What's your university story?!

I am providing a session to a small group of year 11 students on obstacles of going to uni. The aim is to show that all different kinds of people from different backgrounds, with different circumstances and difficulties faced go to university! There isn't just one "kind" of person who goes to university. The hope is that they then will realise they have the potentail too! (fingers crossed).

It would be brilliant if anyone would be willing to just write a few lines about their journey to university, such as a few details about themselves, what they are studying, any difficulties, whether they did alevels or vocational courses, took gap year etc! What ever you feel is relevant!

So if there are any good samaritans out there who would like to help me out, I thank you very much in advance!

I come from a single parent family and grew up in a council estate in London. None of my family had ever passed A Levels, let alone been to university. I studied A Levels and after completing them, was unsure of what I wanted to do or what career I wanted. At this time, the school I previously studied my GCSE's at (and A Levels) offered me a 1 year contract working with special needs pupils.

In 2009, I took the offer, worked for a year and traveled around Africa for a month with 6 pupils and 4 teachers on a school trip. I then decided I wanted to be a teacher and created a UCAS application to study BSc Computing at university in 2010.

I was given an unconditional offer which I accepted and am now 8 weeks into university life, and am the first person in my family to ever make it to university.

I still visit the school I worked at and am returning to Africa with them next year.

I also created a blog about how I got into university and my time here... which might be of some interest. It's at www.operane.com

Wish all the pupils good luck from me and advise them that it doesn't matter what your background is, university is for everyone that would like to study on at further education.

Not really sure if this is what you want, but you're welcome to it anyway:

I grew up very working class - my father was a telephone engineer right up until he damaged his back, at which point he was moved inside for a basic office job. My mother didn't work until I was about fifteen, and then as a school science technician. A lot of my early childhood was spent living in north-east London, in a very poor and rough borough, until we moved to Cambridgeshire when I was about seven.

At school, I was all right - didn't compare badly with my peers, but I was largely disinterested in it, and stayed to do A-levels purely because I lacked better ideas. Originally applied to uni due to the same thing, for a course I was semi interested in, but didn't see a future with.

In the end, I persuaded myself that my reasons were idiotic, so it would make no sense to follow them through, but ended up firming and insuring a couple of them, so that I bought myself time alone to think without parents pressuring me to think fast. In the end, it paid off; realised what I wanted in life a few weeks before results, got myself out of my offers and went through Clearing.

Myself before Uni: work usually in on time, hardly drank and never smoked much
Journey to Uni: Study, have no life for 5 months and give up Xbox
Uni: Get smashed 3 - 4 times a week and have a good time.

I did the first year of A Levels. I started off studying Biology, Psychology, Business Studies and Health and Social Care. But I really hated school, didn't do the work and hardly went to any of the lessons. I ended up with a B, a C and 3 U's for AS which wasn't as bad as I was expecting but I decided that I could not stick out school anymore. So went to college to do a BTEC in Health and Social Care, I knuckled down, worked as hard as I could and came out with a Distinction (and the highest grade in my class ).
I was really worried I wouldn't get into uni because I didn't have A Levels. I didn't get into my first choice because of that reason. But now I'm studying Diagnostic Radiography at uni, am in my second year. I love the subject, and love the people I have met... and the main thing... I'm really happy here.

I realise that was more than a few lines.

I completely messed up a levels because I hated school, had to go to a uni that I hated, dropped out and worked in a bowling alley, then found out that the open university gave grants so I could basically get a free degree, now im doing that whilst running my own business aswell.

What's your university story?!
I am providing a session to a small group of year 11 students on obstacles of going to uni. The aim is to show that all different kinds of people from different backgrounds, with different circumstances and difficulties faced go to university! There isn't just one "kind" of person who goes to university. The hope is that they then will realise they have the potentail too! (fingers crossed).

It would be brilliant if anyone would be willing to just write a few lines about their journey to university, such as a few details about themselves, what they are studying, any difficulties, whether they did alevels or vocational courses, took gap year etc! What ever you feel is relevant!

So if there are any good samaritans out there who would like to help me out, I thank you very much in advance!

Before: Wanted to go to Uclan to do Journalism. Would be first in my family to go to university.
Journey to uni: Issues of having dyspraxia came to the service was never helped before found A-levels very difficult, found out I had dyslexia as well.
Uni: I go to uni of manchester, ended up studying at the uni of Hong Kong for a semester.
What motivated me? my love of learning.

Hi overlord, thanks for replying and nice to know uni is doing your liver some good! can i ask what motivated you to go to uni? had you always wanted to go to uni? Did you do ALevels or diploma?

hi Sownrose, this was what I was after thank you! Just to confirm - you were unsure of what you wanted to do in life and applied to university, but was unsure of the course you picked. After some time spent thinking you realised what you wanted to do, so you applied to the course you wanted through clearing?