Finding out about Supported Progression (SP)
I found out about SP through my sixth form when I had just begun year 12. Prior to the assembly, I had to attend about the programme, I had never heard about Supported Progression and had no knowledge of what the programme would entail but by the end of the assembly, I was straight off to print my application!
Why did I apply
Whilst Durham University had always been my dream university, I was unsure about higher education being the right path for me to take for many reasons. I was not completely sure which subject I wanted to study, how I could afford university, or whether student life would be right for me. I thought SP could help me figure out these things and that, at minimum, it would allow me to experience what university life might be like.
The events
The events held throughout the Supported Progression Programme were a lot of fun! During both the Easter weekend event and the five-day summer school, not only did I get the chance to experience working in university lecture halls and seminar rooms, but I also got to stay in university accommodation, try out different societies offered by the university, and meet current students (like me now!) who could answer all my questions about student life in Durham. (Though I think my favourite event had to be either the summer BBQ or ball!)
What I enjoyed the most
My favourite part about Supported Progression was getting to meet students who were in the same position as me, who were a bit unsure about where they saw themselves in a few years time, while also getting to meet and be reassured by Durham University students who had been in the same position as us only a few years earlier.
I feel like SP was a great way to get an idea of what to expect when you make that transition from college/sixth form into higher education. Not only did I have a much better idea of what to expect, but the University did not feel so alien to me when I started as a student in 2018.
Durham was the right choice
Through my time on the Supported Progression Programme, I fell in love with Durham University and the city itself. I loved the collegiate system, the campus, and (most importantly) the course. Without SP I am not sure I would have realised which course was right for me, or if the university was even right for me. Now as a fourth year at Durham, I can safely say I made the right choice. I have loved every second of being a student here!
Discover more
About Supported Progression here
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