Ambassadors newsletter 2017 18 final

Returning Ambassadors Edition An update from our Returning Ambassadors 2017 – 2018 A warm Walton welcome . I hope you enjoy the updates from a selection of returning ambassadors. We work hard at Walton Post 16 to develop our students as well rounded individuals ready for the challenge at University or through Apprenticeships. Recently Alana Bramble returned from her six month volunteering at an International school in the Philippines. She presented an inspirational assembly to all Year 12 & 13’s about her experiences. I am delighted to say that she has now already received interviews for Primary Education with QTS. We wish all of our students every success in their forthcoming examinations.

Mrs Sharp Director Post 16

Please ask for a copy of our 2018/19 prospectus and if you have any further questions, please contact Walton Post 16 Telephone : 01476 563251 E-mail: AScarborough@walton-ac.org.uk

Hannah Armson A Levels: A Level Chemistry, Biology, Drama and BTEC Business Studies Left Walton: June 2017 University: Bristol University of the West of England Studying: International Business (4 years with placement) Looking back now it seems crazy that I attended Walton for 8 years! After two years at Sixth Form taking A level Chemistry, Drama and Biology I decided that I wanted to stay an extra year and study BTEC L3 Business. I am so glad that I did as it enabled me to get on this degree course and experience the quirky city of Bristol.

One piece of advice I would give for choosing A levels in year 11 is to try and plan for the future. Realistically speaking ,what do you see yourself doing? In a way I wish I had taken Business in year 12 as throughout Sixth Form I worked part time and gained more responsibility, sparking an interest in leadership and the corporate environment. But I was able to pull it around in year 13 and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to continue to study that extra year- it just shows that it’s never to late to change direction.

When thinking of Post 16 I look back fondly to my lessons, in particular the preparation for my practical Drama examinations.

Chemistry was such a challenging subject but we were given so much support and I looked forward to our lessons, even if it was another past paper! Another highlight was the year 13 leaving dinner, I think that really made us realise that we were moving on and growing up.

I always knew that I wanted to attend university, preferably as far away from home as possible to experience greater independence. I chose UWE because it’s a campus university and is located about 15 miles from the centre of Bristol (a bus can get me there in 15minutes). The fast-paced and busy atmosphere that you find in a city certainly attracted me to Bristol, it may be far from home but there’s always trains and buses.

The advice that I’d give to year 12’s would be:  Attend any open days for universities that interest you and visit potential accommodation.  Use the stats from UCAS when looking at courses and unis- what’s the graduate employment like etc?  Know what you’re getting into on the course- number of modules, type of assessments, content of the modules etc. Do as much research as you can.  Don’t be scared to move away from home, you can always make the effort to visit family and friends.  Prepare to feel slightly overwhelmed when you start. To combat this you can create lists and get into a new daily routine- go food shopping, know what lectures/seminars you have and where, have a set time for laundry etc. I’ve also used my notice boards to get organised and pinned assignment briefs and relevant documents. It also gives you the chance to personalise your room.  Set time aside for yourself; whether that be a chilled night in, learning a language or attending a sports society. Constant study is tiring but definitely rewarding.

When I started at UWE I bought a bus pass to make traveling easier, so I can use that for going food shopping and into the city.

I am managing to stick to a budget and get my weekly food shop in for under £30 at Aldi every week (useful tip for future undergrads!

I love the independence that comes with being able to shop and cook nutritious meals for myself. Knowing that I am looking after myself whilst studying hard really reassures me- you don’t need to sacrifice your health just because you’re living off a small amount. Instead of spending a large amount of money on partying (prepare for the entrance fees and prices in a city) I decided to get myself a 24h gym membership, which is extremely useful when you can’t sleep at night!

UWE are already stressing the importance of using the summer wisely by getting work experience or volunteering abroad. I am currently searching for internships or placements in the field of project management and have been shortlisted for an assessment day with Boeing in February. My plan is to give that my best shot whilst applying for other opportunities in marketing etc. I’m looking forward to taking a year abroad and believe that it will open doors when I graduate.

