Where can Access take you? We ask a former access student to find out. Image Etienne Sharp is a former adult returner who studied at COL in 2011/12 before progressing to degree study. We caught up with Etienne to find out how he was doing and where his access programme has taken him. Hi Etienne, thanks for speaking to us and giving incoming students an insight into what it's like to study at the Centre for Open Learning and where it can lead. To start, tell us a little bit about your route into university and which degree you studied at the University of Edinburgh? After taking the University of Edinburgh’s Credit For Entry programme in 2011/2012, I completed my undergraduate degree in Ancient History, graduating in 2016. Following that, I did my postgraduate degree in Medieval History, graduating in 2017. If I hadn’t taken the chance , I would very likely still be working in a factory and regretting it hugely. So what are you doing now? I’m currently working as an Investment Analyst for a large Edinburgh-based fund management firm. I’ve also just written a PhD proposal which, if accepted, will see me back at the University of Edinburgh from January 2019 after my year off for unwinding and saving. How did your programme help you prepare for your degree? It helped prepare me immensely. I hadn’t studied at all since I left secondary school – I left at 16 with four O levels – so the access course gave me a superb foundation in essay writing, study skills and critical thinking. The tutors were all massively supportive and patient and, as the majority of us who took the programme went on to study at Edinburgh, it provided a ready-made cohort of supportive friends. The confidence boost that you receive is hugely welcome and the feedback received after every piece of submitted work prepares you for the realities of full-time study. What is your favourite memory of your time studying at the Centre for Open Learning? My favourite memories mostly revolve around the friends that I made and seeing their progress. At the moment, a very close friend of mine who took the same access course is writing a PhD at Cambridge and another is a secondary school teacher now. From a personal perspective, the most striking memory is of drafting and rewriting my UCAS application and personal statement over and over until it looked right. It forced me to reflect on just why I wanted to go to university. Thanks so much for your time Etienne and good luck in the future! Ready to apply? Visit the How to Apply page This article was published on 2024-10-14
