At the age of 49 years old I finally decided I wanted to go to university but had no idea how to without the relevant A levels. I had joined the British Army at 18 years old and enjoyed a 22-year career. t was a family member who said if you are passionate about a subject then study it at university. That was the push I needed to find out if it was possible to go to university with no A levels. Finding out about the Go Higher diploma was great, I applied and was very happy to be enrolled onto the course. It was really strange adjusting to life in education again, as I had left school in 1988 a ..read more

Dear potential adult learners and Go Higher alumni, It’s my pleasure to write about my experiences for the Go Higher blog, having recently completed my undergraduate degree in philosophy with first-class honours at the University of Liverpool. I found out about Go Higher quite accidentally, after returning from working in Australia seven years ago. Although I had a skilled job in the electronics industry there, I couldn’t get a work visa due to my lack of academic qualifications. It had long annoyed me that while I loved learning, and had even worked in the education sector, I’d still never m ..read more

I have followed the Go Higher page for some time and never seemed to find the right time to apply, there was work and kids and all sorts of excuses to delay my return to studies. Being a mature student was also a cause of great anxiety. When the pandemic hit and we were faced with adapted schedules and working from home, I decided that it was time to go ahead and focus on my education with the intent of pursuing a path in psychology. However, enrolling in the GH at a time when all was adapted to online classes and exams, was overwhelming, there was no “human touch” and it felt very lonely at t ..read more

One thing that can worry anyone thinking of embarking on higher education is the spectre of assessment and what it will entail. This can be especially scary for mature students who may have been out of formal education for many years, and who since then may not be in the habit of writing anything longer than a social media post.  And who wants to have to burn the midnight oil on writing essays when you are an older student with family, work and other commitments? As a Go Higher student, we cannot promise that there will not be times when the pressure of deadlines looms and some midnight o ..read more

Although you will study 5 core subjects on the Go Higher Foundation Diploma, the range of degrees our access programme prepares you for is so much broader. Students completing the Diploma progress to undergraduate programmes across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and to some pathways in other Faculties too. In recent years, Go Highers have gone on to complete degrees in  the School of Law and Social Justice; School of Histories, Languages and Cultures; University of Liverpool Management School; School of Psychology and School of Environmental Sciences. See the full list of p ..read more

Many blogs here are written by Go Highers who have completed the foundation diploma and are now progressing along their undergraduate degree. But what happens after that? We have got in touch with some of our students from a while ago to find out what happened next… James (age 31): Go Higher > Politics Degree > Civil Service Policy Officer When I left school at 16, I did not know what career path I wanted to go down. I was more interested in socialising with friends, and I ended up working in a wide variety of roles, including call centre work, retail and within a fast-food restaurant ..read more

Hi! I am Lois, and I am twenty-two years old. I completed the University of Liverpool Go Higher Access Diploma a number of months ago and recently received my final marks for the programme. Since finishing Go Higher, a void has opened. I spent Wednesdays on campus attending seminar-style teaching sessions, and devoted myself, and committed my free time, to delving into research and completing subject assignments. Upon the cessation of this newfound and thoroughly enjoyed routine, I feel tremendously lost! The hiatus between the completion of Go Higher and the start of undergraduate study has ..read more

Back in 1990 when I was in High School (and a fan of the cult show Twin Peaks) I set my sights to become a Forensic Pathologist. From the age of 14 however, when I discovered dancing and going to clubs, my school studies got pushed to the side and I left school with no GCSEs. I really let myself down and I lost my dream of going to University. I threw myself into employment; working in a restaurant and various retail positions until I began a training school in a Casino. I worked my way up from Trainee Croupier to Casino Manager within 5 years (which was a great career considering I had no for ..read more

I discovered the University of Liverpool’s Go-Higher Access Diploma after making a conscious decision at the age of 48, and following a period of illness, to return to study and to aim higher. After considering courses at several different colleges and universities around the local area I applied to Go-Higher, because being an arts and humanities based course, with a bit of social sciences in the mix too, it was the course that not only offered myself the widest study options upon finishing the course, but it also allowed me to return to study first, and once I had got back into the swing of s ..read more

If you’re reading this because you want to know if Go Higher is worth a try, or whether you should apply or not – perhaps you’re a little unsure if it’s for you – heed my advice: Do It! Apply now! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Need a little more persuading? Allow me to take you back – way, way, back – to summertime last. It was June 2018. I had been made redundant from my job of ten years, suffered a betrayal of shocking magnitude, and fell into a deep depression. I was lost, between jobs and feeling regretful of my lack of qualifications; I wanted more out of life, I wanted ..read more