Having completed a SWAP East programme in Social Sciences and Education at NESCOL Aberdeen in 2020, Jenna King shares what happened next! I joined SWAP in 2019 after more than 15 years away from formal education. Although I had left high school with reasonably good grades, I lacked confidence and had always struggled with maths. Determined to make the most of the opportunity at NESCOL, I was proud to achieve full marks in Politics, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, and English, along with a B in National 5 Maths (that one felt like a HUGE personal milestone). The course provided me with an excellent foundation for university-level study and developing critical thinking across disciplines. It marked the beginning of a far more focused and confident academic journey.I went on to study History at the University of Aberdeen. However, the transition was not without its challenges. Studying through the pandemic while home-schooling my children, managing severe imposter syndrome as the only mature student on my course, and recovering from physical injuries made it difficult to fully engage with university life in the way I had at NESCOL. I particularly missed the camaraderie and peer support that had defined my SWAP experience, where many of us were mature students returning to education after time away, often juggling family life and having left school with few or no qualifications and I felt pretty isolated at first. During this period, I was also diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, which helped explain many of the difficulties I had experienced in school. With that new understanding, I developed more effective study strategies and approached my education with greater self-awareness, resilience, and self-compassion. In time, I found my footing at university; my confidence grew, I made meaningful connections with faculty, fellow students, and I could fully engage with my academic work on campus.The quality of my scholarship grew and grew, and I graduated in the summer of 2024 with a First-Class MA (Hons). My dissertation, which examined women’s intellectual contributions during the Scottish Enlightenment, received an A1 and was awarded the Robert Kemp Memorial Prize for its original contribution to Scottish historical studies.I am completing my dissertation for an MLitt in Modern History and plan to begin a PhD later this year. The foundation SWAP provided continues to shape my thinking and work, particularly when examining historical ideas within broader social and cultural contexts. Alongside my studies, I returned to the same school where I completed my SWAP to volunteer, helping to produce a history documentary and exhibition in 2024. I also spent over a year working as a high school nursing assistant and went on to found my own early years education business, Imagination Station. The business has helped support my postgraduate studies and provides me with a creative outlet to apply my academic background in a meaningful, community-focused way.Reflecting on my academic journey, I can confidently say that SWAP changed the course of my life. It gave me the tools, support, and belief to take that crucial first step back into education. I started the programme with a clear purpose and while my goals have changed since I began the course (as I challenge myself more and more), that sense of direction has stayed with me ever since. Although many of my SWAP classmates went on to study different subjects at different universities, I have remained best friends with several of them, and we continue to support one another today. No one is ever too old to learn or too far behind to begin again. I would encourage anyone considering SWAP to take that step. It opened doors I never imagined possible as a wife and mother who left school with little direction. P.S. Here is a graduation photo of me and my dear fellow SWAP course friend - she completed Primary Education! Publication date 09 Jun, 2025
