If you told me 5 or 6 years ago that I would be heading into my penultimate year of my University career, I would have laughed you off. At that point in time, I had pretty much no GCSE’s and only a Level 2 BTEC in IT to my name. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but I didn’t exactly scream Uni material. Coming from heavily working class area, and growing up in a council house(s) doesn’t create an academically stimulating environment, that would regularly look at those who are “properly educated” with distrust or a twisted sort of envy. And with good reason too in many regards. However, this view was ultimately misguided. It was until I was 18 that I saw the error of my ways and the term “education is wasted on the young” began to hit home hard. I was very anxious about my future– or lack off — as, I started to think it was all too little too late. Thankfully, there was a light at the end of this tunnel. I began scrambling at ways that someone, who coasted through secondary school and went straight to work in retail could still make it into University. I managed to come across something called an Access (To Higher Education) Course. The AC (Access Course) does exactly what it says on the tin. On completion of this course one is able to apply to University’s like any other A level student through UCAS.
The best way to summarise the course for me: is that it is essentially your A levels condensed into a single academic year. This year is not for the weak willed. Not to sound overbearing or pretentious at the fact I’ve already completed mine, but the course really isn’t for everyone. Let me explain: the course is like I said only a single academic year, and involves many assignments and exams. They may not be the hardest of assessments, but there certainly are many of them. Meaning that falling behind on one can easily snowball into multiple fails and resits. If you can manage your time well however, you shouldn’t run into any problems. In my own view the hardest part of it all was writing my cover letter for my Uni application.
A great feature of the AC is that the entry requirements are almost nonexistent– there is a test for Maths and English though — which was very appealing for someone like myself with very little to show for academically. However, I was starting to develop a passion for reading and writing at the time and this aided my own development. So, if I had one piece of advice for anyone looking to get into Uni or even onto the AC on it’s own, is to start reading. And it can be anything from reading fantasy fiction novels, to the most technical pieces of writing, reading is the single most important thing one can do to aid them into becoming a blossoming academic. As learning to write is essential, and reading other peoples work, in my opinion, is the best and easiest way to achieve that. This advice applies to all, even if you have never gave picking up a book a chance, as it will help you down the line.
The only downside to an AC is that they, as far I can see, are dying out. Funding is already super low in education and the low interest in these courses aren’t helping. But this isn’t their own fault, because in school and college, I had never ever even heard of an Access Course, and this is where I believe the ultimate problem lies. It’s that schools are simply pushing the higher achieving students into A levels and those that aren’t quite cutting the mustard, are left to their own devices and encouraged to take up more technical vocations. Nothing wrong with getting into a trade of course, but it is the choice that appears to be missing, and for me if I didn’t discover an Access Course on my own, I would be working some miserable job that pays the bare minimum that it can, and I could’ve ended up a very unfulfilled individual. So, here’s to you Access Course and their wonderful tutors, you have brought out the hidden potential from so many souls, and for this, I am forever thankful.
To learn more about Access Course’s head over to their official website: https://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
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