My experiences of university... Mr. Wells @ the University of Nottingham

I left school at sixteen, with GCSE's under my belt. A dislike for Science and Maths, and a vague interest in English Lit, History and Politics.

Where I spent most of my teenage years, in Manchester, most schools do not have Sixth Forms attached to them. Thus, for my A-levels I studied at a local Sixth Form College. Whilst there I studied: English Lit; Modern History; Government and Politics. Along with the compulsory, yet fundamentally useless General Studies. The Sixth Form was very liberal and a significant proportion of the teaching staff were made up of academics from the University of Manchester. They encouraged me to explore the option of university in more detail.

Second year of A-levels rolled round, and I rushed to complete a just passable personal statement. A year later I would find myself studying History at the University of Nottingham.

It was at this point, too late along the line (as my sister helpfully pointed out at the time) I wished I had spent a little more time researching and visiting universities. I thought all History courses would be the same: Incorrect. I know found myself studying peasants and colosseums- which seemed very alien- as my A-levels had been all based upon modern literature, history and contemporary politics. I also found out that Nottingham, was much smaller than Manchester.

For second and third year, I moved off campus, and lived in a shared house of six. Where we all studied, and played very hard.

Despite these reservations, I threw myself in to university life. Engaged in a number of societies, and a full and active social life. I soon learnt I could ditch the peasants of 12th Century Germany and focus on Modern History, and that Nottingham had many hidden gems...

I graduated three years later, after completing a dissertation into the state of the British Labour Movement following the Great War.

A few years later I find myself in teaching. My university days have been some of the best- perhaps they would have been even better if I had done at been more research when I was 17...

My experiences of university... Mr. Vankoningsveld

I went to university in the Netherlands. I wanted to study Medicine, but because of the lottery system due to oversubscription, I did not get a place. Instead of waiting a year to re-enter the draw, I decided to study Chemistry, my second choice. The university I went to was the University of Groningen, which has a well-known science faculty and the city is a typical university town, so lots of opportunities to socialise. As it was more than an hour away from where my parents lived, I moved to Groningen to a house I shared with two other students. I really enjoyed the responsiblilities that came with living on my own and be able to do my own things. 

The beginning of my study was really hard. The increased pace was something I had to get used to and I had to do a lot more revision and private study time. I showed me I had to work independently. During the first year I also had lots of practical courses in the lab which were a nice break from the theoretical subjects. During the first year I passed most of my exams, so I was confident that I could continue the complete course. After the second year we had to choose a specialism for which I picked Biochemistry as I was very interested in the chemistry of living things. During my specialism I did a 20 week practical which was very interesting and for which I had to write a full report. It also included a internship in Cambridge, where I was working in a lab or half a year. This was a unique opportunity as I got to work in a lab which was run by a Nobel prize winner! Also, living abroad for half a year made me realise there is more to the world than the Netherlands. Even so that after I got my degree I decided to come back to the UK and do my PhD at Queen Mary University of London.

My experiences of university... Mrs. Raji @ Goldsmiths College

Where you went?

I went to Goldsmiths College, which is part of the University of London

Why you chose there?

Originally I was supposed to go to DeMonfort to study performing arts, but after a long summer away my boyfriend (who is now my husband) decided that he didn’t want me to go far away for uni. So having done A Levels in Drama, Performing Arts and Media, I went through clearing and got on to a Communications and Sociology course as I didn’t have enough points for the Media and Communications course. It so happened that I became critically ill and had to take a year out the uni agreed to keep my place but I asked if I could get on to the Media and Communications course this time, and after a short interview they agreed! So basically my only reason for going there was because it was the only good uni left on the clearing list that has a course I wanted to do.

What you enjoyed?

I enjoyed the theory side of it and that every term there where overarching themes split into sub sections that you knew about in advance, so if I missed a lecture then I wouldn’t choose to write my termly paper on that topic. I like the fact that on the practical side you got to get a taster in year 1, then specialise in two things in the second year I did radio and photography, and then specialise in 1 thing in the third year. I like the fact that many of the exams were seen exams and that I had a choice as to whether I wrote a dissertation, or took on an extra subject with and exam. Sorry couldn’t tell you about the social side as I didn’t really partake in the typical social side of uni, I did join the ACS the Afro-Caribbean Society.

Any negatives /positives of that uni

It was close to home and parking was relatively easy, the seminar leaders were usually students so they understood the pressures we as students were under. I don’t have any negatives

My experiences of university... Mr. Hanes

where you went?  I never went to 6th Form when I was younger - I was not really an "academic" and only really passed CSE's and at a "E" grade equilivant. At 16 I followed my creative pathway and went to the London College of Furniture.  I took "A" Level qualifications in practical subjects for the next 4 years and then took a HND Course in Production Management.  This turned into a Degree course which I completed in a year. (and it nearly killed me!)

