Hi, my name is Georgia and I am a first year Primary Education with QTS BA (Hons) student here at Birmingham City University (BCU).
Preparing to start uni is really exciting, but can be overwhelming too. Below I have shared my advice and tips to make your transition to uni life as smooth as possible and hopefully ease any anxieties you might have.
The Student Affairs Team, they really will help you with anything. Whether it’s about your accommodation, travel, course, managing your workload or anything else you can think of – definitely make the most out of the support available at uni.
The support provided by the tutors, they really make an effort to get to know you and provide around the clock support to help you at all times. This is one of my favourite things because I always feel very comfortable asking questions and know that I can rely on help when I need it.
Birmingham is such an amazing city for students because there is always so much going on. From nightlife to shopping, eating out and days out - there is something for everyone.
My favourite recent discovery is the Birmingham Donkey Sanctuary in Sutton Coldfield, where you can go and see donkeys for free! Also, just off Broad Street, there is a bar disguised as a launderette called Suds ‘n’ Duds which is great for a few drinks.
The best tips I can give to anyone starting Primary Education are: form a good relationship with your personal tutor, do not leave all work to the last minute (as easy as it is to do you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and panic in the long run) and make the most out of your placements.
I did not think placements would be as rewarding as they are, you really come to love the children and they truly see you as a teacher.
Also I didn't know how many extra societies and activities are on offer for students which has made me really appreciate uni life and has allowed me to make lots of new friends outside of my course too. I would definitely recommend getting involved with as much as you can - there is something for everyone.
My laptop, student card and my own printer- saves a trip to the library. You will also like Summon (the website we use to find our academic reading) because it actually references the source for you, meaning you don't have to - referencing can be very time consuming so it's a great help.
I hope that you have found this helpful and if you have any questions then feel free to drop me an email and I will do my best to help. Hope to see you around soon!
