Amy
Meenaghan

Why did you choose to study your course at Brackenhurst?

I chose to study my course at Brackenhurst because they specifically specialise in animals and land-based studies. I had heard good reviews about the college when I was in Year 10 and did extra research on it. The college is set near Southwell and there is an NCT 26 Bus Stop right outside the campus making it accessible to get to. I booked an open day for when I started year 11 and when I arrived, I fell in love. The grounds that the campus is situated on is scenic and I found it calming and good for my wellbeing. It also has purpose-built areas for all the different courses, making sure that the courses are tailored to us. The animal unit has a wide variety of animals including, rabbits, cats, donkeys, snakes, tortoises and many more. The staff at Brackenhurst are knowledgeable and supportive and they make sure that our experience there is the best it can be.

Tell us more about your course. What do you enjoy studying the most?

Level 3 Animal Management consist of many different modules making sure that you get all the knowledge you need to support you after finishing the course. My favourite is the practical side of the course. This is because I get to handle all diverse types of animals and learn about each one individually, looking out for signs of good health and bad health. You also get to learn how to administrate flea and worming treatment to some different animals. I have also been given the chance to medicate some of the animals during my duties. Another module I love is Animal Health and disease where I have learnt the signs of good and ill health relating it to specific diseases and how it can be treated and prevented. I also like this module because it will help me with my future opportunities in the veterinary industry.

What do you think about the facilities available on your course and what do you use the most?

The facilities available at Brackenhurst are clean and efficient. You have multiple places to get food from which includes the Brackenhurst shop where they have meal deals, sweets, chocolates and drinks, The orangery where there is a Costa Coffee situated inside providing warm and cold refreshments. You can also get food like chicken nuggets and pizza there. Also, there is the refectory where they offer a wide range of hot meals every day. There is also vending machines dotted around the campus if you need a quick nibble. The library is also good for when I need to work on my assignments or need a quiet place to think. I use the orangery the most to refresh myself with an iced latte to wake me up.

What do you think about Brackenhurst Campus? What do you get up to in your spare time?

Brackenhurst campus is calming and relaxing and it offers me the space to forget about my worries. In my spare time I love to go to the orangery and get a refreshing drink. I like sitting by the window and looking at the nature and environment that I am in. Me and my friends have also recently loved going in Brackenhurst Farmhouse down near the animal unit and playing the games that they have newly added.

Have you had any support from other departments? How was your experience accessing these/ was the service helpful?

I have not needed much help while at Brackenhurst so far however I have used the employability team when needing help knowing when I can start my placement. The employability team answer quickly and always have a way to resolve the problem. They have also helped me when trying to track down my feedback sheets from my employer at my work placement. Even though I have not used student support they sometimes email us to let them know that if we need to talk about anything then we can go to them to ask for help.

What is your top tip for someone considering studying at Brackenhurst Campus?

I have two top tips for people wanting to study a college course at Brackenhurst. Make sure to wear sensible shoes as often in rainy weather the paths can get muddy, and you do not want to be ruining your brand new trainers. Also, if you are looking at getting a work placements in the vets start applying before you start as people apply months in advance and if you wait till when you join all the vets will be taken up with students. I started applying in April for when I joined in September.

Have you been involved in any placements, work experience or volunteering as part of your course? If so, what did you do and what did you achieve?

I have been involved in work experience. For my course I needed to complete 150 hours of work experience in the first year. I decided because I really wanted to be a veterinary nurse that I would contact vets and try and apply there. I applied to many vets, but many said they were either full or didn’t do work experience. I then contacted vets for pets in Netherfield, and they replied saying I could do my work experience with them. I have completed my hours with them now and I have been offered a place next year to go back and continue my work experience with them.

Why would you recommend your course to someone considering studying it?

I recommend this course to anyone that is thinking of joining because the course content is very complexed and you get to learn a wide range of things about animals which you would not get if you were just taking a level in sixth form. Also, it is good because you get to learn how to handle a wide range of animals and learn how to give preventative treatment to them. This is different to your A levels where you will be learning generalised knowledge of the subject where at Brackenhurst they go into detail about animals. The campus is also beautiful, and you get to see loads of wildlife every day.

What are your plans for after the course and how do you feel your course has/ will help you to achieve that goal?

After this course I want to then go onto the University where I want to study Veterinary nursing. The course is helping me achieve that by already going into so much detail about animals but also, we have a website called Pro portal where we set personal goals on what we want to achieve. This is helpful because then we can then strive to get them goals. We also have one to ones with one of our teachers where we can go into more detail about how to achieve getting there and what to do to help get onto a university course.

Any additional comments?

The Brackenhurst experience is great because although you might not be going there originally with no friends you soon will find people to become friends with because you all share the same interest in animals.