College helped me gain confidence

“I came to The Henley College last September to study Creative Media Production Broadcast Journalism Level 3. I have successfully completed and passed all units and I’m waiting on my final major project results in August. It’s a lovely course that allows you to work outside comfort zones and boundaries to create a physical example of how creative someone can be.

When first arriving at Henley, I was impressed by the size of the college, how well presented it looked and how friendly all the staff were to new arrivals. I decided to come to The Henley College as it was in accessible reach and was the only college that had a course centred on what I wanted to do - journalism. I was very wary about being offered a place at college but as soon as I saw The Henley College and got an insight to the course, I dedicated myself to getting the appropriate grades to enrol successfully.

College was a different environment at first, but it has helped me gain a lot of confidence, independence and social skills, and it has improved my choices and judgments.

My favourite memory at The Henley College was in the recording studio with friends, attempting to record a radio drama for one of our course units, having to put on voices and struggling to not laugh.

My ambition for after college is to undertake an apprenticeship or an internship to help me become a travel journalist or writer with companies such as Sky, ITV or Channel 4.

My advice for a 15-16 year olds thinking about their future is to make a rough plan, as scary as it can seem. Find out what you want to do in the future and ask others for advice, and then build a plan from your GCSEs to college. Do what you want to study, not what everyone else is doing or telling you to. You will be more successful if you enjoy what you are doing.”

There is still time to apply for courses starting this September, including Creative Media Production Broadcast Journalism. Click here to Apply now.