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Mark Field

2004: Access to HE, University of Portsmouth
2008: BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics, University of Portsmouth
2010: MA Public Administration, University of Portsmouth

I was apprehensive about beginning an Access course. I hadn't particularly enjoyed school. I had few formal qualifications and had spent years assuming that academic study wasn't for me. The Access course changed that. With the help of supportive, good-humoured and patient tutors, it provided me with the tools and, above all, the self-belief to undertake a course of higher education.

I did the Access course two evenings a week over two years while I continued to work full-time as a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy. We studied four subjects - two each year for part-time students - and the assessment was mostly through coursework rather than formal examination.

To my surprise, I found that I enjoyed studying and particularly sharing ideas with other students. When the caretakers threw us out at 9pm we often went to the local pub to continue our discussion!

The Access course leaders stressed that we were full students of the University of Portsmouth. They even arranged for us to attend a couple of BA seminars and lectures to have a taste of higher education. The tutors' enthusiasm both for their subjects and for the principle of widening participation in higher education was instrumental in my decision to leave my military career and embark on degree-level study.

Once I decided to go to university, I always intended to study at Portsmouth (where I have a house and family commitments), but I also applied to four other universities to see if they would accept me. Three out of the five universities offered me a place.

I have just completed a master's degree in Public Administration at the University of Portsmouth and have been awarded a studentship by the Economic and Social Research Council to do a full-time PhD researching the dynamics of the expert committees of the European Commission. That I ended up as part of the university research community is entirely thanks to the friendly and supportive atmosphere on my Access course.

There are probably a lot of people who, like me, didn't have a wholly positive experience of school and have not seriously considered academic study. But if you have a sense of curiosity and you're willing to commit time, an Access course is a fantastic opportunity.

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