"I really enjoyed my time at college and thought it was the perfect step in increasing my independence before university."
“My name is Serenna and I studied A Levels in Psychology, Biology, English Literature, Philosophy as well as the Extended Project at The Henley College.
When I finished my A Levels, I went to Newcastle University to study for a BSc in Psychology and MSc in Forensic Psychology. I am now a Probation Officer in Brighton.
My first impression of the college was that it was big with more freedom than school, and it was exciting but daunting for there to be so many students, but I really enjoyed my time at college and thought it was the perfect step in increasing my independence before university.
During my time at Henley, I went on trips to Poland and Sicily, which was amazing.
Psychology was always my go-to for the career that I wanted to pursue, and biology seemed like a good choice if I wanted to get involved in clinical psychology later. English Literature I did as a fast-track as I took GCSE early and really enjoyed it and Philosophy was an interesting subject to me and something different. The Extended Project was something I could do to boost my university application as I based it on a psychology study.
My ambitions for the future are to continue to work with offenders and potentially complete a doctorate in forensic psychology specialising in deafness. I would also like to continue studying British Sign Language with an aim to be fluent and work with deaf offenders.
The Henley College gave me new experiences and allowed me to meet more people than those just from my town. It gave me confidence in my career plans and my ability to manage my own time. I would like to thank my former teachers at Henley as they put a lot of effort into supporting me and creating an engaging learning environment.
My advice to students about finishing their GCSEs is to seize every opportunity that interests you, whether that's through trips, placements, hobbies, or clubs. There are no wrong decisions if you are pursuing things that interest you and it is ok not to know what your career will look like; enthusiasm gets you far.”
