Richard Costella
Job Title: Student Support Worker
Institution: Angus College
- What does your job involve?
- What types of support are available to me?
- What makes a good application?
- What are the best ways to find out about the courses offered at college and university?
- What happens if I begin a course and decide it’s not for me?
- In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
1. What does your job involve?
There are two main strands to my job. Firstly, I am involved in school to college liaison work. This means I work with pupils from local high schools who are in the process of applying to Angus College, to work out how best to support them when they make the transition from school to college. I also give support for students with additional needs. I meet with them at the pre-entry stage to put together an educational package that will help them get the most out of studying when they come to the college. We discuss what they would like to study, which method of study would be best for them e.g. full-time or part-time study and what physical or technological support they will need to help them study e.g. a scribe, voice recorder or laptop computer. On a daily basis, I am also heavily involved in student guidance work. It’s certainly a varied job!
2. What types of support are available to me?
There is loads of support available to our students. If they have learning difficulties, we provide ‘Assistive Technologies’ which is software or hardware that is designed to help students in their studying. We can also give extra time for students to complete assessments and provide scribes and readers. If students have visual or hearing impairments, we have specialised equipment available to help them. Similarly for those with access issues, we have worked hard to make the college as accessible as possible. For financial support, there is a funding team within Student Services who can talk to you and give advice. It’s important to remember that there will always be a member of staff available to provide support for any problem students might face.
3. What makes a good application?
Prospective students apply to Angus College through our own application form. We look for forms to be clearly written with all the boxes completed neatly and all the required information supplied. Each applicant then receives an interview from a member of college staff. Here we are looking to see that you have a clear idea of why you would like to study the course you have applied for. We are also keen to see that you have some idea of what you would like to do with your qualification upon completing your course. Of course, not everyone will know exactly what they would like to do after college or university, but we would like to see some vision from candidates about where their qualification will take them.
4. What are the best ways to find out about the courses offered at college and university?
To find out about courses offered at our college, there are many ways to do so. The best ways would be to look through our prospectus, visit our website or make a phone call of enquiry. You could speak to a member of our marketing and admissions team or one of our careers officers. You could also attend open days at the College or career information evenings at your school, or speak to your guidance teacher who will be able to give you information and advice. Another excellent source of knowledge are current students. They will tell you about courses and will give you a great insight into student life in general.
5. What happens if I begin a course and decide it’s not for me?
It’s not uncommon for a student to start a course and then decide for whatever reason it’s not suitable for them. They are never then thrown out! We can help students change courses if they have something else specifically in mind that they would like to study. If they are unsure on their next step, we may recommend that they start on an Introductory Course that gives students a taste of different areas within a subject, and then allows them to move onto a higher level of study if they find they enjoy the subject. If a student decides college itself is not suitable for them, we always offer them exit guidance. We can talk to them about skill-seekers programmes or other training providers in the local area.
6. In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
- College is more informal, you wear your own clothes, you become more independent and students find they are given a level of trust that they didn’t have at school.
- Students are able to choose what they want to study – it’s a huge chance for them to develop their own skills and areas of interest.
- College is an excellent place to meet new people and make friends and it helps students experience a diverse and lively social life.
