After focusing on raising her family, adult returner Yanting found her confidence studying at NESCol, and went on to win the MHA Excellence in Accounting award at graduation.

Yanting Zhou (53) is originally from China, where she built a successful career across a range of industries including property development, marketing and human resources, before moving to the UK in 2006.

After settling in England, Yanting balanced family life with a role as a technician for a medicine development company.

She said, ” When I came to the UK to unite with my husband, we lived in a little town with small population, and I changed my focus to family life – most importantly, raising my two wonderful girls.”

Ten years ago, she relocated to Aberdeen for her husband’s work and devoted much of her time to helping her two daughters settle into their new home and school.

Studying accounting at NESCol

Yanting had previously attempted to study HND Technologies in Business but had to withdraw after a year due to family commitments. Determined to try again, she enrolled on the HND Accounting course at NESCol two years ago.

She said, “I wanted to get back into education to better prepare myself for a different career and build my confidence.

“What I enjoyed the most was the design of the course. We learned management and financial accountancy concepts, along with very useful topics such as economics, business, IT and company law.

“We developed a lot of knowledge that can be used in everyday life such as the use of industry software, business writing and even how to improve presentations. All of this has been very practical.”

During her studies, Yanting also began developing a business idea with a friend focused on importing trendy products to the UK.

She said, “Studying business and company law inspired me to set up and register a company with one of my friends.

“A lot of the workshops run by the College were really helpful, particularly being introduced to Business Gateway.”

While the business has yet to officially launch, the experience gave Yanting valuable insight into entrepreneurship.

Returning to education

Going back to education was a daunting prospect but Yanting quickly found a welcoming and supportive learning environment at NESCol.

She said, “The support was really good. The tutors and lecturers are very understanding. A lot of us were parents with young children or had family commitments like caring responsibilities, and they were very supportive and understanding of our situations.

“As long as we worked hard, they did the rest to support us.”

One of Yanting’s favourite places on campus was the library, where she spent many hours studying and working with her classmates.

She said, “The facility I liked most was the library. You can go with friends and have discussions in the open area or focus on your own work in the quiet corner. It’s perfect. I spent quite a lot of time in the library.”

Next steps

Yanting graduated from NESCol on 6 October 2026 at the Music Hall in Aberdeen. Her commitment, determination and consistently high standard of work were recognised when she was named the recipient of the MHA Excellence in Accounting award.

She said, “I’m so honoured. I never thought I would win the award. My classmates are all so good, and I learned a lot from them. If I’m representing them, I am over the moon!”

For now, Yanting plans to focus on her family before revisiting her business ambitions.

She said, “My family have been so supportive. I want to spend more time with my family, especially my parents.

“After Christmas, I would like to start working on my business plan again and use the knowledge I’ve gained from the course, as well as the College resources, to help launch it.

“In the future, I would like to work in a role similar to a finance advisor, helping people outside of the UK better understand the finance and tax system in the UK and supporting them to set up businesses.”

Advice for students

Yanting’s advice for other students is to embrace the College experience.

She said, “Keep the lecturers close and most importantly, make friends! Friends were a big part of how I survived the two years. We supported each other with homework and revision.

“Get involved and don’t see yourself as an outsider. You’re part of the College community. Study hard because if you don’t, no one can help you!”

For anyone unsure about their next step, Yanting has a final piece of advice: “If you can’t make up your mind, attend an Open Day. It’s never too late to try something new.”

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