"The teachers are great. They're so helpful"

Despite being only 17, Mohamed is a learning mentor, supporting other students in subjects like Computing, Mathematics and Communication. He finds that this responsibility is beneficial to him and that it is an unusual experience to gain at a young age.

“The BTEC is a good route to employment or to university. It focuses on one subject and you get to know it in depth.

The teachers are great and very helpful. The unique thing about my tutor is that he gives great advice on topics that aren’t directly relevant to our subject, for example, he tells me about the financial aspects of life at uni and what to prepare for.

There are so many courses to choose from and he gives us tips on what would be best for us to aim for. Computing is a very wide subject and you have to pick what’s right for you. You’ve got to specialise from your general knowledge of the subject because the industry is so competitive.

It’s very intensive but if I get my grades, I’d like to go off to Imperial, UCL, Southampton or Kings and do a BSc in Computer Science. I’d put my head down for three years and then maybe go on to do a Masters or work for top companies like Microsoft, IBM or HSBC, if I get a good class of degree.

I enjoy college life and play for the college football team. I think this is the best college for vocational subjects because of the facilities and the quality of teaching.

I’m proud to be a learning mentor. It balances out my work and studies; it develops my communication skills and gives me a recap of what I’ve learnt because I help students from different levels. It’s a great thing to have this responsibility, as most 17 year olds aren’t doing anything like this at such a young age. I’m also a nominee for the Student Union President and if elected, I would aim to make sure that every single student in the College enjoys the facilities in the Lounge and the Learning Mentor Centre. I’d like to thank my manager, Joanne who runs the mentoring service because without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Education is one of my keys to success.”