My main piece of advice is to make the most of university. There are students out there that pay £9000 a year to sleep through lectures and seminars. You may feel tired but you have to discipline yourself. I would also strongly advise using the wellbeing services and professionals that your university provide if you ever feel overwhelmed and your mental health is suffering- don’t struggle alone. The first year of university has been a positive experience for me and I am so happy that my past and present efforts are really showing at UWE. The hard work really does pay off.

Abi Cox A Levels: English Literature, History and Religious Studies Left Walton: June 2017 University: University of Lincoln Studying: BA Hons English and Creative Writing Already getting close to finishing my first year at University feels crazy, I’m having the best time and I can’t believe how fast it is flying by. It still feels like only yesterday I was stressing over my A Levels, and now I’m exactly where I want to be.

In year 11 I found that some of my options were an obvious choice. I’ve known for years that I wanted to do something related to English at University and so choosing to study the A Level was a given for me. I chose to do History because I had an interest in it, and I was good at it. I found that I mostly chose Religious Studies because it fitted well with my other subjects.

I do feel that I made the right choice however I wish that I had thought it through further. My advice to anyone thinking through their options would be to think it through properly, and not to be influenced by what other people think you should do. Also pick subjects which you enjoy, always.

There were definitely highlights to being in sixth form. Having already studied at Walton for five years I was happy to still be with my friends in a place which was familiar. We made such great memories whilst we were there. One of my biggest highlights has to be celebrating finishing sixth form, we were all so proud that we got through the stressful exam period. A challenge for me was definitely the idea of exams, I find that coursework is a lot less stressful and I was worried that I would mess up and not be able to get to university. It went a lot better than I thought it would.

I chose my university through first seeing which ones did the course I was looking for, as it’s quite a selective course and therefore my choices were limited. I then looked at ones which were a reasonable distance from home and went to open days to see how I felt about them. Lincoln ticked all of the right boxes for me. When it comes to going to open days my advice to people would be to think through all of the positives as well as negatives, and ask as many questions as you can to find out as much as possible. Preparing for University was nerve-wracking as well as exciting. I shopped a lot, making sure that I was completely prepared with everything I would need as well as taking advantage of everything my university sent me, reading through it all to prepare myself.

The university experience has been incredible for me. My course is going amazingly, I definitely made the right decision. The idea of living away from home was scary but now that I’m doing it I love it, I love being so independent. I’ve made friends for life already, the social life that you have at University is unlike anything else. I’ve been adjusting well to fending for myself, you get used to shopping for your own food and cooking all the time without setting things on fire!

Managing on a budget gets easier with time, helped by the fact that I have a job at home which I come back to during holidays.

Having that extra money on top of my maintenance loan means that I can enjoy myself-and have some great nights out!

I’m still deciding what I want to do with my degree after university, I may want to do something creative, I’m unsure. I just want to enjoy my degree for now and think it over as I go. I would recommend university to anyone, I’ve been having the time of my life ever since I got here.

Freja Hunter — Part 1 A Levels: Drama, Psychology, BTEC Health & Social Care Left Walton: June 2017 University: Bishop Grosseteste University Studying: BA Hons Psychology & Counselling I joined Walton in the last week of year 9 and stayed until year 13. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was choosing my A Level options. I made my choices based on what I enjoyed most at GCSE level. I found psychology very interesting during year 10 and 11 and I knew during GCSE’s that Psychology was something I planned to continue at a higher level. I chose to continue with BTEC Health and Social Care at A-level 3 as I felt that this course would benefit me because of the experiences that this course offered. I feel like I did choose the right subjects and I thoroughly enjoyed all three.

Advice that I would give when choosing your A Level subjects is choose subjects that you have enjoyed at GCSE level, start to think about where you see yourself after finishing sixth form (even though it seems a long time away!) and what courses may be useful to helping to get you where you see yourself going; and try not to panic if you don’t have a certain future plan at this moment in time, sixth form offers a lot of support when thinking about the future.

