As a current year 13 student I am currently preparing for my A-Level exams and coming to terms with the fact that I will be attending university next year. The Access Project has provided support that has helped me grow as a person.Thanks to the support I have received I am no longer feeling overwhelmed by writing personal statement and have been able to thrive in my mocks.

One of the daunting things about university is the application process. We started thinking about our personal statements towards the end of year 12, during this time I had no idea what to write or what subjects I would love to study. My University Access Officer encouraged me to spend some time making a record of my extra-curricular activities. This helped me acknowledge that I have taken part in many activities that I am passionate about and can express in my personal statement. I learned that I wasn’t lost at all, everything had been within me as well as in front of me I just had to write about them.

As part of the programme I have received so much support from my volunteer tutor, who I adore. She has helped me not only with English Literature but has made the tutorials a space where we can have intellectual conversations. They have allowed me to question and critique the world around me. This extra depth of critical analysis has assisted me with all my other subjects as well. Not only does she help me academically, but she helps me with my future and university options.

I have come a long way since joining the programme. It is because of The Access Project I know what I want to study at university and feel confident that I can get the grades to get there. Without their support, I would not have known what really interests me as a creative person and what I can do at university.

My advice to any student new to the programme is that you should make the most of the project and the resources they offer you. It may seem strenuous sometimes but in the long run it really does help. They are here to help us so we must make the most out of it.

Feeling inspired to volunteer? Click here to apply