Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a fantastic Christmas day with all your friends and family.
As the new year approaches, it means it will soon be interview time for some of you! Not every course requires an interview but Primary Education is an example of a programme that does. I remember how nervous I was beforehand, mostly because I did not know what to expect. It has all become a bit of a blur now but I will try my best to recall what I can about Edge Hill's interview process! You can access some useful information here.
Research – make sure you know enough about the university. Have you been to an open day or campus tour? Why have you chosen Edge Hill University? What about their Primary Education course appeals to you?
Work experience – make sure you have had enough experience in a classroom environment. It is not too late to ask to spend time observing lessons, perhaps in your former primary school.
World of education – it is SO important to stay informed of current educational issues. The Times Educational supplement and BBC education news are good starting points!
What should I bring to the interview day?
Portfolio – although a portfolio is often not necessary, I found it really useful to bring to my interviews. By having a small file with a few pictures from different work experience, it allowed me toeasily access things to talk about. Not only did it support my discussions, it looked organised to the interviewers. It shows them that you are already thinking about meeting the Teachers' Standards.
Certificates / Qualifications – these can be photocopies. Ensure you have all the evidence you need to demonstrate your abilities and past achievements.
Why have you chosen Edge Hill University?
Why do you want to teach primary insteadof secondary?
What current issues in education are important to you?
How will you be a creative teacher?
What experiences have you had of working with children with special needs?
As well as having a campus tour and an individual interview, I also took part in maths, science and English written tasks. These were marked out of 20 and I received my feedback when I got my letter of confirmation in the post! An important piece of advice I can offer is… research phonics!
Although it might seem a bit daunting, you'll be absolutely fine! During the interview just be yourself and relax. The interviewers at Edge Hill are lovely so try to think of the interview as a chat, rather than an interrogation! Wishing you all the best.
So summer is well and truly here, hopefully you've finished to enjoy the sunshine being carefree! For this blog I thought I'd talk about what a typical day at uni on campus looked like for me!
8:00am: My alarm would go off and after about 10 minutes or so I'd get up and get ready.
8:45am: Set off walking to my lecture, from ForestCourt most places on campus took 5-10 minutes max to walk to leaving me good time.
9:00am: My lecture would start normally around 9am, but not all do! I would sit with and talk to my friends as the lecture began I would take notes, listen and talk to the lecturers.
10:45am: Around this time we would normally be given a comfort break, meaning we could have a snack, drink and relax!
11:15am: The lecture would continue around this time in the form of a tutorial where we would answer questions based on the lecture. The lecturer is still available to ask questions during this time if you want more information or get stuck!
1:00pm: The lecture would finish around this time. This means dinner time! In first year I occasionally pre-prepared my dinner, went back to my uni flat to have dinner or even tea out occasionally if the budget stretched!
1:30pm: Another lecture! For me these lectures in one day mostly contrasted between the maths side of my degree and the education part.
3:20pm: The lecture begins again! Normally with a tutorial like activity, working individually or in a group! The education lectures promote conversation and topical debate! The sharing of good practice is also promoted and extremely useful!
5:00pm: All finished for the day!
This then just left the evening to have some tea, complete work and get ready for the next day! Between this time you should talk to your flat mates and enjoy living in a the student community!
So in a few months time you'll be in your own little routine! Enjoy it!
So congratulations if you've been invited to an applicant day, as this means you've been offered a (conditional or unconditional) place! This is great news! If your offer is unconditional then you know that you'll be joining us in September to start! However if you receive a conditional offer- do not fret! As long as you continue to work hard you will also be joining us in September as you will undoubtedly meet the necessary criteria!
Some courses may also request other non-academic requests, such as placements/work experience! Back in 2014, I attended an interview for my course (Secondary Maths Teaching with QTS)! Before the interview I was asked to prepare a part of a lesson on expanding brackets that I would be demonstrating to the panel. I also was told I would be subjected to a written comprehension based on an educational topic, as well as questions from the interview panel. The interview panel at the time consisted of two people, the head of a local high school and the maths course leader at Edge Hill.
Thankfully I received a conditional offer which was based on my grades at college, passing the skills tests (required for QTS) and also having completed work experience in a high school and primary school!
