Students
Sean Wilson
Access to Arts, Social Sciences, and Primary Teaching
I attended the SWAP Access to Arts, Social Sciences, and Primary Teaching in 2016. When I started college I did not anticipate my journey in higher education taking over seven years, but by asking for flexibility from my university to help me deal with challenging life events I was able to stick with my degree and was pleased to finally graduate from Edinburgh University with a first-class honours degree in Sustainable Development (sociology) in November 2023.
I had no real sense of how higher education worked prior to enrolling on the SWAP course as no one in my family had attended university and I had went straight into work when I left school. I had always wondered if I would be capable of completing a degree however, and when I was offered the chance of voluntary redundancy from my role as a housing officer from Edinburgh Council in my mid-30’s I decided to take the plunge into education.
The SWAP course was certainly academically challenging, but looking back I think the real value of it was how well it prepares you for the reality of studying at university – in fact I often thought that we were more prepared for university than our fellow students who had come straight from (often very prestigious) schools! Another real benefit of the SWAP course was the variety – I had went into it thinking I wanted to study psychology, but I actually found myself drawn much-more toward sociology. Being able to ‘sample’ different disciplines really informed my degree choice in a positive way.
After graduating from the SWAP course I enrolled on the Sociology degree at Edinburgh university, and actually swapped my degree in second year to Sustainable Development (sociology). This is quite easy to do and I had opted for Edinburgh University as I had an inkling I might want to change my degree – all you really have to do is make sure you complete the core courses for the subject you want to swap into.
Unfortunately at the end of my third year I became quite profoundly unwell and had to take two separate authorised interruptions to my studies covering a year and a half. Thankfully I was able to take the time to build my health back up, and with the help of my student support officer and personal tutor I finally made it back to finish my degree.
My main pieces of advice for any prospective SWAP student based on my own experience would be:
1. It is daunting to go into higher education as a mature student, but it really is worth it in terms of what you can learn and proving to yourself you can do it.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for and take all the financial help you are eligible for – I was financially self-supporting and made full use of the hardship fund every year I was at university; without it I would have been homeless!1. It is daunting to go into higher education as a mature student, but it really is worth it in terms of what you can learn and proving to yourself you can do it.
3. Make the most of the face-to-face teaching time you get at college as you often don’t get as much when you go to university!
4. If your chosen university offers a ‘summer school’ prior to your degree starting consider doing it – it really helps you get your bearings when you eventually start uni.
5. Don’t be put off by the challenges that may come along such as illness, even if it means you having to take significant time out of your studies. There is almost always a way around the problem. The important thing that I found was to ask the support services early and often when difficulties emerge. Universities (and colleges) WANT you to do well and graduate, so don’t be shy in asking for help or adjustments.
6. Do your best to develop friendships with your fellow students as having people to go on the journey with you is really valuable, especially if you are a mature student going to a ‘young’ university.
Despite the challenges I’m really glad I took the choice to go into higher education, so good luck in your studies if you also make that choice – you won’t regret it!
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