When ex-student Ali Al-Aboosi returned to CTC to give a lecture for UCAS Day earlier this month, it bought back fond memories of the College. Ali explains in the own words about his time at CTC.

‘Coming from Iraq and being from a different cultural background, my journey began with two challenges: firstly, adjusting to life in the UK and, secondly, understanding the British education system. Cambridge Tutors College is renowned for its reputation for not only paving the way for students to choose the right course and enter reputable universities such as Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College, but it also arms these young minds with transferable skills that make them shine during their time at university, as well as in their career life.

I was 19 years old when I joined CTC to study A-Levels in 2007 but I had actually finished one year of Pharmacy in Iraq beforehand, which I had to abandon due to security concerns. My Personal Tutor and the Vice Principal helped me to decide whether to continue on the path I had embarked on in Iraq and become a pharmacist in the UK or pursue another career path completely. The real hurdle was trying to discover what my passion was in this new world and to choose a degree course that would set me on a solid career path whether I chose to remain in the UK or return home.

I chose to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey, a course that allowed me to work in several industries and take on a various job roles: design, technical sales, and management. CTC’s tutorial style of teaching and learning prepared me well for integrating into university life and it was relatively easy for me to secure an internship at multinational company due to the interview skills I had acquired during my time at CTC. Following graduation, I joined a company located in the south of England, where I spent 5 years working in design and technical sales of equipment used in the chemical, oil and natural gas industry. Thereafter, I moved to a more senior role at another international company with similar industry, where I am currently working as a regional technical sales manager for Europe. Thank you CTC for setting me on this career path!’