My advice to you as prospective students, many of you with interviews to attend is to be confident, research your subject topic (you might be asked about current affairs!) and enjoy the experience! The tutors will be happy to help you and answer any questions you have. At Edge Hill you are an asset to the university so ensure that you show off your talent and skills so you can really develop academically over the forthcoming years!
12:00pm – When in university for most of the day I often get lunch from McColls and sit with friends in the Hub. For me this is easier than remembering to make lunch and is also a fairly cheap option. As well as McColls there's also hot food available from Sages and occasionally there are vendors in the Hub selling everything from cakes and crepes and smoothies and sweets.
2:00pm – Once I have finished for the day I usually call into the library on my way home, I find this is easier than making another trip later in the day and as most people are still in lectures or seminars it's often a quieter time. During busier periods the library is open 24 hours which is convenient when you're working late at night and suddenly realise there's a book you urgently need.
3:00pm – When I get back to my flat I pretty much always have a nap. Halls are much quieter in the afternoons and I find this is the perfect slot for a little me time.
5:00pm – Following on from this I like to try and get some work done everyday even if it is only a small amount. I find that on my course organisation is key and filing notes and completing reading may seem small but really helps me to stay on top of the bigger tasks and prevents work from piling up.
7:00pm – As a flat we always have dinner together. This has taken many weeks of trial and error as it is not easy to co-ordinate 8 meals in 2 ovens at any one time, but we have almost perfected the art. Sitting together in an evening is a really important part of the day for me as it allows everyone to catch up and talk about their day.
9:00pm – Evenings at university aren't that different to what most people experience at home. Following on from dinner we usually spend an hour doing work and then all get showered and watch a film or television together. As the night draws on we almost always spend an hour saying that we must go to bed soon followed by another hour of chatter. I think when living with other people that you enjoy being around it is hard to just go to bed as you don't want to miss out on what is going on around you resulting in many, many late nights.
Seeing as it's the middle of the holidays and we're relaxing (or trying to), I thought I'd pick a rather light-hearted topic for today's blog post. Here is an (incomplete) list of my favourite places on campus! Given that I love the Edge Hill campus so much, it was incredibly difficult to narrow these down, but I tried my best!
6: Creative Edge – Whilst this building is one of my favourites on campus, I've put it at the bottom of my list, simply because I don't get to spend nearly enough time in there! I've had a few Languages seminars in here, and have been lucky enough to show people around during Open and Applicant visit days. Creative Edge is home to Vibe Media, as well as some of the most fascinating equipment on campus. I rather like that there's an 'On Air' light outside the studios!
5: The Sports Centre Rooftop – I'll be the first to admit that the Sports Centre isn't one of the places I frequent most on campus, but I do like the rooftop! I know other people might say that they prefer the roof on either Creative Edge or the Business building, but this is my personal favourite of the three. It's a fairly quiet part of campus, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of student life. The rooftop leads onto the trails, which absolutely anyone can use for free. On a sunny – or even a not so sunny! – day, it's quite nice to get some fresh air over there.
4: The Sunken Garden – Like Creative Edge, if I got to spend more time here, it would definitely be higher on my list! The Sunken Garden, or rather, the outdoor amphitheatre, is used for performances by dance and drama students. It's another one of those quiet, peaceful places on campus that is tucked away.
3: The Education Building – With the rooms set up like primary classrooms, our very own Water's Edge café and some really cool artwork, there isn't a single part of the Faculty of Education that I don't like. Except maybe that second set of stairs – and even they're not that bad! Being in classrooms with work on the wall reminds me why I'm doing the degree I am, and really helps set the tone for the lesson that I'm in. During last spring and summer, I liked studying outside Water's Edge when it was sunny.
1: The library – Specifically, I like being in an individual study room on the top floor, closest to the education books so I can pop in and out if I need to. I'm the kind of person that can't stand talking when I'm working. Each floor in the library has varying degree of noise, going from loud to silent as you go up the stairs. On the top floor, there is a section for people to work in silence, which is where I spend a lot of my time. However, if it's late and I'm just trying to finish an assignment, there's nothing better than booking a study room, so I can sit with the fan on, my headphones in, and just get down to work.
I'm sure you'll find some of your own favourite places to study and socialise on campus when you get here; it's a big place, and there's plenty of hidden gems to be found!