Nikki – BSc (hons) Applied Social Science

Name: Nikki

Hometown:  Truro

Course: BSc (Hons) Applied Social Science

Next Steps: PGCE at the University Centre

My Story

When Nikki first stepped into the University Centre Truro and Penwith in 2021, she hadn’t come from a traditional educational background and had no prior qualifications. Enrolling on the Access to Nursing course, she studied for her GCSEs alongside and quickly realised that the small, supportive University Centre environment was where she wanted – and needed – to be.

“I started on Access in 2021, loved it,” she explains. “I hadn’t come from education; I didn’t have any GCSEs when I first came. I studied Access to Nursing, did my GCSEs alongside, completed that, and then decided maybe nursing isn’t for me.”

That decision led Nikki on to a new path: the Foundation Degree in Youth, Social and Community Studies. It wasn’t long before she found herself fully immersed, progressing naturally onto the BSc (Hons) Applied Social Science top-up degree, which she has just completed.

Her next step after graduating in October is a PGCE in Further Education, also at the University Centre, and ultimately, she hopes to become a Sociology lecturer. But for Nikki, it’s not just about teaching – it’s about staying rooted in the place that helped her grow.

“The University Centre Truro and Penwith… I feel like it changed me as a human,” she says. “I’ve got friends now, which I didn’t have previously. My confidence has increased hugely, and I thank this environment for that.”

The environment was essential, not just in terms of academic support, but for her personal circumstances as well. As a mum of three children, two of whom have additional needs, studying close to home was non-negotiable: “I couldn’t just leave and go to uni anywhere else,” she explains. “I have to be here; I have to be close to home.”

Her story is a powerful example of how local education provision can transform lives, not just for students, but for their families and communities too. Nikki is passionate about the role of the University Centre in supporting local people and keeping talent in Cornwall: “The University Centre here is like a gateway for all people in Cornwall to access education without having to travel,” she says.

Throughout her time at the University Centre, Nikki has received unwavering support, not just from the student support services, but from her lecturers, library staff, and career advisors. “I’ve used all of them actually,” she says. “All the lecturers here, the library staff—they’ve been fantastic. I accessed career support with Louise Clarke to help me apply for the PGCE. All the staff are amazing.”

“You’ve just got to believe in yourself because they believe in you,” she says. “I think my lecturers have believed in me more than I believed in myself most of the time—and that’s really helpful.”

As she prepares to begin her PGCE, Nikki’s advice for anyone considering taking their first step into Higher Education is simple and heartfelt: just go for it. “You won’t know until you start,” she says. “When I first started here, I didn’t believe I could do it. I remember submitting my first assignment for Psychology and I spelt ‘psychology’ wrong—and that wasn’t enough to deter me.”

With her PGCE ahead, Nikki’s story is only just beginning – and she’s determined to write the next chapter right here in Cornwall.