Studying finance has always been a goal for me as it consists of elements which I believe pertains to my current skills. Dealing with finances interests me and I’m keen on finding ways to make money go further. Calculating profits and losses are important parts of finance on my course and I have enjoyed making sure this is done accurately. Originally, I took AS level subjects at college but due to extreme health conditions, I was unable to complete them. This didn’t deter me from pursuing my educational aspirations, I transferred to BTEC Level 3 which was more structured towards my goals.

This course has several units which have helped me to realise that I want to study finance at a degree level, units such as unit 3 and unit 5. These units deal with personal finance and business finance on a national and international scale, they are very interesting to me and are easy to understand. Within unit 3, I particularly enjoyed: forecasting cash flows for businesses, learning about break even analysis, analysing statements of comprehensive income and financial positions. The creating and reviewing of these documents developed my enthusiasm for the topic and convinced me that finance was a field that I would want to be involved in. During my educational studies I have acquired important skills which would help me in higher education. For a lot of our presentations we had to work together to contribute to the final work. These skills are applicable to higher education as we will be presented with many group presentations and we will have to work together to be successful. Also for coursework subjects I have been provided with information I have had to evaluate and use to help me analyse a company’s position and recommend improvements. This can be transferred to higher education as there will be considerable information I will come across and have to analyse independently.

This eagerness to study finance led me to carry out work experience in Barclays Bank PLC. As a supervisors assistant I was able to shadow the branch’s head supervisor in his daily dealings such as: sorting out customers queries, transferring money from accounts, cashing up tills and several more things. From my time at Barclays, certain skills were taught to me and others were further developed. When dealing with customers we had to cater for their needs whilst following company regulations, this often required critical thinking as we had to analyse the issue in order to diagnose it. This skill will prepare me for the often demanding thought process which has to be applied when it comes to a degree in finance. I gained employment at Schuh kids at the beginning of the summer of 2017 and here I was thrown into a more independent role where there were financial targets set out for me to reach as an individual. I developed a numerous skills such as time management. As the store was very busy we had to make sure that we provide speedy service whilst still maintain quality service. This skill will be applicable on a degree level as a lot of work will be handed out so I will be able to keep on top of it and make sure it is of a good quality.

During my college experience, I was one of the dance leaders for the dance society and we were tasked with creating routines for the members to learn to perform at school events. This role instilled in me leadership and organisational skills as I had to make sure everyone was aware of the routines and comfortable with them. This skill can be transferred unto degree level as I will be able to take leadership in my studies and group activities, making sure all work is done successfully.