Return to Education Led Jenny to University

Returning to education can be daunting for anyone but once Jennifer Greer made the decision to return, the mother of three boys (aged 6, 4 and 2), was determined that she was only going forward.

Jennifer (34) from Newcastle said, “I had been out of education for sometime and knew this was the right time for me to return.   I had attended a grammar school and felt that I hadn’t reach my full potential there.  I missed out on a piece of coursework that a teacher insisted I didn’t need to do following a bout of illness in my fourth year and this resulted in such an unexpected grade in my maths, it knocked me off course. I didn’t want to return to resit the paper or follow the A Level route at the same school.

“I did a bit of research and found some courses I was interested in at SERC and made arrangements to speak to a tutor.   She recommended I look at the Access Diploma in Foundation Studies and it was just what I was after, so I enrolled and started the course two days later at the College’s Newcastle Campus."

She added, “I really enjoyed meeting new people – we were all in the same boat, all facing our own challenges with returning to education and juggling home, family and everything else life throws at you. It was a very supportive environment.

“The course itself was very interesting with new subjects including psychology which I have always been interested in; even just learning to learn again was new - the two years flew by.   The lecturing team are your biggest advocates, they are so welcoming and supportive  and make you feel very comfortable when you are studying; they help you as best they can.

"There is also a bit of flexibility in the course, because we are all adult returners, if you have to deal with something at home, then you deal with it and catch up when you can. We start a bit later so there is time to do the school run, and of course, the Newcastle Campus has the creche now which will be great for those considering returning."

Jennifer received an Award of Excellence, Student of the Year for the Access Diploma in Foundation Studies.   She concluded, “It was a great decision for me, a mother of 3 young children, to return to education and if I can do it then others can too. The Access course can lead to many routes to different careers and further study. For me, it means I will be heading to Queen’s University Belfast to do a BSc (hons) in Psychology in September 2021.”

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