I have been a mature student at City College Plymouth since September 2009 and have nearly finished my 1 year access course. I did very poorly at school and it resulted in me leaving full time education at the age of 14. I never even considered going to college until last year. I started finding it really hard to get a job (as most people are finding) and thought I may as well give it a go.

I rang the college and asked them to send me a prospectus, which they did quickly, and I searched online for courses at www.cityplym.ac.uk. I have always wanted to work with underprivileged children and after having my first appointment with the colleges careers advisor decided to go all the way and do a course which would allow me to get into university to do a social work degree.

I am on an access course, English, Maths, Sociology, Psychology and Academic Studies, however there are many varieties to choose from. This course is equivalent to A levels in your chosen subjects and C grade GCSE maths and English.

You can also do short courses at the college in a variety of different subjects such as administration, music, construction, counselling etc. To see a full list of courses visit the colleges website.

If you are on benefits you are able to get the courses at a discounted price although even at full price the courses do provide excellent value for money.

The college really look after their students and ensure that they are happy with their course etc. They provide you with any assistance you need and also have a councillor, which is available for all students.

Each student is looked upon as individuals and are given the individual support and guidance they need. Once you have selected a course you will be invited to an interview and possible small test (just to see how educated you are really). You will then be given a start date.

When you start you will be introduced to your tutor, who is usually your major subject lecturer.

My time at the college has been amazing, I have learnt so much in such a short space of time and the college student services have been extremely helpful in relation to applying for university and helping me to find voluntary work.

The atmosphere is friendly, warm and encouraging. I find the work load tolerable and if any problems do arise your lecturers are more than happy to give extensions etc.

For me the canteen food is a bit of an issue lol, extremely overpriced and greasy.

Overall the college is very well organised and successful when it comes to getting students to the place they need to be (employment, university etc). It can be a big thing returning to education but I can honestly say you will be put at ease instantly when joining this college.

www.cityplym.ac.uk.