Name: Jan

Course: BA (Hons) Professional Practice (Early years pathway)

Year of graduation: 2016

 

Tell us a bit about what you are doing now

I had to acquire GCSEs in Mathematics and Biology to enable me to apply to do my PGCE.  I have just completed my PGCE in Early Years (0-7) and I am currently looking for a teaching post to start my teaching career.

 

How did you find the process of returning to education?

I was apprehensive at first as I was a mature student and had not studied for a long time.  I was also unsure of my own capabilities as I had never classed myself as being academic.  I was again unsure of how I would manage juggling working, studying, and running my home life.

The Learning Institute were very supportive and made you believe in yourself, and I was lucky to have the support of many work colleagues who were also taking the plunge to complete the foundation degree, and then continue to complete the full BA Hons degree.  I don’t think I would have completed it without the committed support from my family, friends and colleagues who all encouraged me to succeed.

 

How has your life changed since you graduated?

My life changed as I now had the self-belief and motivation to want to better myself even further.  I then had to acquire two GCSEs to enable me to continue my studies to become a teacher, which had always been my lifelong goal and ambition.  I was immensely proud of myself and my achievements.

 

What did you enjoy most about studying for your degree?

I really enjoyed the weekly lectures, finding a deeper understanding of my own previous knowledge.  The lecturers all made the topics being covered interesting and enjoyable due to their own in-depth knowledge and experiences.

I loved meeting other practitioners who shared the same passion for children and working together on group projects, I found that I was more confident in presentations than I had previously though and often took more of the lead in delivering these to the rest of the cohort.