The two years I was a student at Sixth Form were some of the most important years of my life. The support I received from all staff members was incredible; from guidance with writing my UCAS application, support with coursework and exam preparations, and pastoral care. I made many memories with all members of Sixth Form and made many great friends. When I reflect on my time in year 12 and 13 ,there are some main memories made that stand out, such as drama performances, open evenings, placements and the year 13 leavers meal and assembly (even though it was an emotional day!).

Studying at Sixth Form was stressful at times as deadlines for coursework approached and exam dates drew nearer. During year 12 anxiety took the better of me and held me back many times, however with support from Mrs Pearce and my course tutors I was able to continue and they all gave me the confidence to believe in myself and pushed me to be the best version of myself. I am very grateful for all the support given to me during both years at Sixth Form. A Level Psychology and Drama had written exams as part of the course, I was very worried that I would not be prepared enough by individual revision, Mr Bullock ran after school revision sessions and even ran a few during the holidays and Mrs Fox had a lesson for year 13 to focus on the written exam. All the revision sessions were very beneficial to attend and I know helped me with all the exams I took.

When choosing which university I would like to attend I looked at many different prospectuses, university websites and went to many open days. I applied for Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Nottingham, University of Derby, University of Worcester and Bishop Grosseteste University. I attended an open day for each university and once I had applied to all 5 I waited to hear back from them. I had two interviews and I chose to attend just one of those which was at Canterbury Christ Church. I had made up my mind quite early on that my firm choice was Bishop Grosseteste University and my insurance choice was Worcester. I received four conditional offers in total.

Bishop Grosseteste was always a high contender on my list. This university is smaller than other universities which I really liked as I felt I would feel more comfortable here. I had visited this university every year from year 10 as Walton ran many different trips to Bishop Grosseteste, so I felt that this university was familiar to me. I attended an open day with my mother.

When I sent my application off, I waited a short while for an offer to come through. I checked UCAS every day, multiple times a day. It was January 2017 when I received a small box in the post after Sixth Form one day, I opened it and it was a ‘party in a box’ stating that Bishop Grosseteste had offered me a conditional offer, along with a Bishop Grosseteste balloon, party blower, chocolate, confetti and a paper hat! Once I had my offer I returned to have an open day for psychology and counselling with one of the tutors who inspired me from the moment I sat down. After the open days, I knew that this university was my firm choice. In April, I checked my email and Bishop Grosseteste University had decided to change my offer from conditional to unconditional (There was a lot of crying and laughing that night with excitement!) I felt like this was a sign I had made the best choice.

Open days are very useful when thinking about which university you would like to be a student at. They allow you to explore the university, meet lecturers and current students who can answer questions you may have and give you advice. I found that looking at the accommodation and university was a good indicator of how comfortable I would be living on campus and studying at the universities. I also found that on open days it was very important to look around the town/city centres and the surrounding area where the university was located; as it allowed me to imagine myself living in this area and really consider if I could see myself living independently there.

Freja Hunter — Part 2 A Levels: Drama, Psychology, BTEC Health & Social Care Left Walton: June 2017 University: Bishop Grosseteste University Studying: BA Hons Psychology & Counselling My advice would be to try and attend as many open days as you can when choosing your university and think about how you would imagine yourself living as a student at this university. Also, don’t be afraid to ask staff and students questions, no question is a silly question- this is your future Preparing for university was so exciting. I bought almost everything before results day as I knew I was going to university no matter what my grades were. My mum started shopping quite soon after my offer was changed to unconditional. I would come home from Sixth Form and would find different gifts on my bed, like cutlery and a cookbook. The main shopping trip we took was to Ikea where I bought most of the essentials.

