The way I've always described studying at the Pencoed campus of Bridgend college is 'It's like Hogwarts but for people that love plants'. The learning facilities are really dynamic and is just what I was looking for in terms of mental nourishment after being out of education for almost a decade. The course itself is super inspiring and led by a team of amazing tutors with an absolute wealth of invaluable knowledge that only makes me feel privileged to be a part of. My class is small which is helpful for having more one-on-one time with tutors and also my classmates are really intelligent, hardworking and fun people that are great to be around; I can only aspire to be more like them. There is so much to learn from them, they are all amazing at giving advice on how to get into the industry and I've had lots of tips off them with regards to attending interviews to become an apprentice gardener for my local council (I have an interview this Wednesday, fingers crossed!). The main struggles I have with this course are mostly personal reasons. Since starting this course I have realised that I have certain learning difficulties which has led me onto the path of being on the very long waiting list for an ADHD assessment. Sometimes I find the coursework structure can be a little difficult to sustain because long-term projects are not my strongest points. At times the stress and the pressure of the course will make me a bit too overwhelmed, also my confidence is quite low so it's not the greatest combination for success but I have to remind myself of how far I've come as a person, how inspired I am in so many different areas of Horticulture, how much I've learned so far and how my passion for nature and to learn as much as I can is a driving force in itself. This course has led me onto the best trajectory of my life so far and I'm just determined to go further and hope to stay in education for as long as I can; there is just so much knowledge to gain and I love being a part of learning process. It' really helping me to gain the focus and the confidence I need to thrive in life. I'd encourage anyone and everyone to start studying towards a qualification that they are passionate about because education is so much more than just having a qualification at the end, the personal development, mental discipline and focus studying can provide is immeasurable and invaluable.

My course is part-time, only one day a week so sometimes it feels like a bit of a rush to be able to fit in everything we need to know to for our coursework and sometimes it's a shame not to see the development of the plants we care for and the seeds we sow. I'd love to be in college all day everyday but obviously can't because I need to work to fund my life and my course. For one of my modules we have to find a volunteer placement and I've found that rather difficult to fit around my working week and life in general. Especially sometimes the commute to a suitable placement can be up to 4 hours for me and is just not sustainable. Trying to find spare time to do all of the coursework, volunteer, work and keep ontop of a house with two dogs can be very challenging at times but it's best to keep positive and to do what you can. The first year of study was tough through the pandemic and I really struggled with online learning. Being stuck in the same environment, sitting infront of a laptop all day and not experiencing practical learning was quite difficult for me personally and I am over the moon about being back in college. One criticism I have of the course is I find it's really short, only running from September-April. I think students would benefit from having extended study, especially because spring has only just started and we will miss out on so much of the growing period. Also a little extra time to fulfil duties such as volunteering roles would be so beneficial for the people who work full-time as well as study part-time. Overall, I absolutely love this course and the decision to study Horticulture is one of the best decisions of my life, it's completely fuelled my passion and drive to go further and has made me determined to be the change I want to see in the world. I thank the University of South Wales, Bridgend college/Pencoed campus, all of the wonderful lecturers, my classmates and never-ending support from my amazing family; I wouldn't have made it this far without their love and encouragement. This survey was fun. It's made me realise how far I've come. Apologies for my input being so sentimental.

What makes my university a great place to study is the people around me. The staff and teachers I have and know are always so helpful and kind. Without their personalities, experience and overall education I wouldn’t like the place as much as I do. On top of that they have an industry standard recording studio which is really amazing. Having top quality gear and industry standard equipment really helps prepare me and my fellow class mates for our future careers. The only down side to my university is the location. I live in Swansea so it takes a while for me to get to university and so on. But it’s always worth the travel!

The reason why I love the teaching / theory side to the course is because it’s very practical! It’s really helpful that we have an industry standard studio as when we are learning about different things we can just go across the road and see what we’re learning physically in real life instead of on screen. Especially for me, I’m a hands on learner, so learning about something and then being able to take part in it and see it in real life rather than screen real helps the learning process for me as an individual. In my honest opinion I cannot think of any downsides to the learning aspect. If it were online I’d talk about issues then but since it’s in person, it’s amazing!