The young people who have gone through The Access Project and are not in education, employment or training can benefit from additional support after they leave school. One such young person is Halima.
“Next year when I do go to university, I will be much more confident in knowing that I want to be there, instead of just going with the flow”
Halima grew up in London, where she attended Chelsea Academy. In Year 10, Halima joined our programme to be tutored in Chemistry, travelling each week to visit her tutor from Rothschild & Co.
She worked hard to achieve the grades she needed to go to university and reach her dreams of studying Comparative Literature and Film and TV Studies. “My plan was to go to the University of Glasgow at the start of this year. But when I got there and spent some time at the university, I realised it wasn’t the right place for me.”
Halima also wanted some more time to prepare for the practical aspects of her course. “Film is a practical subject, and I wanted more time to get hands-on experience first, and make my own short films. So I decided to come back from Glasgow and reapply.”
During her gap year, Halima has been working at a media company. “We recently went to Birmingham and worked on a short documentary with a magazine. Seeing the crew behind the scenes and speaking to them has been incredibly helpful. Getting involved in the industry is refreshing. Next year when I do go to university, I will be much more confident in knowing that I want to be there, instead of just going with the flow.”
“It is easy to put courses down on the list, but it’s very different when you’re packing your bags and leaving in September”
Halima immersed herself in her work experience so much that the deadline to reapply for university came before she knew it. She worked with a University Access Officer in December and January to prepare her UCAS application. “I am very grateful for the help I received, especially with selecting my options. It is easy to put courses down on the list, but it’s very different when you’re packing your bags and leaving in September. My University Access Officer helped me realise that I want to stay in London because I like busy cities, and it feels like home here. So I have applied to UCL and King’s.”
Halima is certain that Comparative Literature and Filmmaking is the course of her dreams. “I love writing, I love literature, and I feel very passionate about screenwriting. So I knew I would reapply for this course. But my application was so last minute that I thought of submitting the same personal statement.”
With the support of her University Access Officer, Halima updated some sections of her personal statement. “He made it so easy too! With personal statements, it is easy to start overthinking it and get stuck. But he suggested that I replace some parts with what I’m doing now, since I am doing so much during my gap year. Looking at my personal statement now that’s been sent off, it really looks like I’ve been doing stuff and not just sitting around and waiting for September.”