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I always wanted to teach, but life happened – Tracey Brown

Tue 6 November 2018 - 16:07

By Tracey Brown in Teacher Training

 
I had always known I wanted to teach, and it had always been in my mind to find a way to get into the classroom. But life happened and I found myself working in a bank for 18 years, dreading going into work. One day I decided to do something about it. At that stage I didn’t have a degree, so I started by going to evening classes to try and find a subject I was interested in. It wasn’t until I took an evening class in Biology that I even considered science. I took my HNC and then secured a place at university studying Biomedical Science. Having completed that, I was offered a funded Masters and eventually I did a PhD. 
 
All the while I was learning, I was still aware that the ultimate goal was to teach and during my PhD I secured a place on SCITT programme. Unfortunately my situation changed, and I realised that paying to train wasn’t an option. I came across Teach First...

I can think of no career more rewarding – Rachel Mowbray

Tue 6 November 2018 - 16:08

By Rachel Mowbray in Teacher Training

Prior to starting my training with Ark, I was a Captain in the British Army Intelligence Corps. During my service, I worked with vulnerable people from across the world. What I witnessed during my time in Helmand, Afghanistan, was a society where children were born into mostly hopeless futures. Futures where basic security was absent, hospital care limited and education non-existent for most. At home in Britain, I can think of no career more rewarding than one that is dedicated towards offering a fair chance and future for our next generation.

While there are many other teacher training providers, for me, Ark’s mission of giving every young person, regardless of background, a great education meant that I could take forward the sense of purpose I had serving in the Army into my next career.

Having just finished summer school, what really stood out the most were my fellow trainees and the sense of camaraderie that quickly developed; being with a like-minded group of...

Work, work, work, work

Thu 21 March 2019 - 16:11

By Enia in First year

So I’d moved in, braved Freshers Week and managed to remember (most of the time) to take my keys with me before leaving my room. The next step was, of course, to do what I came here for: work.
 
But this seemed to pose even more challenges than anything I had done so far. For example, the lecture timetable would have required a degree to simply decipher (any ideas what 6L W.9 Lecture Room 10 means? Nope, me neither) and finding out where to go for these lectures was a minefield. I felt exhausted before I’d even done any actual work.
 
As a small consolation for my pains, I was told that all my lectures are optional! Initially, as you can imagine, I thought that meant I could laze about watching...

How taking social action can help you stand out

Mon 24 June 2019 - 11:29

By UCAS in Support

Making your UCAS application stand out from the crowd can be challenging. One thing you could consider is taking part in ‘social action’ to show you’re a motivated, disciplined, and resilient person.
 
By social action we mean campaigning, fundraising, or even volunteering. This can give you something unique to talk about in your personal statement, and can reinforce your commitment to your chosen study area. There are loads of organisations you can contact to discuss opportunities – from the Scouts and Girl Guides, to your local council....

Training later on in life – Ness Cohen

Tue 6 November 2018 - 15:55

By Ness Cohen in Teacher Training

 

I went into teacher training at 34, which was ten years after I originally thought about doing. However, for me, it was far better timing to have trained later on in life. I believe that there are pros and cons to training at various ages, but for me, I entered into the profession with a lot of life experience behind me, having been fortunate enough to do a lot of travelling and seasons living in the French Alps I have the ability to offer pupils an insight into potential life adventures and hopefully inspire them to want to explore the world and a variety of careers.

I believe that the SCITT programme I completed was the best pathway for me into teaching and am a strong advocate for this route. It offers a gentle approach into teaching that isn't weighed down with too much paper based university assignments. 

I happened to teach six subjects in my training year which is unusual, but I do feel that it has proved the possibility to be multi-...

My first few weeks at uni

Fri 18 September 2020 - 15:43

By Aimee in First year

Imagine this - someone turns to you and says ‘I can help make your dreams come true’.
 
‘Okay?’ You respond. Curious as to how this will work.
 
‘It’s simple.’ They begin to explain. ‘All you have to do is experience 2 years of stress to meet our standards, then be placed in a house with a group of strangers. You will then live with them, cook with them, clean with them and party with them for a year. I can guarantee this will be the best time of your life.’
 
...

The importance of Freshers Week

Fri 18 September 2020 - 15:38

By Aimee in First year

Freshers is an exciting time for all university students whether you like partying or getting involved in the day time activities, there is something for everyone. Obviously the partying is a big part of Freshers week(s) but I won’t go into too much detail about that as that is pretty self-explanatory.
 
The weeks of Freshers is an amazing opportunity to meet new people, help your confidence grow and find out what the university has to offer. During these weeks there are often various bazaar’s ranging from a sports bazaar to a society bazaar to a RAG bazaar....

My experience of applying to uni

Thu 10 January 2019 - 14:32

By Aimee in First year

The thought of university is such a daunting and difficult process - you're making decisions that can affect the rest of your life and you're trying to balance what you enjoy and what you're good at. It’s a difficult process so working out the best way to handle to suit you is vital. I didn’t manage it in the most conventional way but it worked best for me so it worked out well.
 
At the start of year 13 I was convinced I wanted to study music but very rapidly discovered that my real passion lay with psychology. I began by looking at...

Getting involved in Freshers Week

Fri 18 September 2020 - 15:38

By Enia in First year

Last weekend, arriving at my university, attempting to find my room and get settled, I found the whole experience a bit overwhelming. It was a whirl of emotion, new faces and frantic unpacking. 
 
So, I guess Freshers Week was the last thing on my mind.
 
But, being perfectly honest, I would say I wasn’t really looking forward to Freshers Week. Meeting new people and attempting small talk often feels awkward and uncomfortable, at least for me.
 
That said, I ended up enjoying it more than I would have imagined. What I found quite amazing was how everyone’s tastes were generally...

Erasmus Diaries: Semester 1, Week 5

Thu 10 January 2019 - 14:31

By Charlotte Stevenson in First year

October is now arrived and unpacked. With it, the world has made that transition into the golden leaf stage of all things autumnal. My cosy jumpers are now a full-time investment and my essays are in the final editing stage (it feels simultaneously all at once and like an ice age a million years in the making). Week 5 has been long, largely because it is neither here nor there. My work is almost at the point of submitting, I've already had some grades back (all firsts so far) and finals are only a fortnight away. This week has been the go between point where all of them have convened. I can practically hear week 2 gloating to Monday October 1st about the smaller reading pile that existed back then.
 
But as always, I am enjoying study. It seems to be a way of life for me once I have settled in; So many ideas that I want to get out all at once but instead have to make note of and work through over time. Especially once I had the epiphany around...

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