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When Conor Ferguson enrolled on Belfast Met's Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business at the age of 20, he was looking for a fresh start and a pathway to university. Today, at 26, he is a First-Class Honours graduate from Loughborough University, a 2024 Olympian Swimmer, published researcher, and co-founder of a sports technology business. 

Conor's route to success was far from traditional. After leaving school partway through his A Levels to live and study in Dublin, he returned to Belfast determined to build the best possible future for himself. 

"I was looking at different further education options when I came back to Belfast, and the HND stood out as the strongest route into university," he explains. "It gave me the UCAS points I needed, but more importantly, it provided a solid foundation in business before moving on to degree-level study." 

Although he had never studied business at GCSE or A Level, Conor quickly discovered that Belfast Met's supportive learning environment enabled him to succeed. 

"I was effectively starting from scratch, but that never held me back," he says. "Everything was built from first principles, and because many of the assessments were coursework-based, I could apply what I was learning to real organisations and situations." 

Conor credits Belfast Met's lecturers with helping to shape both his academic development and future career. 

"Even now, running my own business, I appreciate the teaching I received from Ciaran Boden and Hilary Scott," he says. "Ciaran's approach to financial management gave me a grounding in accounting that carried me through university and continues to help with the bookkeeping side of running a company. 

"Hilary's teaching on marketing and consumer behaviour had a lasting impact too. The theories and concepts she taught were valuable throughout my degree and remain relevant in my business today." 

Beyond subject knowledge, Conor believes Belfast Met equipped him with the academic skills needed to thrive in higher education. 

"It gave me much more than business knowledge," he says. "I learned how to critically analyse information, evaluate sources, reference correctly, and understand different forms of academic writing." 

Those skills proved invaluable when he progressed to Loughborough University to study Sport Management. 

"When I arrived at university, I realised many students were expected to develop those skills independently. Belfast Met had already given me that foundation, allowing me to focus on the content rather than the mechanics of academic study." 

Conor chose Loughborough because it offered the ideal environment to pursue both his academic ambitions and his dream of competing at the highest level in sport. 

Since graduating, he has represented Ireland at the 2024 Olympic Games in Swimming, published research on leadership in the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, and co-founded a company in the sports technology sector. 

Despite these achievements, he is clear about the role Belfast Met played in helping him get there. 

"Belfast Met gave me the confidence, knowledge and skills to take the next step," he says. "It was the right environment for me at the right time, and it prepared me not just for university, but for opportunities I could never have imagined when I first enrolled." 

For anyone considering an HND or exploring their options after school, Conor's message is simple: success does not always follow a traditional path. 

"The skills and experiences I gained at Belfast Met have stayed with me throughout my journey. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I made."