Access to HE course

Has anyone studied the Access course at Edinburgh? I've applied for this year, and I'm wondering how likely it is that I'll get in?

Also what is the workload like? How often do you write essays or do exams? Does the course cover study skills as well, or are you expected to know this/learn it yourself?

Anything you wish you'd known before you started?

Reply 1

mardimonde

2

Hi, I know this is an old thread but I am considering applying to the Access course next year and I was wondering how you found it and if you could answer any of those questions you asked with your own experiences? It would be super helpful as there isn't a lot of info on the forum about this specific course! TY :smile:

Reply 2

Arden University

17

@mardimonde

Hello, I've taught on Access to HE for 10 years so I can help :smile:

The WORKLOAD can be quite intense, particularly at first, it is like 2 years worth of A levels squashed into 1 year. Even the best Access programs have a high drop out rate early on - however, this is very misleading as if you get a large amount of people getting passes for their first assignment and they want to get into a very competitive area like pharmacy or midwifery they won't probably have the entry requirements going forward so they drop out on their own accord.

The ASSESSMENT methods differ between providers, the best providers will mix things up to include timed assignments, presentations, essays, reports etc. Science and Engineering might have more practical based assessments such as building a model of a particular molecule. The assignment criteria themselves would have been approved by an Awarding Organisation - in the north west of the UK it is Open Awards.

In terms of SKILLS, there are different development unit's such as essay writing, presentations, applying for H.E however these are manifested in different ways at different institutions. Some have a central booklet where you evidence how you have met those skills, some providers make you right a whole new essay for the essay writing skills. Most on site providers will have tutorials to monitor your progress, they are likely to do sessions on study skills and in-particular Harvard referencing which is essential for H.E progression.

Access classes tend to be very diverse with a mixture of different age groups, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds. They are wonderful for making friends and students typically do support each other throughout the program.

Speak to your local provider about funding, if you have done Level 3 study before you can apply for a Advanced Learner Loan to cover the course, the fee will be completely written off once you complete your degree.

Marc
Arden University Student Ambassador

Reply 3

blackthorne

OP

11

Original post by mardimonde

Hi, I know this is an old thread but I am considering applying to the Access course next year and I was wondering how you found it and if you could answer any of those questions you asked with your own experiences? It would be super helpful as there isn't a lot of info on the forum about this specific course! TY :smile:

My Access Course was in humanities and there were two "strands" - humanities and social sciences. My first semester we had essays every week, leapfrogging between the subjects. They weren't graded and were only 500 words, so it was more to get us up to speed for our second semester where our work mattered. The feedback from those weekly assignments was so valuable!

There were two graded essays for each subject, as well as a final exam. These all happened in semester two and the workload was manageable. As the first semester wasn't graded the focus was heavily on building up the necessary skills for university (how to write essays etc). We were also signposted to other sources for help.

All in all it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to anyone considering it! My sister is now doing one this year, and I'm in my first year of my degree and loving it.

Reply 4

mardimonde

2

That's very helpful, thank you for responding! I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your degree :smile:

Original post by blackthorne

My Access Course was in humanities and there were two "strands" - humanities and social sciences. My first semester we had essays every week, leapfrogging between the subjects. They weren't graded and were only 500 words, so it was more to get us up to speed for our second semester where our work mattered. The feedback from those weekly assignments was so valuable!

There were two graded essays for each subject, as well as a final exam. These all happened in semester two and the workload was manageable. As the first semester wasn't graded the focus was heavily on building up the necessary skills for university (how to write essays etc). We were also signposted to other sources for help.

All in all it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to anyone considering it! My sister is now doing one this year, and I'm in my first year of my degree and loving it.

Access to HE course

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