I had been counting down to the day I moved to university for months, when the day arrived, I was so anxious about this new adventure. Although the first day was a bit of a disaster; I was able to keep positive and look forward to fresher’s week. I am not really a ‘party person’ so I was very happy when the university offered different fresher’s events for those who don’t really like to go out every night. After fresher’s week finished and I was enrolled officially we got straight into lectures. Now it’s been four months since I moved in and I couldn’t imagine not being here from day one, life before university has now become a good memory and this chapter of my life finally feels normal. The closest shop is a good 15 minute walk away from my accommodation on campus, and takes a little bit longer when walking back with the shopping bags! I was worried about being completely independent but after this time I have loved being in control of my life. I still phone my parents especially when I need advice (mostly about cooking!) but I can choose when I go home and having this independence has grown my confidence significantly. I have taken opportunities as they have arisen, I recently became the secretary of the new Psychology Society where I am working with second year students.

One thing that I love to do is organise, this includes my budget. I always keep my budget for the week and make sure that I am careful to only buy things I really need. I do not go out very often so I don’t spend a lot of money when it comes to that.

During semester one I was very conscious about my budget and didn’t really do anything different, but this semester I am more comfortable about ensuring my budget is set and followed and I have even gone to the campus cinema a few times and paid for a Zumba class. I feel more comfortable with understanding my budget and sticking to it. Which means I’m not having to constantly worry about my money so I can focus on other things. One thing that was discussed in a Sixth Form assembly in year 13 was challenging yourself to buy your own food and essentials for a week on your own budget. One week before I was starting university, my mum gave me an allowance, I think it was £30 to buy everything for myself, including food and toiletries. I wasn’t allowed to use anything I hadn’t bought. It really made me see how important it is to budget and to think about what I would need. I felt that this really had a positive impact on budgeting with my student allowance. I would recommend trying this, it really was useful and was actually quite fun.

Although I am only in my first year at university, my main goal is to be a Clinical Psychologist which would require me to do a post-graduate degree. Therefore, after these three years at university at this point I would like to continue my education.

Hannah Coupar A Levels: Psychology, English Literature , BTEC Sport Left Walton: June 2017 Currently: NVQ Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship in the delivery of PE and School Sport University: Sheffield Hallam University (Sept 2018) Studying: Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyles Studying: Diploma in professional Musical Theatre I am currently completing an Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship in PE and School Sport as part of my gap year before starting university. Through local sports charity Inspire +, I attend New College Stamford once a week, with the remaining days working at the primary school I am employed by. College days are split into practical and theory. The practical sessions train us in delivering sports to the children we work with. The theory part follows lessons and assignments that we are marked on, leading to a level 3 NVQ in the delivery of school sport. This qualification is highly recognised by many employers.

When choosing my A Level and BTEC subjects, I made sure that I chose subjects I knew I enjoyed. I would highly recommend anyone who is deciding what A levels to take, should consider this. Making sure you enjoy the subject, and ensuring you can see yourself sticking with it for two years, is paramount. A-Level aren't easy, so make it easier for yourself and study something you are interested in.

In September, I will be starting my journey into higher education at Sheffield Hallam University, studying Nutrition, diet and lifestyle. I hope to either take this into becoming a clinical or public health nutritionist or into teaching secondary education.

Looking back, my highlight of sixth form would have to be the opportunities we were given, and the way it prepared me for the world of work. Having the chance to do work experience, listening to many talks from experts, the support I received from staff and the knowledge passed on, has made me extremely grateful in the position I am today. I left Sixth Form in July and began full time work within a school in September. I found that I settled in very well and very quickly, being already equipped with many skills. Communication, time management, presentation and confidence have been positively commented on by my current colleagues and tutors. I truly feel these qualities and skills were significantly developed within my last year of sixth form. The support I received from staff has helped me incredibly.

Looking back I also did face various obstacles, but in the end, I overcame them. I think the biggest challenge was the workload, as it was extremely time consuming and was very important deadlines were met and revision was done. Luckily, I remained organised, calm (most of the time) and took advantage of revision sessions at school. The incredible staff at Walton too helped me override my challenges, as they really do put you at the heart of their work, and support you from start until finish. This definitely contributed to the success I came out of sixth form with.

