Juan tells us about his Access course in Maths and Computing, and how he now can’t stop himself calculating….

Name: Juan Manuel Jaramillo Marin
Course: Access to Maths and Computing
Institution: Southwark College

‘I’m currently studying Access to Maths and Computing at Southwark College. Initially, I was interested in doing something like plumbing but since my grade at GCSE maths was good, I decided to go for it and study higher maths.

I chose Southwark because I had already studied here for my GCSEs and liked it. What I enjoy most about my course is getting to know new things – I’ve always liked challenges. A typical session starts with the teacher summarising the previous lesson and then introducing new topics. Just before the end of the lesson we all have the chance to discuss whatever isn’t clear and do a few exercises to practise what we’ve learnt.

My life has changed since I studied for my course – now I calculate everything! My understanding of maths has been expanded and my skills at computing have also improved and this will help when looking for a job.
The advice I would give to someone thinking of taking a course is do it because you will enjoy it and not because you’ve been forced to do it. Make sure you enjoy what you study and you’ll be successful.’