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Sophie's story

You don't have to come from a background where all your friends and family go to university to succeed

I'm 23, originally from Kent and now living in Devon. I wanted to do better than my mum and dad and didn’t want to end up like everyone else, with dead-end jobs and babies at an early age. I didn’t know anyone else really who had been to university either. I also loved what I was doing, working with a Director who trained at Dartington and who told me I would fit in there and really enjoy the work.

University exceeded my expectations. It was good all round and I grew as a person and realised I was now able to go for lots of job opportunities. I achieved all this through learning to work with my dyslexia. The way I was taught suited me, with a lot of practical work and help when I needed it from both my Enabler and from my friends too. I really enjoyed learning and the atmosphere at the Uni, meeting other people from different backgrounds.

There were financial obstacles and no one in my family had experienced higher education. Yet, persevering, doing my two BTEC courses and having plenty of support and encouragement from my tutors made a great difference too and helped me to see that I really could make it.

As far as my dyslexia was concerned, I got a lot of practical help throughout. I had a computer, the college Support Team and an Enabler to proof read my work. To cope financially I always had part-time jobs, loans, access to hardship funds and a grant to pay my course fees. I also made plenty of use of whatever information, advice and guidance I could. I accessed the Student Support, the Accommodation and Welfare and the Counselling Services.

Another crucial bit of support I got was through attending a Summer School before I went to Dartington. This helped me to think about higher education as a real possibility and to understand what I would need to do to get there. Still, it was a big jump to move away from home to a college that is in a small community, a bit removed from town.

I am now planning to progress to either a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or to Masters Degree so as to further my career.

Is higher education worth it? Yes – the higher education experience IS worth it! Dyslexia is no barrier either with the right support. Indeed, many dyslexic people are highly creative.

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