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After
taking my A Levels at Cirencester College the last thing I wanted
to do was to go on to spend three years studying for a degree.
I decided
to get a full time job in the career field I had always wanted to
work in - media communications.
I was
lucky enough to get the first full-time job I applied for - in the
press and PR department of a local company.
I enjoyed
it at first - and it was nice to be earning while my student friends
were trying to make ends meet.
The last thing I wanted to do was to go on to spend three years
studying for a degree. |
| Kelly
Archer |
But
after spending two years in the job and hearing of all the fun my
friends were having at their universities - and their academic achievements
- it really did make me think long and hard for the first time whether
I had made the best choice for my future.
In
January 2003 I decided to apply to University of Gloucestershire
just to be safe as if I had missed the deadline I couldn't later
change my mind to go there in September.
I applied
for Media Communications and Film Studies at Pittville Campus in
Cheltenham. This would mean I could save money by commuting from
home each day rather than living in.
Hardest
choices
On
receiving an unconditional offer in April I decided to accept my
place. This
has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.
At
the beginning of September I left behind the nice wage packet and
job security and went back into education, to university.
The
main deciding factor was the fact that if I was to go back to the
same job I would be earning a considerable amount more just for
having a degree.
The main deciding factor was the fact that if I was to go back
to the same job I would be earning a considerable amount more
just for having a degree. |
| Kelly
Archer |
I have
found in my first few months just how much more you can learn and
just how much you can forget in two years - things like structuring
your work, even writing grammar correctly!
Going
back to being a student has had its benefits such as having a NUS
card and getting discount at top high street shops and top clubs
in Cheltenham and further afield.
I
have taken on a part-time job to help on petrol because travelling
200 miles each week can be costly.
By
having two years of work experience under my belt before going to
uni I feel that I have a more mature approach to my work.
I am
also better at meeting deadlines - because I had to work to them
in my job - and I can complete assignments more quickly.
I have
learned another valuable life lesson too - it hasn't been easy but
I am now better at making ends meet moneywise.
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