<p>Cupcake: I didn’t mean that everyone who does an access course has an isolating experience, my sister did one and loved it (it got her into Cambridge incidentally), but I imagine it would be quite lonely for an international student because as I say most colleges are small and local and do not provide accommodation or any facilities to help students without local support networks.</p>
<p>Some universities offer ‘foundation years’ which are similar to access courses in that they prepare people for university who may not have the right grades, students who take these courses study and live on campus like regular students which is why I think they’re a much better idea than an access course.</p>