The second degree was at Greenwich University - Avery Hill, Eltham.  This is where I took my Teaching Degree.

why you chose there?  LCF - It was the best at the time for practical work.  It was a short train journey away and after the first 3 years - some great friends.

Greenwich - as a student, I was living close to the place and in fact I could walk there - great bonus when you have limited money.

what you enjoyed?  The whole practical experience was just the best.  We had the latest computerised production equipment and I was allowed to be very creative.  I was able to develop my knowledge of CAD and CAM and took additional courses in these systems.

what you studied? LCF - Traditional and modern construction for furniture.  Machinery for Production, BTEC Diploma in Furniture Design and Manufacture, HND Production Management which led to a Degree in Furniture Production Management.  Greenwich - BEd in Teaching Technology.

any negatives /positives of that uni  Negatives - money.  Commuting to London.  For the second degree, I was able to live close to the place so money was not such an issue.  The work load - too much....

Positives - I taught the college lectures how to use much of the machinery when I was at the LCF, great social activities, freedom to be creative.

My experiences of university...

where you went?

King's College, London

why you chose there?

I chose King's mainly because it had a good reputation, had the course I wanted to study and was in the heart of London on the Strand. Lot's of my friends from home chose the same university so that they could all be together but I chose the university that was the best fit for me. Most of the people who went to the same uni found that they made new friends and grew apart over the 3 or 4 years that they studied so I would recommend choosing the course that fits your aspirations best and not just following your friends.

what you enjoyed?

I wrote for the University paper and the London Student paper as a music and gigs reviewer and I got to see and interview a lot of bands and artists for free! A highlight was interviewing Pete Doherty from the Libertines just after a performance, I also met King's of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and the Pixies because I worked for the paper.

I also found the societies and sporting clubs were a great aspect of university life. I was a member of the Film Club where we watched a classic film once a week in a huge auditorium and had visiting speakers from the industry. Although I am not religious I was also a member of an inter-faith debating society, where we discussed the differing stances of the main religious faiths. In this capacity I was very lucky to be able to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who is an alumnus of King's and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

what you studied?

I studied War Studies and Philosophy as a joint honours course. War Studies is King's version of International Relations and is a mixture of History, Politics and Development Studies. 

any negatives /positives of that uni

The negatives of my course were the organisation between the two faculties because I studied a joint honours course, I think if I could do it again I would have just dealt with one faculty as there was a lot of conflict between the two timetables and some of my course options were limited.

The positives of King's are that you are right in the heart of London; this is a huge bonus academically as you have access to all of the university of London libraries and can join clubs and societies in most of the other London colleges, including SOAS, LSE, UCL, Goldsmiths, Royal Holloway... and many more. There are also a wide variety of intercollegiate courses and activities and you can go to events at all of the other Student Unions in London which is great for cheap nights out. There is also a huge amount of camaraderie amongst the colleges especially when it comes to sporting events. 

A slight negative was that King's is not a campus university so you are not living on the same site as your university buildings. This said there was some excellent college owned accommodation; in my 1st year I lived on Stamford Street which is just behind the National Theatre on the South Bank. The other problem is that London is very expensive and I found that when I visited friends in Cardiff, Manchester and Sheffield, despite a slightly larger student loan, they seemed to be getting a lot more for their money! 

My experiences of university... Mrs. Doyle @ Greenwich University

I went to Greenwich Uni, only two Uni's did the course I wanted to do; marketing communications, now you can do study this course at almost any Uni. I picked Greenwich as it's course leader was the man who set up and started this course plus he was the CEO of one of the top five advertising agencies in the world. He was a legend in the advertising world.

I loved Uni and would go back in time and redo the course in a flash, I found the first year very easy, thanks to working hard on my business studies a level, which meant I had lots of time to socialise and make a lot of friends 5 of home I am still good friends with even though they are travelling the world and working for brands like L'Oreal. We quickly became friends as we realised that a lot of first year students did not care and slowly began to drop out.

I made some extra cash by tutoring in the first year, a lot if uni students have no study skills. The second year was odd as our class sizes had halved due to lots of people failing, this year went far too quickly, I also
noticed that the lectures were getting to know us by name now.  The third year was the hardest but also the most fun students who were on a year at work came back, one of them was the student bar manager, that
made for some cheap night outs. We also went to a pub on campus and the lecturers also use to enjoy us for lunch and drinks, of course it was always tea.