Another challenge I faced during sixth form was applying for a course I thought I wanted to study, but soon lost interest in. I have had so many different career paths I have wanted to pursue, but, it wasn’t until I sat down and had a hard think about what I really enjoy doing that I realised this was right for me. The course I originally applied for was something I would define myself as having a slight interest in. The course I am going to be starting in September I would say is my passion. Now, I soon came to know the difference between the two when I got asked the question, “can you see yourself doing this for 30 years?”

Immediately, I realised I had chosen the wrong course, and quickly discovered I needed to apply for something I enjoy and can stick with for many years. I knew the rest would develop from there. Luckily, it has, and I now have many doors that will lead me to my chosen career path. Quick tip, I would suggest experiencing different fields of work before deciding on a career path.

For example, I have done kennel work, elderly care, mental health care, education, and waitressing. Experiencing many different fields of work has made the process much easier to whittle down options, to finally find the one for me.

All in all, my whole Walton experience has been one I will cherish forever. Right from year 7 to year 13 I have felt supported throughout. The staff will do anything for you to achieve, and that doesn’t stop once you hit A level. Everything you need to succeed will be there for you, ready and waiting.

My final tip would be, do what makes you happy. Sixth form is all about finding yourself, your interests and your ways about things. Choose what you enjoy, not what you need to do. Stay calm, be organised and you will be just fine. It may not seem like it, but there will be light and the end of the tunnel but trust me, it’s there, you will reach it!

Good luck to everyone beginning their journey.

Caitlin Lilley A Levels: Psychology, ICT and Religious Studies Left Walton: June 2017 University: Sheffield Hallam Studying: BA (hons) IT with Business Studies including a placement year In year 11 when choosing my A Levels, I was unsure at first what to choose; as many of my friends were saying that their choices were based on future careers. However, I just chose what subjects I was good at and knew that I would enjoy and hopefully then I would know what career I would want to follow at the end of Year 13.

At the start of year 12 the choices I picked were, English Literature, Psychology, ICT and Religious Studies. However, when I started English Literature I quickly realised that the course wasn't for me, and was able to drop it and focus more on the other 3 A Levels.

The advice I would give to year 11's would be pick subjects which you enjoy, because then you're likely to excel in them if you enjoy studying them.

When in Post 16 the highlights for me were my friends, they got me through the exams, revision and just generally were great people to be around. Always being humorous people that I could go to if I was struggling with work or needed to be chilled out because of exams. Other highlights being: It's a knock out, watching shows and doing work experience was enjoyable.

Although, there were highlights there were many challenges, the work was difficult and I didn't help myself because I wasn't taking the time to do extra work. Also, my attendance had slipped, which I knew I needed to improve because the missed lessons restricted me from asking questions about the work, or knowing what had been said in class. However, I managed to pull this all back by putting in more time and work. I would recommend attending sixth form, and definitely putting in the work right from the beginning as it will prepare you for your exams.

Now, I am currently at Sheffield Hallam University studying IT with Business Studies. Originally I was studying Computer Forensics, however after a month of doing this course I realised that it wasn't the right course for me, so I had the opportunity to swap, and I am thoroughly enjoying my course now.

Preparing for university was a task, I did a lot of shopping, I needed to think of every item I would need, however I did forget a few bits, but was able to purchase them when I was here. Not only did I need to prepare myself mentally, but I had to move away from home, start properly being an adult and unfortunately had to leave some friends behind. So mentally you just need to be prepared, as it was a shock to the system for me. I had also never had to wash dishes, wash my own clothes or make food for myself, so it was a bit difficult at first.

The university experience for me has been amazing, I've be able to meet new people but am also still as close as ever with the friends that I came up here with. I am able to fend for myself and also hold down a part-time job, (I was able to transfer my job from Grantham Boots) however I do slack sometimes with the meals as I am the worst cook ever; but I do try my best and occasionally experiment making a chicken dinner or casserole. Going on nights out also has to be a highlight as Sheffield is known for its good night life and they do not fail to disappoint.

