Student story: Studying social sciences has inspired Catriona's ambitions to support others
Catriona Magee has developed a deeper understanding of the world around her through studying HND Social Sciences full time at UHI Inverness and now hopes it will lead to a career in education.
Catriona (21) from Dingwall was not ready to move away from home after leaving school because she values the calm way of life in the Highlands. She opted to study at UHI Inverness, and after switching courses to HNC Social Sciences she has since progressed to the HND.
Through her studies Catriona has a deeper understanding of how societies function, and she feels this will help her in her career progression, because it has given her a better understanding of the people around her.
“I would love to go into the education field, especially pupil support as I feel like I would be good in this area. I would love to be able to support pupils as I have autism so I know how challenging education can be,” she said.
Being neurodivergent, Catriona has found the on-campus facilities, lecturers and friendship groups to be very supportive.
“It has been very rewarding as I have learnt so much this year and during the HNC last year. I had never had the opportunity to study psychology, sociology, criminology and politics before and I have enjoyed learning about all of these subjects,” she said.
“My favourite thing about the university campus is the nooks in the Learning Resource Centre, because you can adjust the lighting in there and put your headphones on and just focus on your work without distractions. I also enjoy The Bothy as this is also a lovely calm place.”
Catriona particularly enjoys the interactive elements in class, including group activities and discussions about current events, and relating them to the concepts she has learned.
“The HND and the HNC were great for me because they are taught in person and I got to form friendships with my peers, and it was easier to interact with lectures and to ask my lecturers questions if I need to,” she said.
“My lecturers are very supportive and are always open for us to ask questions whenever needed and are very prompt with their responses. I have found whenever I have needed clarification about assignment questions and feedback, they have all been very happy to help.
“My highlight of the course has definitely been our politics class. I have really enjoyed the content this year as we have been learning about both the US government and the EU parliament. Our lecturer Kevin is very informative and makes his lectures very entertaining.”