The first in my family to attend university

Hey, my name is Fateha and I'm currently in my third year of Children's Nursing. I'm actually the first in my family to ever go to university so I wanted to talk a bit about my experience and hopefully inspire others to go. :smile:

Why did I want to go to uni?
For me, it was my own personal choice to go to university. I'd known from quite a young age that I wanted to pursue an education and a career in healthcare. However, at times it has been really confusing figuring out how to get to the end point of becoming a children's nurse.

Putting the work in
My journey started in secondary school when I was deciding on the A levels I would need to get into a nursing degree at university. I went to many college open days, sought advice from my tutors and carried out research on courses.

I figured out I would need to do an extended diploma in health and social care. This route was equivalent to 3 A levels and would give me the exact grades needed to get into any nursing degree.

For the next two years, I worked really hard to achieve the grades of three D* (Distinction Star) in my extended diploma. After all the hard work I put in, I achieved those exact grades!

Nursing is one of those courses with many entry pathways. At one point, I did look into the possibility of a degree apprenticeship as it offers reduced fees and guarantees you a nursing job after graduation. However, places are really hard to come by so I decided on an alternative route.

Applying for university
I then applied to a few different universities. I chose my uni because the campus is very local to me and I didn't want to commute too far.

Waiting for offers was one of the hardest parts for me. There’s so much room for overthinking whether you will get a place or not.

When I applied, I knew I would have to do an interview so I made sure to practice for this. I asked one of my teachers at college to do a mock interview with me, and it was a great way of seeing what I had done well, and what I could improve on.

Finding the right university
While I waited, I went to a couple of open days. It’s something I highly recommend because it gives you a better idea of what each university is like and what they offer. You can also have a look at the facilities and what additional services they provide e.g., counselling, careers services, financial aid etc.

For me, coming to an open day made me even more convinced that it was the right place for me. The lecturers I talked to, and the tour I went on to see the different facilities made me realise it was exactly what I was looking for.

Lastly, one huge tip I can give you is to research everything you are curious about and to ask loads of questions - it's the only way to learn. Some of the questions I had were:

▪️ think of the career that you want, are there any university courses for that career?
▪️ what are the entry requirements?
▪️ is the career in demand?
▪️ are there any jobs in the city you'll be living?
▪️ can the salary sustain your lifestyle?
▪️ is it something you're passionate about?

These are only a few questions but depending on the answer, you can definitely figure out if it's what you want to do for the rest of your life.

My journey has not been easy, and there are times when I wish I had someone to guide me and show me the way. Hopefully, I can be a fraction of that person for you, if you find yourself in the situation I was in.

Are you/will you be the first in your family to attend uni? :smile:

Reply 1

UCLan Ambassador

Official Rep

Hi there, this is a great idea!

I was also the first person in my family to attend university and graduate. I wanted to go to university anyways but being the first one in my family definitely was a driving factor and something that inspired me to do my best at university.

I studied Fashion Promotion and Marketing here at the University of Central Lancashire and I couldn't recommend the course and university more. Doing research into universities and it's locations is something I would definitely recommend. Choosing a university is such a big step and decision as you want it to be the right university for you. Open days helped me to decide the most, as I was able to get a feel for the university and the campus but also imagine myself at the campus.

Something I wish I knew before starting university, is to have patience. This could be having patience to hear back from universities or having patience when making friends and meeting new people. I expected to make friends so quickly however that isn't the reality in some cases. As much as many students are in the same boat when starting university, everyone is different and making friends takes quicker or longer for different people.

Being supported by the university was very important to me. So knowing the university I went to has good student support and career support, was something I looked for when I was researching and attending open days. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need answering whether you are doing this during your open day, interview or messaging the university through their socials.

Creating a pros and cons list was another factor that helped me to decide on the right university. You could do this for the various universities you are thinking of applying to, trying to decide on your firm offer or deciding whether to commute or move out. Lastly, I would say say yes to as much as you can at university. Being a shy person, I never wanted to speak in front of my class during college but saying yes to things that sometimes are outside the comfort zone, really helped me make connections and grow as a person.

Hope this helps and I look forward to hearing from others 🙂
^Zac

(edited 1 month ago)