January is the time when the Go Higher application system speeds up for people wanting to commence study on our part-time access course in September, with a view to beginning their undergraduate degrees in September 2016 (applications are open now if you’re one of them).

Over the last few months we have been doing some research into people who completed Go Higher two to three years ago and who are now in the first, second or third years of their undergraduate degree programme. The aim was to get a picture of a typical Go Higher student.

However it soon became clear that there is no such thing; our students have ranged in age from twenty through to sixty years and have come from lots of different backgrounds. In the next few blogs we’ll be posting some of the answers that students gave to our questionaire asking about themselves and their experiences on the Go Higher programme. First up: Can you describe yourself in a brief paragraph?

I am a 44 year old mum of four children.  I left school at 16 with only ‘O’ level grades and have not had any further education… Now that my children are all in school I grasped the opportunity to further my education.  I am now about to enter my third year in a history degree and enjoy it immensely and hope to be able to progress to a masters.

Happy go lucky. Spiritual. Focussed.

I am a 60 year old male with two grown up children with a lifetime of work experience who is now thrilled at this stage of my life to be going on to do a history degree after completing the Go Higher Access course.

I would describe myself as outgoing friendly and joyful. I love meeting new people and enjoy learning new subjects… I can have low confidence in myself and my work but determination helps me to carry on. I am modest, hard-working, curious and observant. I can take criticism on the chin and use it to improve myself and my work even if it hurts my feelings a little…

I am a man, a father of two in my mid-thirties, and I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent, humorous and sociable, with a strong interest in the humanities.

I am an independent, ambitious, self-motivated individual who thinks hard about what I want. I apply great effort to achieve my goals & encourage others to do the same.

In out next blog former students answer the question: Can you remember your feelings when you started the Go Higher programme?