Name: Elle Thoroughgood
Profession: Nurse
Attended York High School: 2012 – 2016
Post-16 attended: York College
University or college? University of Greenwich
Favourite subject at school: Child development and science
What I thought I wanted to do: Midwifery
What I ended up doing: Paediatric nursing (NICU)
How I got here: Towards the end of my time at York high I wasn’t quite getting the grades I needed for university or college entry for what I wanted to do. I was offered extra maths session after school hours which I attended, Mrs Harrison gave me a lot of emotional support and pep talks which I needed (not that I thought I did at the time). I only just got the GSCE’s that I needed then went onto college to do level 3 health and social care, I struggled with the relentless essays and course work required but I manged it in the end. It was then time to apply for university, I applied for 5 universities and got 3 offers back, accepted the offer from the University of Greenwich for Paediatric Nursing. Again I struggled with the academic work not so much the practical work as I had always struggled with writing academically; the university supported us all well and helped where they could. I went onto graduate with a 3rd which I was over the moon with even though it was a high ‘grade’ but I had worked so hard I was happy just to gradate and start my job!
Most useful skill or character trait for my job:
- Good time keeping
- Thinking on your feet
- Good mental math skills
- Organisation
- Able to stay calm in intense/stressful situations
Top tip! Don’t stress about not getting the best possible grades, if all you can do is your best and get the grades you needs for what you want to do that’s great and all you need! In the wise words of Mrs Harrison “secondary school is just a stepping stone”.
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