Student story: School pupil 'loved every minute' of HNC college studies

Studying an HNC at UHI Inverness as part of her school timetable provided a route straight into an HND for sixth-year pupil Lily Murdoch.

Lily studied HNC Social Sciences full time on campus throughout her last year at Inverness Royal Academy because she wanted to experience a different style of learning.

“Instead of doing subjects in high school for S6, I did my HNC. I weighed up my options, took a leap, and wanted to try something different for my final year of school. I stayed connected with all my school friends but also made particularly good friends along the way during my college course,” she said.

Lily enjoyed learning new subjects from supportive lecturers in a different learning environment.

“It was the right course for me because I made close friends from day one. I enjoyed learning the different subjects, as I found those interesting, as well as meeting new people and the overall college experience.

"I liked learning about the new topics that I had never studied before, such as psychology. All my lecturers were helpful and supportive. With all my assignments, support was provided and it helped me throughout the course massively. Without the help from my lecturers, I would not have been able to pass this course.”

Lily is taking advantage of the progression routes available from studying a higher education programme while still at school, and will be joining UHI Inverness full time to study year two of the course at HND level.

“Overall, my experience has been great. I have loved every minute of college and would definitely recommend it to other S6 students,” said Lily.

Her advice to future students studying the programme is simple.

“Make sure to ask for help as soon as you are struggling,” she said.