Your name: Holly
Position: Business Tutor
What course did you study at Oldham College? Access to HE Business
Holly returned to education after becoming a parent, and found the biggest highlight to be how she grew in confidence.
“Before joining Oldham College, I was working full-time as a team leader in a supermarket and had just become a mum of two,” says Holly. “I wanted to return to education as an adult because I had struggled academically when I was younger. Becoming a parent motivated me to create better opportunities for myself.”
Despite not having a clear career goal at the time, Holly knew she was interested in Business and wanted to understand the theory behind her previous experience.
“I chose Oldham College because it was local and felt like the right place to start my journey back into education,” she says. “I was nervous about applying, but after my interview I felt supported and encouraged.”
This was the beginning of Holly’s journey to improved confidence, which she says is the highlight of her experience as an Oldham College student: “I felt out of my depth at first, but with each assignment and piece of feedback, I started to believe in my abilities.
“I really enjoyed the marketing and management units, especially being able to apply what I was learning to my previous job role. Seeing my grades improve and achieving merits and distinctions showed me that I was capable of more than I thought.”
The support Holly received from tutors was “amazing”. “Their feedback helped me improve and stay motivated and the wellbeing support made a huge difference when balancing study with family commitments. My tutors were a massive part of my journey and helped me through challenging times.”
After completing the course, Holly progressed onto University Campus Oldham – achieving both a BA (Hons) Business Management and postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). She now works at Oldham College as a Business tutor.
“I wanted to give back to the college that helped me to build a career,” Holly says. “The Access course gave me the knowledge, study skills and confidence I needed to progress into higher education.”
Holly describes returning to education as an adult as “the best decision I ever made”. She says: “My advice is to believe in yourself and take that first step. It won’t always be easy, but with determination and support, anything is possible. It’s never too late to change your future.”
