After studying A level Geology former student Dominic Reed went on to study at the world-renowned Camborne School of Mines at Exeter University.
We love finding out what our former students have gone on to do after studying at the College, so it was great to hear from Dominic Reed who left in 2018.
By coming to the Henley College, Dominic was lucky enough to be able to study geology, which is a rarely offered A level. Geology is a subject which combines well with all the sciences as well as geography, environmental science and even economics; Dominic chose to study it alongside geography and chemistry.
Here’s what he had to say about his studies and his time at the College:
Why did I choose to study Geology?
Once finished with my GCSEs I was left with a dilemma, what next? I came upon Geology in the form of planetary studies, looking at and comparing rocks from Mars and the Moon with those found here on Earth. It instantly clicked in my head as something I would be interested in pursuing. When I started the course I saw the other kinds of roles that geologists fill and it really set my imagination alight. I had ideas of where I might end up in the future and my potential career paths, which at this stage in your life is extremely important.
Why Henley College?
I loved the ability to come and go, as my lectures where timetabled almost as if at University. This was a brilliant experience when I did then go to uni and made life at college really chilled and laid-back, but still challenging and engaging enough to learn effectively. The college is in a wonderful town with plenty to do if you fancy a break away from studying.
The staff at Henley are extremely helpful at every stage. If ever you have a problem you have instant access to a wide range of staff with special training to deal with almost every problem, so you will never feel alone. It will be the first time you’ll be on first name terms with your teachers, which doesn’t sound like much but adds a more friendly face to the staff.
Where am I now?
After my time at Henley I chose to take a year out of education to broaden my horizons, experience some other cultures and try to see if I could make a difference, however small. I ended up in Kenya and spent 10 weeks teaching about disability inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. This involved training sessions with a self-help group for disabled people in the villages around where I lived, learning Kenyan sign-language and Kiswahili in a community centre run by an English NGO called Urafiki.
I am now reading Geology at Exeter University in the world-renowned Camborne School of Mines (which currently sits at the top of the results table as of the end of the 2019/2020 academic year). I’m currently starting my second year. I never would have got here without the brilliant teaching and tutoring of the Geology teacher Marco Azevedo at The Henley College, who was able to bring his years of experience in the geological and environmental science industry into the classroom.
If you’d like to follow in Dominic’s brilliant footsteps then apply now to study A level Geology this September. Find out more about the course here and how to apply here.
