With 100% success rate in its first year of existence at the College’s Clydebank campus, this course has proved just how influential and beneficial it can be to students in securing university places.

Don’t just take our word for it read what the students studying this course had to say about their experience.

As a group of very different individuals; all from different backgrounds, different areas, mixture of ages and all with the different career ambitions, they all have one thing in common and that’s that they are all here for a reason – to get the qualifications they need to progress on to university.

Twenty-four year old Heather Boyd a freelance hairdresser from Milngavie commented, “Losing my best friend in high school was a devastating time for me and played a big part in my school experience. I left at the first opportunity which is how I got into hairdressing. Unfortunately after qualifying as a stylist I lost my job. I found it really difficult to find a job even out with hairdressing as I didn’t have any qualifications. After several low paid unenjoyably jobs I decided if I wanted to get a better job I needed to get some qualifications behind me.

“It was my interest in the environment and animals that brought me to study Access to Science at the college.”

For thirty year old Allan McLean from Helensburgh 2015 was the year for him to do something for himself. “When I left school I was destined for University; I had all the qualifications that I needed but with my brother needing full-time care I was unable to follow that path. Now with facilities in place my brother is able to do much more for himself which I why I decided that now was the time to do something for me.

“I think I speak for the whole class when I say we were all a bit nervous about coming back into the classroom and learning environment; especially for those of us who hadn’t had a great experience at school. But we’ve all been pleasantly surprised by both the teaching methods and the course content.

“It’s a relaxed atmosphere; the lecturers are friendly and approachable and have a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the course which they want to pass on to you. They’ve definitely made this experience for many of us.

“I think many of us thought the course was going to be really difficult but it’s endurable. You have to be willing to put the work and effort in but if you’re committed to doing so you can’t go wrong.”

As youngest member of the class eighteen year old Shanice Diamond said, “Although the course is predominantly for adult returners (those over 21) there a couple of us in the class aged 18-20 who were granted access, as we had just missed out on the qualifications needed for the HNC level –it’s ended up working in our favour.

“As Allan said the course is fantastic; we have covered so many subject areas including Chemistry, Higher Physics and Maths – I never even knew I liked maths and physics till I started this course.

“Although enjoyable it’s definitely challenging; there’s a lot of work involved as your basically learning 3-4 years’ work in the space of a year so it’s inevitable that you need to put the work in.

“As a class we work so well together; we’re all here to achieve our goals and all routing for each other to do well which makes for a great learning environment. We’ve all got so much respect for the lecturers and when you have this it makes you not only want to do well for yourself but for them too.

“I think the Access to Science course is underestimated. I don’t think people understand exactly what it’s about and just how many different careers paths it can take you in – I don’t think I even really understood the extent of it until I started the course. 

“We are all heading off to study different in fields including: Optometry, Marina Biology, Physics, Astronomy and Aeronautical Engineering.

Every single one of us has received conditional offers to university which is just amazing and we are all in agreement when we say we have this course to thank for that.”

So if you’re looking for your chance to further your studies and for the opportunity to study at university level check our West College Scotland’s Access courses – It could be your ticket to university.

For more information on this course click here or call 0300 600 60 60