Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Ucive,sity sfiits all aaes acR abilities
SO what’s getting in the way of you going to university?
Do you come up with “I’m not smart enough”, “I can’t afford it”, “What’s the point in a degree”? Well, not so fast. Regardless of your age and academic record, university is more accessible than ever.
And if you finish your course successfully you walk out with more than just a piece of paper.
Louise Irving is part of the student recruitment office at Abertay and she travels across Scotland not only selling the idea of a university education, but helping people with their application.
Abertay is one of the youngest universities in the country but with a heritage that stretches back to Victorian times.
They have 4,500 students, primarily from Scotland but some are from as far afield as India and China.
“A lot of people think they’re not clever enough,” said Louise.
“Others might not to even try because of peer pressure.
“But you don’t have to be academically gifted to succeed at a place like Abertay, just work hard.
“It’s not just about the degree, it’s all the extras too. There’s the chance to travel, to volunteer and to meet some amazing people.
“You do meet people with a degree who haven’t actually ended up working in that particular field — I’ve got a Primary Education degree myself but haven’t worked in a school.
“But what a degree tells a potential employer is that you have focus and determination and a willingness to learn.
“In fact, some people who were straight-A students at high school can find university study challenging but anyone who is prepared to work hard can be successful.
“When I travel around Scotland it’s mainly high school students I meet but there are literally all ages studying here.
“It’s a relatively small campus but it’s got a reputation for being friendly and for having some really outstanding lecturers. I would urge anyone to give university some serious thought.”
It’s worth bearing in mind that university isn’t just about maths, science and philosophy — Abertay had the first ever computer games degree.
Above all, the message is that university is for everyone — you don’t have to be Einstein, just passionate.
And Scottish students studying in Scotland can apply to get their tuition fees paid, so university study is accessible to all.