Charlotte Triolaire

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.

After sixth form, Charlotte decided to progress to university but soon realised the course she had started wasn’t for her. Following leaving her course, Charlotte decided to take a three-year gap to explore her passions, leading to the discovery of her strong interest in Psychology.

After hearing fantastic recommendations from family and friends, Charlotte spoke to tutors at Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC) about her goals, and was quickly reassured that Access to HE could lead on to study at Lancaster University on her preferred course.

when I found the Access course at LMC it seemed like fate! After reaching out to LMC I felt really ready to get stuck in and excited at the prospect of returning to higher education.

Charlotte was able to choose between modules on her course to meet her needs and interests such as Human Physiology and Sociology as well as Psychology and Social Issues, and was able to study these on days which fit in with her work schedule:

I loved the content we learned and the tutors’ enthusiasm towards the subjects made it really enjoyable to listen and discuss ideas. I also really benefited on being able to choose which days I wanted to have my classes on so that I could work part time alongside my studies.

Charlotte’s time at LMC encouraged her to seek additional opportunities such as volunteering, attending public university lectures and taking part in research, all which have helped refine her professional skills:

I now have a really strong selection of experiences to draw on when asked in interviews, and it has also boosted my confidence when networking with others.

When describing the best parts of her course, Charlotte spoke fondly about the community-feel:

One thing I really enjoyed was that we were all so focused on our goals because we had all chosen to be there. It also meant that we created this really close knit, lovely community of people which was fantastic especially during challenging times such as the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Since completing her course at College in 2021 Charlotte has won two fantastic bursaries for outstanding academic achievement which have supported her in her studies at Lancaster University. This success has continued further with Charlotte achieving firsts in some of her course work while balancing her position as Vice-President of the yoga society. Charlotte explained that her studies at LMC helped her reach these achievements, stating:

I left LMC with a much higher level of self-belief because I showed myself that when I give it my all I can achieve anything. Balancing work and education had been difficult but I am now reaping the benefits!

When asked what advice she would give to someone considering applying for Access to HE, Charlotte said:

My biggest advice is to give it your all! Sometimes It seems challenging but the feeling of achievement from trying your best is so worthwhile. It has been the most rewarding feeling for me to see how far I have come from the start to end of the course, I say go for it!