Students
John Conn
Science at Coatbridge (2010/11) * Progressed to GCU (Glasgow Caledonian University) to study life sciences.
My name is John Conn and I grew up in Lanarkshire. I left school at the age of fifteen and, although I would have liked to attend college then, I started work in a factory.
After a few years, I completed an apprenticeship as a joiner and ran my own small joinery business. My joinery career ended in when I was involved in a serious motorbike accident. Whilst in hospital, I was inspired by the biomedical health professionals that I encountered. When I had recovered from my accident, I contacted Coatbridge College to enquire about their SWAP Science programme and started the course in August 2010.
My classmates and I formed a solid friendship that still continues, even although they have gone to study on different courses at other universities. We helped each other with the demands of the course by forming study groups. We often still meet up to study together and catch up and have the occasional night out too.
After a few years, I completed an apprenticeship as a joiner and ran my own small joinery business. My joinery career ended in when I was involved in a serious motorbike accident. Whilst in hospital, I was inspired by the biomedical health professionals that I encountered. When I had recovered from my accident, I contacted Coatbridge College to enquire about their SWAP Science programme and started the course in August 2010.
My classmates and I formed a solid friendship that still continues, even although they have gone to study on different courses at other universities. We helped each other with the demands of the course by forming study groups. We often still meet up to study together and catch up and have the occasional night out too.
All of the subjects that we studied (chemistry, biology and maths) were interesting, but human biology was the highlight of the year for me. Learning about the intricacies of the human body is a fascinating experience and it reinforced my decision to study biomedical science. I am now in the second year of my studies at Glasgow Caledonian University and I am deeply involved in university life and loving it!
In November 2011, as part of the Prime Minister’s student exchange initiative, the university sent me to Boston, Massachusetts. I keep in touch with the science students I met in the USA and it was an amazing experience that I could never have envisaged myself experiencing a few years ago. My long term career aim is to become an NHS biomedical scientist and provide laboratory assistance to help improve the health of patients, but who knows what I might do and where I might end up.
I would encourage anyone else who is thinking of returning to education through SWAP to go for it! It opens up so many doors for you and changes your life.
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