Higher Education Student Profiles
Read the stories of our HND/C Engineering students in our case study document.
My academic studies finished at A Level’s in 1993 and I have been in full time employment since then. When I began my HNC at Central Sussex College I was a Calibration Manager at GlaxoSmithKline in Crawley. However, as I was keen to progress in the field of engineering I needed to improve my knowledge, capability and confidence in this area. I chose Central Sussex College to complete my HNC/D as it has a high reputation in the region and the qualification would allow me to progress to degree level.
When I was accepted into the HNC/D programme through an interview process, I always knew that it I would be facing an upward battle as not only did I not possess the standard of Mathematics required, I also did not have the advantage of possessing the relevant level of Science. As far as I can remember, I always aspired to be an engineer however opportunities for further education in South Africa was extremely difficult. Once I finished my schooling career, I had no option but to find work and pay my way through life.
At 27 years old, I made the decision to quit my full time job and pursue a degree. Central Sussex College has links with Sussex University, which allowed me to skip the first year of my degree. The change from college to university was quite dramatic, having little course work to do but plenty of summer exams. However the knowledge I gained from Central Sussex College set me up well for my bachelors degree.
Having come away from College the first time around with only two D’s and an E at A-Level, I resigned myself to a future working on the roads, which was originally intended only as a Summer job before going off to University the following September. After a year and a half’s hard work on the roads, I finally decided enough was enough and began applying for Electrical Apprenticeships. Three months later and I was finally given an interview for an Electrical Apprenticeship at British Gypsum’s Robertsbridge Works, where I was then offered the position of Mechanical Maintenance Apprentice instead, due to my distinct lack of electrical experience.
It's sometimes too easy to forget how you got to where you are, however looking back over the past 5 years I can identify the Computer Science Foundation year at Central Sussex College as a crucial point which allowed me to begin my journey through higher education. The foundation year not only provided an entry point to HE, it also did an excellent job preparing me for the years ahead, not least by providing a great environment of people who have common interests and aspirations.
Throughout my undergraduate degree I consistently encountered material which had already been introduced to me by the foundation year. This head start enabled me to engage with the core content more directly, and hasten my understanding and development. Having been able to take full advantage of the undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex, I decided to continue my academic career by embarking on a PhD in Computational Linguistics at Sussex. I know that Informatics at Sussex is always very pleased to receive students from the foundation year, due to the high quality preparation they have undergone.
The foundation to Computer science at Central Sussex college does exactly what it says. It has provided me with a good foundation to do the computer science degree. Apart from introducing me to many like minded friends to get to know and study with, most of whom I still speak to and study with on a regular basis. It introduced me to many subjects of the degree in a supportive college environment. Where the excellent tutors were able to guide and focus my development.
Without going to Central Sussex College I may have struggled, but with the knowledge I gained I was prepared and found the pace of learning at University alot easier. I am thoroughly enjoying myself thanks to the foundation year and when you reach Sussex you might find me still acting as your union representative, a role I may not have done if it wasn't for the team at Central Sussex.
I whole heartily recommend the foundation year at Central Sussex College. The staff are fantastic and the other students you'll get to know will be your friends and support for along time. Plus you get to learn some interesting stuff! It's a win win environment.”
