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Of Muses and Memes

Mon 6 November 2017 - 09:13

By Sarah in Mature students

I have submitted my first assignment. My desk is littered with a combination of notes, books and snack debris and it’s possible that new life forms have evolved under there. It feels as if I have been sitting here forever, waiting for my Muse to arrive (preferably Calliope the goddess of epic poetry given that it’s the subject of my essay). But it is done, oh yes.
 
For many students, this is a watershed moment. We are told from the first day that writing for an undergraduate course is different to writing for ‘A’ Levels. As a (very...

10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started University

Mon 6 November 2017 - 09:11

By Rebecca in First year

With 2 years of university currently under my belt I’ve had plenty of learning opportunities and times to reflect on my experience so far. As a fine art student at the University of Chichester my course is largely practical and spent in the studio but I still have to attend regular history of art lectures and seminars. I have learned a lot of new things since beginning my course, some of which seem incredibly strange, so I’m going to share some of my wisdom with all of you whether you’re still in the application process or are a couple of months into your first year.

1. Your student loan is not free money

Contrary to popular belief, the student loan that you receive is not just free money for you to...

Seeing my family

Mon 6 November 2017 - 09:09

By Enia in First year

Unbelievably, I’ve been at uni for just over a month! The time feels like it has flown by (I can’t really imagine life before it) but, at the same time, everything still feels new and a tad intimidating.
 
My family have just visited for the first time since I’ve been here. It was so nice to see them again and any worries that they would have moved on without me were quashed as soon as I saw them. We settled into our old rhythm straight away.
 
Yet, I had been quite nervous to see them and I think this is because I was...

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

Fri 3 November 2017 - 15:12

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...

Don’t forget your estranged students: A universities journey in developing support.

Mon 30 October 2017 - 14:32

By UCAS in Support

by Arron Pile at Salford University 
 
I have been supporting care leavers at the University for over ten years now, and developed support for care leavers in conjunction with the Buttle UK Quality Mark, which has now, sadly, ended. In those early days I was one of the original ‘team’ of HE professionals working with care leavers who saw a need for a network to share and promote good practice, which led to NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers) being born. I co-chaired...

Help and advice for care leavers

Tue 24 October 2017 - 16:52

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Ben Jordan is the Senior Policy Executive at UCAS. Here, he shares why you’re asked whether you’re a care leaver on your university application, and where you can find support if you’ve been in care.

We aim to help people make informed choices that best suit their aspirations and abilities, and give them the best opportunity to succeed. We provide information and advice to around 720,000 applicants each year. This includes people with a range of individual needs, including care leavers.

We know there are many challenges faced by care...

I can think of no career more rewarding – Rachel Mowbray

Tue 24 October 2017 - 14:17

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

Mon 23 October 2017 - 09:15

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...

The ten essentials for those supporting people in care

Fri 20 October 2017 - 11:47

By UCAS in Support

The step to higher education is daunting for everyone – but for those who come from a care background it can be even more daunting. That’s why we’ve developed a suite of resources to help teachers and advisers support students who may be care leavers – they’re all available from our supporting care leavers toolkit. Here we’ve picked out the ten essentials for supporting people in care:
  1. Advocate, encourage and support the educational development of looked after children. Have aspirations for them from a very young age. 
  2. Forward planning is extremely important. If a young person who is in care is thinking about higher education, make sure that an adviser knows this at their school. This is essential to ensure they get the appropriate funding and support as early as possible. 
  3. Help them plan for the university or college that suits them best.
    a)...

How taking social action can help you stand out

Wed 18 October 2017 - 16:25

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....

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