Laura Lanni completed the BAcc (Bachelor of Accounting) degree right here at South Lanarkshire College in May 2016. The degree programme which is run in partnership with The University of the West of Scotland provides a pathway for students to start their study at South Lanarkshire College at Foundation Apprenticeship or NC level and progress all the way to year three undergraduate degree level, all while remaining on the South Lanarkshire College campus.
“I also enjoyed the college experience compared to being in a university setting, originally when I left school I attended university for one year and I much preferred the smaller classroom sizes at South Lanarkshire College.
On completion of the course in 2016, Laura was awarded South Lanarkshire College student of the Year and also won the University of the West of Scotland Court Medal for Student of the Year (Laura is pictured below collecting her Court Medal in 2016). Laura then progressed to the UWS Lanarkshire campus which is based in Hamilton to complete her honours degree year. Laura graduated with a first class honours degree in 2017 and returned later in the year to UWS to complete further Continued Professional Development courses to ensure she had all ACCA exemptions required to become a Chartered Accountant.
Laura enthused
“I found the transition a positive one, during my time at SLC, the UWS course coordinator visited the college many times and many of the UWS lecturers made themselves available during my third year at SLC, so there were lots of familiar faces once I arrived at university.
I think the biggest transition was actually between my 2nd year (HND) and 3rd year (BAcc), the course material advanced technically and there was a shift to more independent learning. However, being able to go through this transition at SLC with the support of the lecturers made it a much more enjoyable experience, and I believe I was able to perform well academically due to this support.”
When asked what advice Laura would give to anyone thinking of applying for the BAcc course, Laura said “I would highly recommend the BAcc at South Lanarkshire College to anyone thinking of applying. Having had experience as a first year student at university and a first year student at college, the college experience felt far more beneficial.
By attending college, if your circumstances change or you no longer want to continue studying, you’ll still gain a recognised qualification each year (eg HNC, HND or BAcc). Having any of these qualifications is advantageous and can help greatly with a career in Accountancy”
Laura concluded
“If you’re looking for a career in Accounts, I highly recommend undertaking the BAcc course at South Lanarkshire College, the opportunities that the college/UWS partnership can provide you with are endless. The thought of studying can be scary, however the support provided by the College and University is invaluable and each go above and beyond to help you achieve your potential”.