My name is Ben Martin. I am 19 years old and in the first year of the BTEC Level 3 Business course at South West College.

Before starting in September I was unsure as to where my interests lay, and I had tried previous courses at different places around my local area. I attended the South West College Open Day and received great advice and guidance from the tutors about the courses on offer. I chose to study business because I found it very interesting and sounded like a career I would like to pursue.

As someone who wasn’t a fan of school, at first, I had minimal expectations from the college and the course, thinking it would be very similar to school. Now, I can say that my experience at South West College has been very worthwhile and is very different from the setup I was familiar at school. The course is well taught, and students have access to everything they need to complete the work throughout the year. The tutors are very approachable and helpful if you are unsure of what work you need to do and how to do it. This course has presented me with a lot of options for my future career.

I find that the average day at college is a lot more relaxed compared with school, there is plenty of work to keep you occupied and good craic along the way. As I look back over the past year, I have no regrets about choosing to study at South West College.

I would recommend the course to anyone with an interest in business, and South West College to anyone who finds themselves in the same situation I was in a few months ago.

"My experience at South West College has been very worthwhile and is very different from the setup I was familiar at school...This course has presented me with a lot of options for my future career."