Stirling Firmers 2012

Yeah, Stirling is quite flexible with changing subjects a bit, although I think you have to have decided before third year - especially with primary teaching, as you do less languages and more teaching modules for the primary course.

Emm, how do you mean in depth exactly? In your first 2 semesters (you'll hear semesters talked about at Stirling more than 'years'), you'll do a general education module, and either both languages (French and Spanish) or one language and another random module - whatever you like. I think then for Primary, you choose which language will be your specialty at the end of semester 2 (end of first year) and then in semesters 3 and 4, you do two education modules and one language modules. I'm pretty sure for primary you don't do ANY language after the Christmas of your third year. If you're really wanting to do in depth languages work, it might be worth looking at the secondary degree, because you do much more language work for that!

For both French and Spanish, you'll have about 3-4 hours a week - an oral class, a grammar class, a culture (literature/films etc) class and a culture lecture (these are sometimes fortnightly though). If you're doing beginners for either of them, you just have 3 seminar classes a week and you cover quite a lot in a short space of time. I did beginners Spanish and hated (still hate!) it! French has always been more my thing though. Some of the culture classes are really interesting, some of it is pretty dull, but on the whole I enjoyed most of it. Oral classes are a good laugh. Have you done Advanced Higher in either language? You'll find certainly in first year that a lot of the vocab/grammar that comes up you'll have covered in AH =)

I hope that helps a bit, if you have any more specific questions you know where I am!

It is! Which language are you planning on choosing? Where else did you apply for if you don't mind me asking? I'm really excited as well now! Have you been to any of the applicant days?

It's just on the off chance teaching's not for me, I mean I really think it is but you never know!

That is what worried me most about this course, I'm scared I end up losing my language but I know you can take a year out in third so I was hoping to go over to France then. I do French and Spanish at the moment ( AH French, Int 1 Spanish hahaa!) but I doubt i'll keep the Spanish on for long, it hurts my brain! But that's great that I have the option of both I suppose

I sound quite similar to you where French is concerned.. Spanish is good but if it was some sort of intensive course I think I'd struggle. So are those class times the same for primary teaching as well cause that seems like a fairly decent amount! That's great to know, I'm AH French so I'd love a bit of revision... although i'm the worst language student ever when grammar is concerned, haha!

No, that's great, thank you

I'm so excited!!
Is there anyone else who's in the same boat as me - won't know a single other person at stirling?

Yeahhhh buddy! Just firmed BA in psychology, you???, and the only friend i have in scotland lives in edinbourgh. Dont worry i started uni last year and i knew a guy from my school, but he was the person i liked least in our year so it ddnt help knowing him. and you meet so many ppl its impossible not to make friends! Xx

Apparently all the nurses stay in the same place? Is this true, and where do we stay??!!

You'll start doing microteaching/link practice and placements in second year, so you'll definitely know if teaching's for you in time to switch if it's not!

That's the exact same as what I did in 6th year - I really struggled with Spanish at uni, but to be fair I probably didn't put in as much work as I should have! Yep, primary and secondary do the same French modules together for the first 3 years, you'll be mixed in with secondary teachers and folk who're just doing straight French.

Don't worry they cover loads of grammar in first year and give you lots of practice exercises to get you up to scratch!

Good luck! =) You'll love Stirling, it's such a nice place to study and everyone is really friendly!

Haha, well you definately know what you're doing then! Well I've done French at school and never done Spanish before but I think it might be quite fun to do Spanish so I'm not sure yet.
Yeah, I heard they changed the course, I didn't apply for it in the end but it must have been quite annoying. Was Stirling your first choice or were you waiting until you'd been given your offers before deciding?
I applied to UWS, Glasgow (Dumfries Campus), Dundee and Stirling - all for Primary Education
I'm pretty scared about it all as well but looking forward to getting back into a sort of routine and just getting back into things really since I've been on a gap year this year.
Aw, I haven't been able to go to any of them but I went to the one back in September before I sent off my application and I already knew I definately wanted to go to Stirling so I don't mind! Was it a good day and did they tell you lots about the course and the like?