Hi! What’s your name and what did you study at the College? 

Hi, I’m Kimberley. When I came back to the UK from Ghana in 2023, I started with ESOL which sort of introduced the College to me. From there, I went on to study Skills Academy Health and Social Care, and this year I’m studying a Level 2 in Foundation in Care. 

What motivated you to choose this course? 

Growing up, I had a whole different plan – I wanted to be a lawyer. I have asthma and there was a point in my life where I was at the hospital 24/7. When I saw the nurses attending to me, I thought, “when I grow up, I want to be a nurse or a doctor” and look after people who have asthma or other conditions. 

Coming to MK College, I thought that this is just the best place for me to get everything I want to get. My mum was studying at the College when I moved back; I didn’t know where to go and I had different options, and she encouraged me to come with her to study here. 

How are you finding your studies? Do you feel that you made the right choice? 

It’s the best – the support, the teachers, the students – everybody here is great. I had the perception that I was very bad at maths, but then I realised that I was just not understanding it. Since I’ve come to MK College, they’ve helped me to understand the content and now I’d say I’m very confident with maths. I’m very happy with my progress. 

I’ve definitely made the right decision. I think it’s the best place for me right now. 

What is a highlight from your time at the College? 

I would say it’s the people. In the community I come from, I was mostly among other black people. Here it’s a very diverse community – like everybody is here! I found myself in a friendship group that has every tribe – every colour and every culture. Spending time with people from a range of backgrounds means I get to hear so many different ideas, like how to go about this or that. 

I went to the Culture Week event at the College where different cultures were displayed through music, food, dancing and language. It was such a good opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions that we have at the College. 

What has been the best part of your course? 

In Health and Social Care, I really enjoyed studying about childcare routines. I’d like to go into paediatrics, and it was just the best topic. It gave me a wide range of ideas, and because I have a little sister so I can go home and trial what I’ve learned when I take care of her. 

I’m also studying maths, and I can’t lie, I just love everything about maths. I love every topic, and my teachers always support me. I remember when I got to the point where I didn’t have confidence in myself and when I had questions, I wouldn’t ask them. My tutor told me that if you keep quiet, people don’t know what’s inside – you have to speak up and ask for help yourself. I took the advice and now I’m here – I passed everything! 

What are some of the challenges you encountered in your studies and how did you overcome them? 

My main challenge was trying to focus. I was finding it really hard to focus and I was getting distracted. I try to set some intentional study time to myself: if I get an assignment, I will make sure that I don’t use my phone for a certain amount of time, and I try and go back to my notes and concentrate. I also felt that I could confide in my tutors about it and they really helped me overcome my focus problems. 

The Wellbeing team at the College was also helpful – for example, when my mum fell sick and I couldn’t complete my assignments, I went straight to them and they helped me overcome this hurdle. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to apply for your course today? 

Be prepared for whatever is going to happen, because it’s a lot – it entails hard work, time management, consistency. Do what you can do and try your best. 

Be open to new connections. College taught me how to build proper friendships. Growing up, I didn’t have proper friends but when I came to the College, it was just a whole different community. I gained confidence in talking to people because I finally realised that it takes a lot of people and connections to build a career. I started speaking with people in my field and we shared our thoughts and ideas. And then I ended up being friends with them! So, when you come to college, be aware of the difference you make. The difference you make might determine where you go in the future. 

Learn more about Health and Social Care at Milton Keynes College by reading more here.