Studying a Foundation degree settled me into university so well, gave me a network of students and lecturers to call on when I was stuck and covered the subjects I chose (Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Economics) to a high standard, better than any A level teaching I had. It also meant that I started my course in first year in a settled way which meant I had a great journey. Thanks to the foundation course I had the confidence to become a rep, then President, find a placement and ultimately come out with a First class degree.

The Foundation degree helped reinforce what I learned at A levels and bridged well into first year level. The overlap was really helpful and I got a very solid 1:1 grade at foundation. It gave me the foundation to move to bachelors with a sandwich year, then to masters and eventually finish with a 1st class degree.

Studying the Foundation programme gave me an in depth understanding on different areas that I never would have picked to study, such as mechanical engineering. It also gave me a head start on my first year as some of the fundamentals had already been covered in my foundation year so it allowed me more time to focus of the other areas of my degree that needed more attention. Having the extra year to settle in before starting the degree was really helpful as I didn’t have to spend time finding my way around or settle into the routine as much.