Transitioning from Level 3 study to a Degree

I studied the Level 3 Health & Social Care Extended Diploma at USP College before starting the Health Promotion & Social Care BSc (Hons). I made the decision to stay at USP College to complete my degree after looking at the units and I instantly knew that it was something I would like to learn more about. I also considered job opportunities in the future and thought that it would help me to achieve my goals of working in the Social Care industry.

I had always considered studying at university but was never 100% sure, then I discovered the degree at the College. The degree programme followed on nicely from my Level 3 course and I had an interest in all of the units, and as a bonus I was able to remain at the College, meaning I could keep my part-time job and not have any accommodation fees.

I very quickly found my feet after transitioning from Level 3 study to Higher Education, which was a challenge at first. I initially found it difficult doing things slightly differently, such as referencing, however with the support of staff and my peers this become second nature. Throughout the transition I was able to take the skills I had learnt from my level 3 course and develop them further into the degree.

As a degree student I am not on campus as much as when I was a level 3 student, but that is okay as it allows time for independent reading and time to plan assignments.

The support I have received throughout, including from teachers and academic support tutors, has been really great, and I’m very grateful. We are constantly given feedback and when we first started we were given a booklet with the course contents of the year which was helpful.

A real benefit of studying a degree at the College is that the class sizes are a lot smaller compared to other universities. As well as having access to the College’s library on campus we also have access to the University of Hertfordshire’s online library too (this course is validated by them!).

My favourite part of my degree has been challenging myself and expanding upon skills I had developed from my previous level 3 course, whilst expanding my knowledge in the health promotion and social care background.