This year, Gower College Swansea students have celebrated an incredible 11 offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Among them is International student Nisha Wattananavin, who has been offered a place at Trinity Hall, Cambridge to study Land Economy.
Nisha joined the College in September 2024 after being impressed with the wide range of A Level subjects – almost 40 – available to study at the Gorseinon campus.
“I remember looking at the website and finding it difficult to choose what to study because there were so many options!” Nisha says.
“Another reason I chose Gower College Swansea was that it’s located in Swansea, a city by the sea, which was really appealing to me. The scenery you get on a sunny day is impeccable. I enjoy going for walks along the beach or in the park with my friends. Swansea is a very ‘walkable’ city which I love.”
Nisha grew up in Thailand, in a town in the southern part of the country not far from the Malaysian border. It was there that she completed Year 11 before coming to the UK.
Nisha quickly settled into Gower College Swansea.
“I really enjoy my classes, mainly because of the teachers. They post helpful summaries and provide high quality resources that they clearly put time and effort into – such as targeted revision lists - which I really appreciate. They are experienced and truly care about their students’ results."
When the offer from Cambridge arrived, Nisha was stunned.
“I wasn’t expecting anything, so my knees literally gave way when I saw the email. It felt so surreal that I had to read it several times just to make sure I hadn’t misread! I spent the entire day rereading the offer with my heartbeat picking up paces every time I did. I let myself feel proud that day and seeing the offer was like getting affirmation that I was good enough, like a pat on the back. I really was beyond happy.
“Without the emotional support of the International and GCS Honours teams, I wouldn’t have applied to Cambridge at all, as I didn’t think I had a chance of getting in,” Nisha adds. “They played a huge role in helping me get to where I am today, cheering me on all the way. They’ve also been very supportive in other aspects of College life, such as helping with host families and scholarship applications. I had also applied to other universities outside the UK, and my lecturers helped write recommendation letters for me.
“The academic support I received also played a huge role in helping me get to where I am today, with College staff hosting many interview preps and giving me valuable advice relevant to Cambridge that helped guide me through the application process.”
“We are beyond proud of Nisha,” adds Head of International for Gower College Swansea, Ruth Owen Lewis. “She is such a capable student, but also so humble and polite and always happy to get involved in College activities. We are absolutely delighted for her, it’s so well-deserved. We wish her all the best for a bright future.”
After university, Nisha hopes to work in real estate, urban development or environmental industries. After gaining some practical experience, she then has her sights set on continuing her studies and completing a Master’s degree.