Student Case Studies

Health & Social Care Level 3 - Maria

Maria came to the UK when she was 14 and since then she has always studied at John Ruskin College. She started by studying ESOL Entry Level 2 to start to build on her skills. Maria then decided to study a Level 2 Qualification in Childcare, but after this realised that Health & Social Care is really what she wanted to do.

In the future, Maria would ideally like to become a paediatrician. “I have always been interested in working with children and working in a hospital.” She enjoys learning about Nutritional Health and Psychology, remarking that it is “very interesting to know the reason for people’s behaviour and feelings and how important it is to have a healthy life, mentally and physically.”

Croydon Council recommended JRC to Maria due to the level of teaching, and she has found the teaching great as they are a “small group but we have been able to establish trust amongst ourselves and share our experiences and ideas openly without feeling judged.” The teachers “not only give classes, but they also prepare us for a life at University and give good advice.”

Speaking about the College as a whole, Maria told us how she loves the diversity of the College. “There are students from many countries and learning about their culture is fascinating.” She also likes the amount of different enrichment activities to be part of. “There’s the Glee Club if you like to sing, Basketball, football and so much more. I took part in Volleyball which was my favourite and it was a great opportunity to make friends and meet other students.”  

Maria has taken part in work experience for a nursery where her role was to “play with the children and make sure they are staying safe.” The experience she gained here has allowed her to have a clearer idea about what I have learned in the classroom and helped her to realise that this is the right career path.

Maria hasn’t made a decision just yet on how she will continue her studies, whether that is University or going out into the working world, but she is excited to keep working towards her career goals.

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