Advice from a current student, Mia Hocknull
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families
Hello! my name is Mia and I'm studying BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families. Preparing for uni can be stressful, but - as I've found - I really didn't have anything to worry about! Here are a few tips and advice to help make your first year go smoothly.
The best discovery I’ve made since starting the University
One of the best discoveries I have made is the amazing support which is available to all students at BCU both online and offline. If I’m stuck at finding information for my assignments the online library support is open 24/7 and can help me narrow down my searching, helping me manage my time more effectively.
My favourite thing about BCU
The Student Union! They arrange a lot of extra things for students to attend. These range from holidays to Disneyland Paris or Quiz nights. They always have something going on and it’s super easy to find out what’s going on through the Student Union website or social media.
What I love about the city
The thing I love about Birmingham is that there is so much to do. The city hosts many events throughout the year and there is a wide range of shops around for those who love retail therapy. My favourite thing in Birmingham is the Cadbury factory – definitely worth a visit for all chocolate lovers!
Birmingham has a lot of escape rooms too, and they are fun to do with a group of friends. If you go to one, make sure you look everywhere!
My top tips for prospective students starting BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families.
Since this course is comprised only of assignments make sure you dedicate enough time for all of them. Studying on a course with no tests doesn’t mean you can spend one night on the assignment and upload it! We have a lot of time to complete each assignment and you should use that time to finish it to the best of your ability. Making sure you use all the resources available to you.
What I didn’t know before starting my course
I didn’t realise about the amount of support offered by the University. Although we had been told many times of the facilities available to us, my and I friends didn’t use them initially. However, after visiting the library one day and asking a few questions we were able to get tutorials and suggestions on what to do, which has had an impact on my work in a positive way.
My uni essentials
If you don’t have a backpack, get one! They are a lifesaver for all my uni essentials. I started off the year with a handbag but found out the first time I checked out library books it wasn’t the best way to carry them. Even if you drive I also suggest you learn a bit about the public transport as it can be hard to park close to the University sometimes and public transport can sometimes be faster and both drops you off and picks you up right at the campus.
Investing in a laptop, printer and power bank is also another suggestion. This will not only make it easier when doing work outside of lectures but you can easily search for research materials. Don't worry if you can't though as there are computers at uni as well as laptops you can borrow!