26 years-old Nicola Jamieson studied the Access (Adult Learning Diploma) in Science at NWRC – and now owns her own gym – Limitless.
After her course at NWRC Nicole went on to study for a degree in Sports, Physical Activity, and Health at UU.
She said the Access course at NWRC is the perfect path for an adult wishing to return to education.
“I would 100% recommend the course,” she said. “No one’s journey is straightforward and people have different reasons as to why they may not have been given or taken the opportunity to move on to university straight after secondary school education. I, for one, was glad I took this route because it allowed me to make a more mature decision on what I really wanted to do in life. For anyone even thinking about a career change and not entirely happy in their job, it’s never too late to start again and there’s absolutely no judgment! For most people, it’s the best decision they ever made and it’s life-changing.
Just go for it, you honestly won’t regret it!”
Name:
Nicole Jamieson
Age:
26
What was your previous education before coming to NWRC?
Junior Certificate
Youthreach (equivalent to Rutledge Youth Program)
Course studied?
Access Adult Diploma in Science.
Why did you choose to study the Access in Science?
I have a passion for all things science! I loved it in my secondary education. I really missed it when I went onto Youthreach as it wasn’t a subject available on the course. My goal at the time was to study Stratified Medicine in university and the course would have allowed me to gain access into it. It would, also, set me up nicely to transition into a more professional way of working and producing assignments of a greater standard.
Tell us a bit more about your course?
I enjoyed every minute of the course! From the teachers, to the amount of content included, I learned so much and had the best experience! The lecturers were very understanding and kind if there were any extenuating circumstances and they made great efforts in order to keep you up to date with any work you missed. I’m not afraid to say, because it isn’t talked about enough, that I struggled with my mental health at the time and the support from my tutors was unbelievable. It really allowed me to heal and gave me the confidence to go on and achieve my goals. I am forever grateful for it.
What have you enjoyed most about your time at College?
The resources at the college were fantastic. There were plenty of clubs to join, nice common areas to meet up with friends and the people and staff were all really friendly. It was easy to navigate and it was very modern. There were also opportunities to learn about further development through workshops and talks to students by outside representatives.
What did you do afterwards?
I actually went on to do a different course to my original plans! I was just getting into health and fitness at the time so when it came to the ultimatum of choosing between Stratified Medicine and Sports, Physical Activity and Health, I chose the latter. I don’t regret my choice for a second. I went on to become a personal trainer and I now own a gym with my partner!
Would you recommend this course to other students?
I would 100% recommend the course to anyone regardless of what situation they are in in life. No one’s journey is straightforward and people have different reasons as to why they may not have been given or taken the opportunity to move on to university straight after secondary school education. I, for one, was glad I took this route because it allowed me to make a more mature decision on what I really wanted to do in life and I don’t regret my choices as a result! I met people of all ages and backgrounds from the course and it’s fantastic to see. My mum actually did a similar course in her late 30’s after waitressing all her life in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a nurse and that’s exactly what she’s doing now and loving life! So, for anyone even thinking about a career change and not entirely happy in their job, it’s never too late to start again and there’s absolutely no judgment! For most people, it’s the best decision they ever made and it’s life changing. For some it may be a case of underachieving for some sort of reason but situations change and it’s a whole different setting that’s solely focused on a subject you enjoy and are probably passionate about which is a game changer, which was the case in my situation! Just go for it, you honestly won’t regret it!
