Members of Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) alumni community have passed on valuable advice to secondary school pupils in Aberdeen who are looking to further their education.
Dozens of hand-written notes to future students have been received by the RGU Foundation in response to their latest alumni update about the work of the university.
More than 160 graduates have written short, motivational notes in response to learning about RGU’s widening access team and Access programmes.
The initiative is designed to enable pupils who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education, whatever their circumstances.
Access RGU is aimed at pupils who are under-represented in higher education and it is developed as part of the university’s commitment to widening participation.
The notes have been shared with pupils who have been part of the University’s Access engagement programme this year and also posted on RGU’s alumni Facebook page.
RGU Foundation Development Officer Stephanie Miller has been collating responses from the University’s alumni community after they were asked to write down their advice for pupils who are considering applying for university.
Ms Miller said: “We’ve been absolutely delighted with the response from our alumni community who have taken the time to share their advice with pupils who are engaged with the University’s Access Programme.
“There have been some terrific notes outlining how a university degree has helped people have successful careers and how much they enjoyed their student experience. We hope these will help encourage more people to apply to university. The project is still on-going and RGU alumni can still submit their advice.”
The notes were included as part of the RGU Foundation’s regular giving programme, which encourages alumni and friends to give what they can in support of the university’s priorities.
Gillian Reid, who graduated with a BA in Business Management in 2013, wrote: "A degree was something I always thought other people had. The day I graduated was the proudest moment of my life. Hard work and determination does pay off."
Colin Gauld, who graduated with a degree in social work in 2011, said: "RGU is an exceptionally welcoming and inspirational learning environment. My qualification and time spent at RGU has been life changing in terms of my personal and professional development and prospects.
“As a mature student, who was uninterested and uninspired at school, I would highly recommend RGU to anyone seeking to improve their career prospects."
Access RGU is the University’s widening participation programme, enabling individuals who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education, whatever their circumstances.
The programme delivers outreach activities with schools and communities, coordinates on-campus workshops to give S5 and S6 students an inside look at a range of degree courses, and provides advice and guidance for applicants and enrolled students who are traditionally under-represented at university.
More than 140 young people from the most-deprived areas of Aberdeen engage in the programme each year which is coordinated by the University’s ACCESS RGU Team, based within the Study Skills and Access Unit.
RGU Alumni can submit their advice notes to RGU Development Officer Stephanie Miller via: s.miller@rgufoundation.org