“I want to become a role model for my children”

This is Tanya’s first year of study since 1993 when she took her GCSEs. The Access to Biological Science course leads straight to university. It is a very intensive one-year course, equivalent to A levels.

“My children are five and seven. My son was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome and I want to study herbal medicine because I want to take a more holistic approach to caring for him. The treatment drugs are for psychological disorders rather than neurological ones.

The College was recommended to me. It has close links with Middlesex University and that where I want to study. Middlesex has pioneered the BSc Hons in Herbal Medicine and I’ve read a lot of books by Andrew Chevallier who developed the course.

Although I have GCSE Maths, I need the support of my mentor, Victoria, to help me with the Maths side of our course as it’s so long since I last studied it.

There are probably about four of us out of 25 on the course who are in our thirties. They have made me the class rep, which is good as I like to help people out. I have already made friends and formed a study group – we work together in the library. The teachers have warned us that we won’t get through the course unless we form study groups and support each other. One guy is a whizz on Maths and Physics and my strength is in Biology. We can all help each other.

I want to become a role model for my children - whether they choose to become a chef or a puppeteer, I’m thinking of how to lead them to achieve what they want.”