Find out about how Emma came back to college to pursue a career change at 28.
It’s never too late to change careers, go back into education and strive for new goals. This is something that 28-year-old Emma Riley believes after pursuing a totally different career thanks to studying Access to Life Sciences with us.
When the covid-19 pandemic hit back in 2020, Emma was working in administration from home. Emma had previously worked for the NHS and always knew it was something she wanted to go back to, so when she decided she wanted to pursue a new career that provided more opportunities and job satisfaction she knew she'd have to go back to studying. She had done A-levels after leaving school but didn't have any science-based qualifications so assessed her options and chose to study an access course.
In September 2021, Emma enrolled on the Access to Life Sciences course. She said:
"I was fairly set on pursuing radiography at university, but because the Life Sciences course covered a broad range of science, had I wanted to, I would have been able to use my access qualification to apply to many other science-based degrees. There were people on my course that went on to study Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Science, and Optometry. "
An aspect that appealed to Emma was that it is only a one-year course as opposed to choosing A-levels which are a two year course.
When we spoke to Emma she told us she really enjoyed her course - particularly the biology modules. She found the coursework assignments allowed the learners to tailor the work to their own interests and the City Hub campus was modern, in a great central location and with great facilities (brand new science labs, an on-site library, cafeteria and learning spaces).
Emma felt her tutors were very supportive, good at explaining concepts and created a relaxed learning environment. One area she felt really supported in was her UCAS applications, she said:
Since finishing her access course, Emma has gone on to study Diagnostic Radiography at Sheffield Hallam University and is set to graduate in 2025. Speaking about her plans for the future, Emma said:
"The support that we received with our UCAS applications was really beneficial, we were allocated a tutor for the year who helped review and suggest edits for our applications, as well as provide a reference for us too. After being out of education for a while this is something that can seem very daunting and overwhelming, so it was helpful to have someone to guide us through the process so thoroughly. "