After University I'm unsure on what I would like to do, I'm thinking of going into a digital marketing field however I could change my mind. Hopefully by the end of university, and especially after my placement year I'll know where I want my degree to take me. But in the meantime I'm not sure.

Liv Mortimer BTEC: Business Studies, Health & Social Care and Sport Left Walton: June 2017 Currently: NVQ Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship in the delivery of PE and School Sport Future Plans: Gap Year I finished Year 13 in September 2017. I went on to do a Level 3 Sports Apprenticeship which is run through Inspire+. This consists of one day a week at college, I attend Stamford every Monday morning and the other four days are at a school either primary or secondary. I have to complete 40 hours of work a week starting at 9.00 am and finishing around 5.00 pm . I am doing my apprenticeship at Ropsley Primary School. I help the sports coordinator run the sports throughout the school which may include sorting out events, clubs or PE lessons.

I didn’t start my Post 16 at Walton, I left in year 11 and came back for my last year. I carried on with the choices I had chosen for year 12 which was; Business Studies, Sport and Health and Social Care. I was then given the opportunity to do study Sport, which I took. When choosing my options, I picked things I enjoyed. I did GCSE PE and Child Development, so Health and Social Care was the closest thing to that. Business was something new to me which I wanted to learn more about. I wasn’t sure when picking it that I would understand or get on well with, however I was proven wrong and enjoyed the subject. Advice I would give to year 11’s would be to choose things that you enjoy doing! There’s nothing worse than having to do a subject as a last resort.

My highlights in Sixth Form was the whole thing. Being able to come back to the school I was at, I felt like I fitted right back in with the surroundings and with the teachers. I had good relationships with my teachers which was a massive help but my main highlight was taking part in the fashion show that we showcased towards the end of the year. I got to model one of my best friend’s final designs, which was such an honor. We went to Lincoln, had our makeup done and then went out for a meal and drinks we then went back to perform. That was a wonderful day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Enjoy 6 th form as much as you can!

The main challenge I found was the amount of work. Even though I felt like I kept on top of what I was doing, I still struggled some days to focus and do coursework. Doing double sport meant double the amount of assignments in the same amount of time. Trying to juggle coursework as well as a part time job, I found challenging, however it all paid off in the end as I came out with the best results I could, achieving Distinction’s in all my subjects.

The apprenticeship that I am now taking after Sixth Form, I didn’t plan on doing as I didn’t know anything about it. The opportunity came about as the head teacher of the school I’m now working at asked me if I wanted to do the Inspire+ apprenticeship scheme. This was a new type of apprenticeship for this year, hence why it was all new to everyone. We had someone come into school and speak to us about it, what we would be doing etc, which made me want to accept my offer from the school. My advice would be not to worry about not knowing. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but something will come up that you’ll want to look more into. Doing this apprenticeship has made me realise a few things that I wasn’t sure about until now, which has helped me with my career path.

Regarding my prep for the apprenticeship, honestly I didn’t have much to do. The normal Health and Safety checks I had to complete a DBS check and give my details to get onto the school’s system. I didn’t need a tour or introduction to the school, teachers or pupils as I have done a lot of previous work experience there and it was my primary school, which I think also helped a lot.

My apprenticeship finishes in July, it’s only a school year worth of work and what I’m going to do afterwards I am unsure of. I don’t think a job opportunity is an option for this year at my school however, I know that a Teaching Assistant is something I enjoy doing, but I think I am going to take a year out and figure out what I want to do as I feel I haven’t had much thinking time! I have enjoyed doing this apprenticeship and would recommend it to anyone that loves working with children or wants to go into teaching.

Lauren Eames—Part 1 A Levels: Health & Social Care, Photography and Psychology Left Walton: June 2017 University: Northampton Studying: BA Hons Social Work To help me choose my subjects in Sixth Form was made easier as I already had an idea that I wanted to be a Social Worker when I left Sixth Form. I chose A Level subjects that were interesting to me as an individual and that would support me in the future to be a Social Worker which was Health and Social Care and Psychology and they linked together nicely. Photography was a course I wanted to do on the side because I’ve always had a passion for photography. Looking back at the decisions I made in year 11, I feel like I did make the right choices with my A Level subjects as they have enabled me to be where I am today.

