The University of Leeds is one of the best performing universities in the UK

and I believe studying at the university can offer me more than just
academic excellence, I believe it will truly guide me to be fully prepared
for my future role as a Nurse. As mentioned in my personal statement, I
have been out of education for the past 3 years due to personal
circumstances and I believe that this course will ease the transition to
university level education. In this regard, the course at Leeds is especially
suited to my circumstances.

The main reason I applied to the foundation year is because it provides a

supportive environment throughout to cater every students individual
needs. Reading about the course on the University website, I realised that
taking on this course would build my scientific knowledge which is
something I have been wanting to pick up again since high school. In
particular, I have always had a genuine interest in maths and science and
so have been intrigued by the scientific and mathematical content of the
foundation year course at Leeds. In addition, since I missed out on the
opportunity to take up sciences at A-Level, I am excited to begin the
Interdisciplinary studies in science.

One of the salient features of this course is its diversity in that it covers
knowledge across a variety of scientific disciplines including biology,
chemistry, physics and applied maths. This means that I will be exposed
to a vast range of disciplines and will have the freedom to explore newer
career options. Furthermore, the university offers discovery modules that
help to broaden my academic horizons. I am hugely interested in the wide
range of discovery themes available that can develop my breadth of
expertise. In particular, I am fascinated by the Enterprise and Innovation
theme as this aligns with my current interests. Last year, I was engaged
as an employee of a marketing company by the name of Venture 88. Here
I was part of a sales team responsible for generating leads and sales on
behalf of bluechip clients. Through this I was able to develop my
communication and interpersonal skills as I engaged with customers
during field work, and also enhanced my time-management, presentation
and leadership skills as part of regular team meetings and progression
workshops. I have become an affable and approachable person as a result
of this experience; I am now in a position to apply these skills in the career
of nursing.

Recently, I have been involved in the Health Visiting and Learning

Disability Matron Interview Panel run by the Family Nurse Partnership
(FNP). At this program, I had the opportunity to formally interview nurses,
midwifes and health visitors for roles in the FNP and ask them about their
motivation and experiences. This was an inspiring event that gave me
insight into the different health care roles and backgrounds of people in
these occupations. After the interview, I even had the opportunity to
speak to many individuals during lunch and this informal talk further
improved my understanding of their motivation and about what to expect
from a career in nursing, and this has been instrumental in shaping my
career aspirations.

Aside from my academic interests I enjoy engaging in family-orientated

hobbies and interests. I love visiting the local Smithills Open Farm with my
2-year old daughter where we are able to feed and pet animals, as this
allows her to grow and mature at her own pace. Additionally, we visit the
Bolton One community leisure centre as they feature parent-baby
activities such as swimming and exercise classes. Taking part in these
bonding practices has allowed me to develop a strong relationship with
my child and learn about parenting and caretaking. The route I am
choosing entails understanding the vulnerabilities of children and adults
alike, and understanding my childs needs will enable me to apply these
skills in caretaking environments. Also, visiting the local baby clinic, I am
able to gain extra knowledge on caretaking via leaflets and booklets
available at this centre. Finally, I am keen on learning about the current
issues that are faced by NHS staff. In particular, I am an avid reader of the
articles from the National Health Executive (NHE) and the Health section
of BBC news since these allow me to stay up to date with pressing issues.
For example, one BBC article that caught my attention pertained to the
sleep disorders under the age of 14, which have tripled in the past
decade, owing to poor diet and improper use of technology.