advice for prospective students?
1. What is an Access course?
An Access course is a programme of study for mature students aimed at getting people back into education and preparing them for entering courses at a more advanced level, either another college course or more commonly a university degree course. There is usually a structured route for students studying an Access course, for example successfully completing my Access to Social Work course guaranteed me an interview for the Social Work degree programme at the University of Dundee.
2. How much did you enjoy being a college student?
College was fantastic – so much better than school! Everyone is treated as an adult and given lots of responsibility for their own learning, although help was always available on all aspects of student life if you wanted it. Making friends was easy because everyone was in the same boat – they were there because they wanted to learn. From my point of view, one of the good things about the Access course is that the majority of the students will move on together to University, so you really feel part of a close team. Something else I really found useful was a course called Preparation for Higher Education that was part of our coursework. This gave advice on how to write personal statements and essays, amongst other things, which really built my confidence about facing these challenges at Uni.
3. What made you decide to go to college?
I returned to education for a number of reasons. Financially I was able to go to college after I got married. Also this was at a point where my son was old enough to allow me to focus on my studies without worrying about him all the time. While I was a full-time mum I got involved in my local community centre that offered taster sessions on subjects that you can study at college, and this really got me enthused about education again. The time was right for me to start college, and I couldn’t wait to get going!
4. What did you do before becoming a student?
I worked in various jobs since leaving school, from accounts to sales. I even cleaned part-time for extra money. It was only when I had my son and decided to stay at home to look after him that I stopped working. This turned out to be an excellent move however, as it gave me time to contemplate what I wanted to do. This was the time I got more involved in my local community and became interested in social work.
5. Now that you’re at university, how different is it to college?
Already I’ve noticed big differences between college and university. The emphasis at uni is very much on independent and individual learning – you have to study at home to a larger extent while for me college was more nine to five. I’ve also noticed university makes use of IT in a big way, for example we have to submit essays electronically as well as providing hard copies.
Freshers Week was really good fun – everyone was involved and it’s a great chance to get to know other people. The University campus is a like a town in itself, and even though I stay at home, I still feel included as part of the University. There is an excellent mix of ages, faiths and nationalities in my classes so it’s been really easy to settle into my course and make friends.
6. What challenges have you faced as a student so far?
I’ve not faced any major challenges so far, mainly because there is so much support available at college and university to help you. Funding is available for families and single parents and excellent child care facilities are offered. I didn’t have to worry about much financially as I’ve always stayed at home as a student. I suppose my biggest challenge when I started college was believing I could do it. Of course you’re going to have concerns when you start something new but you should always remember that your institution will support you along the way. I missed college for a while when my son was unwell and I worried about how this would affect my studies. However, my course leaders were fantastic and I was able to catch up – don’t ever think you have to quit.
7. What do you hope to do once you’ve gained your qualification?
I’m keeping my options open just now as there are lots of different routes you can take within social work – youth work, vulnerable families, working with prisoners and so on. There is also the option of working abroad in the field of social work – something that I think sounds attractive. Having a qualification is great because it gives people a choice.
8. Do you have any advice for prospective students?
If you’re thinking about college or university, give it a go – otherwise, you’ll never know what it’s like! Everyone worries about finding the right room on the first day so you will not be alone! Everyone is in the same boat, so certainly don’t let that put you off. My advice is to research the college or university you’re interested in attending. Go to college or university Open Days or just drop in and ask questions – staff will be only too happy to help. They are trained to give good advice so take advantage of it. Ask about finance as you might be surprised how much support you’re entitled to. I got a bursary and my motto on these things is you’ll never know unless you ask! I also found my local community centre a really useful source of advice. Get advice – don’t let doubts put you off.