I finished Uni with a 2:1, gutted as I missed a first by less than 1%, I think my only regret was not getting a slightly higher mark in my dissertation, but I got over that pretty quickly.

My experiences of university... Ms. Striling @ Middlesex University

I went to  Middlesex University in London. I chose to go there because it was close to wear I lived and I was really impressed by the quality of the work done on the course. For personal reasons I didn't want to move away to uni.

I enjoyed the space where the uni was situated. I liked that it was not in the middle of the city and was quite quiet.

I did a 1 year art and design foundation course, then a BA Applied Arts, and I also did my PGCE there too.

Due to lots of budget cuts we lost quite a few members of staff in certain departments which led to there being less workshops.

My experiences of university... Ms. Green @ The University of Western Australia

where you went?

The University of Western Australia (UWA).

 

why you chose there?

It is generally the best regarded university in Western Australia (there are 5) and had lots of flexibility in the units I could take.

 

what you enjoyed?

Meeting people from lots of interesting backgrounds both socially and through my studies. I was also very active in running student groups and was on the student union council and ran the environment department.

 

what you studied?

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do once I left school so I enrolled in a general Bachelor of Arts degree as it gave me more flexibility in first year than a Bachelor of Science. In first year I studied psychology, philosophy, creative writing, anthropology and geography. I loved the geography units so much I ended up completing my honors in it. The geography units I did included- biogeography, urban and rural development, soil science, international development and geographical information systems. I also did a number of ethics units as they wouldn't let me do pure geography units.

 

I chose to complete my Graduate Diploma of Education at UWA as well because I really liked the programe and did a major in Studies of Society & Environment and a minor in Information Technology.

 

any negatives /positives of that uni

UWA has a very active on campus life and I made lots of friends who I'm still close to even now. I still see a couple of my lecturers even when I go back. It's also really well regarded and I found it was looked favourably on by employers when I left university.

My experiences of university... Mr Paige (English Teacher) @ University of Essex

Where did you go?

University of Essex

Why did you make that decision?

I measured up the number of UCAS points I was expected to get with the Times ranking of the university and chose the best university with the points I had available.

I went to visit the university and really likes the feel and atmosphere of the campus

What was the area like?

The University is in the town of Colchester which has a large shopping centre and has very good night life. The Campus has lots of bars and social areas and a very strong sport and society emphasis.

What were the good points?

Nightlife

1 hour from london

Excellent Student Union

Good lecturers and student support.

Small Campus based university with a good social aspect

International campus with students from many different countries.

Relatively cheap campus accommodation and local rental prices for the second and third year

What were the limitations of that university?

Not London based

Small so you don't get many big acts coming to the Student Union

Overall comments/experiences.

Essex is an excellent rated university with good facilities and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I have lots of friends from other countries who I see often and have stayed with in the past who I only met as the university recruits a lot of students from overseas. The accommodation, tutorials and lectures are all on one campus so you don't need to travel into town very often and this saves bus fare. Also, as the university is only an hour trip to London you can easily go home and take your washing with you!

My experiences of university... Ms. Beer @ Roehampton Univeristy and Christchurch University

My experiences of university: Ms Beer

View more presentations from Welling School Sixth Form.

Where did you go?

Roehampton University and Christchurch University

Why did you make that decision?

I got the 'right' feeling when I went on a taster day to that university. It was very green but close to a major city. I went to Christchurch for my teacher training because it was my home town and I knew there were good schools i would be place in.

What was the area like?

Roehampton has the perfect location. It is situated right by Richmond Park and is only a bus ride away from Wimbledon, Putney and Richmond. It is very posh! Canterbury is a lovely city with great shops, restaurants and lively bars.

What were the good points?

Nightlife for both.

They are both small universities so you had a real community feel.

Both are 1 hour from London

The summer balls were the best in the country in 1998!!!

Excellent job opportunities e.g. being able to work at Wimbledon and meet hot tennis players!

What were the limitations of that university?

Roehampton was an expensive area for a student to live in. The campus was spread out and so you may have to travel depending on your halls and your course.

Overall comments/experiences.

Roehampton may not have been the highest ranked university but I had an amazing time there. Wherever you go, it is what you make of it that is important! I had great lecturers, interesting courses and made amazing friends. I spent many a summer by the river in Richmond or at the tennis in Wimbledon. We also used to go out regularly in Leicester Square and Putney.

Canterbury was where I grew up so it was nice to return for a year and be close to my friends and family. It was harder to make friends as I did not live in halls. However, I was lucky to have my school friends in the area. Canterbury's a great area with lots of facilities. Definitely consider this if you want to move not too far afield but not be in London.