Andrii Lutsyk
Social Sciences
HNC Social Sciences with Criminology (NextGen)
“I really appreciated the level of engagement from lecturers. I’d never experienced that before – they did everything possible for me to succeed.”
Content note: this story contains discussions about war, forced displacement and leaving home.
After leaving Ukraine and everything he knew behind, Andrii started a new life in Scotland – and is determined to use his social sciences education to support his homeland’s future.
Andrii Lutsyk (18) first came to Aberdeen in June 2022 as a Ukrainian refugee. At home, he had been a keen athlete who played floorball for the Under 19s national team and was enjoying life with a big group of friends.
In February 2022 everything changed when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He said, “There is life before 24 February, and life after – my life was divided in two at just fourteen years old. I was dragged out of my friend group and my comfort zone and put into a completely different world.”
Andrii was the first of his friends to leave Ukraine. Now, nearly 11 million Ukrainians have been displaced in their own country, or are living as refugees abroad.
Andrii and his parents arrived in Edinburgh with a small number of belongings and were directed to a bus that would take them to Aberdeen.
He said, “No one could understand. I had no idea what everything was around me. I had no friends and my parents didn’t know anyone.”
The family stayed in a hotel in Dyce before moving to permanent accommodation, and Andrii started going to St Machar Academy.
Although his mum had encouraged him to learn English from a young age, Andrii struggled to understand the Scottish accent. However, after learning ESOL alongside his other subjects at school, he was almost fluent within a couple of years.
Studying social sciences
Andrii’s decision to study social sciences after school was shaped by his experience as a refugee.
He explained, “My motivation was simple: the Ukraine conflict demonstrates every aspect of social sciences. I want to somehow help rebuild Ukraine in the future.”
Although Andrii planned to study in Edinburgh, he unfortunately didn’t meet the entry requirements.
He decided instead to stay in Aberdeen and joined NESCol on the SCQF Level 6 Social Sciences course in August 2024, progressing to HNC Social Sciences with Criminology (NextGen) the following year.
The NESCol experience
Andrii has fully embraced college life, giving his all to both his studies and extracurricular activities. This commitment was reflected in his final HNC grade – an A.
He said, “I’ve enjoyed history classes, particularly the local investigation unit.
“I really appreciated the level of engagement from lecturers. I’d never experienced that before – they did everything possible for me to succeed.
“The only thing I had to do was listen and learn what they teach. In Ukraine, you don’t get that much attention from teaching staff.”
Despite having enjoyed sports more than school, Andrii loved learning social sciences at college. He said that while his interest in the subject played a role, it was the quality of teaching that kept him motivated.
He added, “I didn’t come here as a good student. I’d never had higher than a B grade in my exams but this year, I’ve achieved all As! This is what the College is really, really good at. The lecturers try to make classes interesting, even subjects like research methods!”
Andrii was recognised at the 2026 Go Celebrate! Awards, winning the Go Excel category. His nomination highlighted not only his fantastic academic achievements, but also his outstanding contributions to the College community.
In addition to serving as Class Rep in his first year at NESCol, Andrii supported the Social Sciences Society with organising events and represented both his course and the College at Open Days.
Next steps
Having completed his HNC, Andrii is set to study history at the University of Edinburgh after the summer.
He said, “I never could have imagined studying here. My teachers in Ukraine would never believe that the guy who failed every exam is going to study at one of the top universities in the world.
“The past two years have changed everything.”
After university, Andrii plans to work for the government or public services. This may be in Scotland or the UK, but his goal is to return home one day and help his country recover from war.
He said, “Hopefully the war will finish, and I can go back to Ukraine. I’ve been here for four years already, but I still don’t feel like a domestic resident. I’m a temporary guest even though my status is home student. My home is Ukraine.”
Supporting young refugees
Andrii is passionate about encouraging others to interact with refugees, particularly children and teenagers.
He said, “When I first came here, I experienced something I had never seen before – big football pitches! I went straight to the shops and spent nearly all my money on football boots and a ball and went to play the same day.”
Here, Andrii got talking to other young people playing football.
He said, “I barely understood what they were asking. I was guessing and trying to answer, but all that mattered was that we were speaking!
“This has to be done with refugees who come here, especially if they’re coming from war.”
Andrii never saw those young people again, but the interaction helped him feel less isolated as a fourteen-year-old experiencing a truly distressing period of his life.
He said, “It’s very important to speak with child refugees, to stop them closing in on themselves. Speak with them, play games or football, read books, do puzzles.
“It doesn’t matter if the person doesn’t speak English.”
Advice for students
Andrii’s experience has also shaped his advice for succeeding at college: engage with everyone!
He said, “If you engage, you learn. Listen to people, speak to people, ask people. That interaction is very important.”
Studying at NESCol
Social sciences is a diverse field that explores how humans think, behave and interact, and how society functions. Like Andrii described, this can help you understand the complex issues societies face today.
Explore full-time social sciences courses
NESCol offers wellbeing and learning support and advice to all students, and our Student Support Team is on hand to help you through challenging times.