Advice for year 11s making their choices for their next step in life, I would make sure that you do what you would like to do as an individual, not to follow your friends and what they want to do as everyone is different and will follow a different path after Post 16. Also, even before choosing your options, to make sure you have as much information as possible to help you make the right decision by going to open evenings to find out what the different subjects have to offer you and if it is what you expected the course to be. Talk to teachers or Year 12 students and ask them what they did and how they chose their options. If you are thinking about going into Sixth Form here at Walton, make sure you enjoy it as much as you can, make friends and lots of memories because before you know it, you will be at the end of Year 13 and ready to leave.

I have many highlights of Sixth Form, first I must say I miss all the staff at Sixth Form. Looking back at the different things that happened, I must admit that one of my favourite highlights would be going to Zambia with Charlotte Rudd and Year 11s. That will be a memory that I will carry for the rest of my life, it was an eye-opening, life changing experience. In Sixth Form itself the different highlights must be; the total wipe out on the school field, summer time and sunbathing on the school field, Christmas celebrations, Christmas dinners, the list could go on. However, just as there were so many highlights, there were some challenging moments as well throughout Sixth Form, which either lead to crying, feeling stressed, or taking a long walk around the field. Even though there were a lot of challenges throughout, all the hard work pays off in the end, I promise.

For me, choosing my university was very easy. It was one of three choices I had out of Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire, or Northampton University. I didn’t mind about travelling, however, I didn’t want to be too for away from home either, so I was still able to have the independence of living at university but then it wasn’t far for me to commute back home when I wanted to.

My plan before going to university was to save up some money to get me by for the first couple of months and hopefully then find a part time job. I did this in the first month of being at university. The reason why I chose Northampton University was because it felt homely, this was because on the open days it wasn’t rushed, and they couldn’t do enough to help you as an individual. By the time I attended all the open days, I knew that Northampton University was the one for me.

So far, the University experience has definitely been one to remember. I have enjoyed every moment of it so far especially Fresher's week! I am getting to the end of the first year and it has gone by really quickly, and I have made a lot of new friendship groups within the University and with my colleagues I work with now. I have met a lot of new people and I must admit this will be an experience I will hold with me for the rest of my life.

Going from A Levels to studying a BA Hons degree is an extreme step, however, I have become independent with my work and with all the assignments. The teaching style is very different and I am currently in university two days a week, the rest of the time I am studying, working and finding different volunteering opportunities to complete. It is very different from school and Sixth Form teaching, with the independence I have got now, it is starting to show in my work, learning and everyday life. I would recommend University to anyone to get the university life but also for managing your time effectively, budgeting and learning to fend for yourself. These are all skills you learn at university to prepare you for the real life.

Advice I would give to Year 12s would be; attend every open day you are able to, because it will give the most important information about the University itself and everything about the course you are thinking about choosing. You will have a chance to look around the university and get a feel for where you will be for three years or more.

Preparing for university involved a lot of shopping. It was very stressful getting everything together and making sure I had everything I would need, however, my mum did most of the shopping and I ended up taking a lot of stuff with me.

Overall, University life has been the best so far, everything is going better than I thought it would, fending and living for myself.

I have always been independent even when I was at home so that wasn’t a worry.

Lauren Eames—Part 2 A Levels: Health & Social Care, Photography and Psychology Left Walton: June 2017 University: Northampton Studying: BA Hons Social Work I miss my parents more than anything, but I try and travel home at least once a month to see them. I don’t think budgeting has been a problem with me, I have always been good with what I spend my money on, although I must admit; fresher’s week put a big dint in my savings. However , now that I have a part time job I have extra spending money for myself and for travel (petrol) money, which is a bonus.

After university, I am hoping that I can work in mental health. This may involve me doing an extra two years to get my Social Workers Degree. But I am going to see what my options are at the end of these three years.