LMC has helped me move into a professional space as I am now heading to the University of Cumbria to become an amazing Occupational Therapist. I want to get a promising career that helps me give back to the NHS, who have helped me through a major journey.

Two key things I learned during my time at LMC were to push myself to be more sociable and to speak up. My classmates were so encouraging; they gave me the space to share my thoughts and reminded me that it’s okay to ask for help. The tutors were fantastic, always adapting their support to meet our individual needs.

The most enjoyable aspects of my course have been learning new skills and meeting new people. It’s been incredibly rewarding to challenge myself academically and discover subjects I never thought I’d be interested in. The supportive environment has helped me grow in confidence, and I’ve built strong friendships with classmates who share similar goals. I now feel much more prepared and motivated to take the next step towards higher education.

After retiring, life was great for a while until I got bored. I saw an advert for a part time cooking courses at Lancaster & Morecambe College and, at the age of 70, decided to enrol. My mother had been a confectioner and a great cook, so I thought it was appropriate to follow in her footsteps and see what I could do!

I was out of education for 24 years and it was just so daunting the idea of studying again. Don’t be scared to give it ago and have a chat with the college and make that first point of contact. Once you’ve done that you feel like it’s doable. The course is challenging but manageable if you commit to it. Ultimately, I wouldn’t have been able to progress in to University without it.

Because of my age I never thought I would be able to do GCSE English and Maths again. Michelle and Barbara were absolutely amazing, they were so patient and gave me the help and encouragement I needed to believe in myself.

It’s all thanks to the course I took and my amazing tutors, that I now have my dream career! I would highly recommend the course to anyone wanting to go to university, without the Access course I would never have had the opportunity as I only had 1 GCSE when I left high school.

Laura was amazing, she was so supportive with assignments but also with my university application. It got me back into studying again and I learnt how to write academically after 10 years without studying.

100% do it! The Access to HE course helped me develop my skillset further particularly in time keeping, communication, team work and problem solving; all useful skills which I will carry with me into my degree course at university. The staff are so supportive too, and the course gives you the chance to meet people with common career interests as well. 

When I found the Access course at LMC it seemed like fate! I felt ready to get stuck in and excited at the prospect of returning to Higher Education.

Since leaving LMC in 2016 I have gone on to complete my BA hons in Children, Schools & Families at The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). Alongside my degree I also worked in a private residential childrens home as a Senior Care Officer.