Ask a BCU Education Studies student!

Hello, I have applied here for Education studies, can I ask what the timetable is like? Do you feel you have quality teaching? I don't want to become a teacher but do want to work in a school setting, is it focused on broad education roles or mainly for people who want to become teachers?
Hope you don't mind all the questions. Thank you 😊

Hi @JessA1988

No problem at all! Please send all your questions my way

Firstly, it is so exciting to hear you are applying for Ed Studies!

My current timetable is Monday 9-12 am and Tuesday 9-3 pm. You typically have three lectures a week, lasting around 3 hours each. I am in my third year, so I am in a great position to tell you what the course is like.

I can't fault the teaching; I have grown and changed in many ways since studying Ed Studies. I have changed my career goals more times than I can count! All of the lecturers on Ed Studies are incredibly passionate about education and are experts in different fields/aspects of education. Outside of the School of Education and Social Work, the Faculty of Health, Education, and Life Sciences is very supportive, too. Many opportunities are available to us Ed Studies students, from volunteering abroad to helping the local community.

Many on my course do not want to become teachers but are interested in the education sector, which is precisely why they chose Ed Studies. The course has been revalidated this year, so what you will study will be slightly different from what I have studied, but the fundamental parts have stayed the same. You will go on placement in your second year, but it does not have to be in a school. It can be anywhere as long as there is a link to education.

I would strongly advise you to attend an open day, if possible, as you can join the Intro to Education Studies talk. Here, a lecturer will break down all aspects of the course and each module. If you want to discover our next one, click here.

I hope this answers your questions; if I have missed anything or you have any more questions, let me know!

Anastasia,
BCU Student Rep.

Hello TSR!


My name is Anastasia and I am on the BA (Hons) Education Studies course. I am in my final year now, so I am in a great position to answer any questions about the course and any other education-focused courses. If I can't answer your question, I will pester the staff at the university and find out!


I have recently secured a space on a Primary 5-11 PGCE with Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, the interview process was a challenge, to say the least! If you have any questions about the interview process I am happy to answer them and share my tips


I LOVE my course and anything education-related, but I am also keen to answer ANY of your questions! They could be about uni life, part-time jobs, volunteering, timetables, workload, assessments, etc.


Looking forward to reading your comments!


Anastasia,

BCU Student Rep.

Hello, i have had an interview last week for my adult nursing. Do you know how long they would take to respond?

Hi, I hope you can help me. I have my social science pgce interview next week and it is an online interview lasting 4 hours. I am worried about what to expect and any advice would be much much appreciated.

Hello TSR!


My name is Anastasia and I am on the BA (Hons) Education Studies course. I am in my final year now, so I am in a great position to answer any questions about the course and any other education-focused courses. If I can't answer your question, I will pester the staff at the university and find out!


I have recently secured a space on a Primary 5-11 PGCE with Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, the interview process was a challenge, to say the least! If you have any questions about the interview process I am happy to answer them and share my tips


I LOVE my course and anything education-related, but I am also keen to answer ANY of your questions! They could be about uni life, part-time jobs, volunteering, timetables, workload, assessments, etc.


Looking forward to reading your comments!


Anastasia,

BCU Student Rep.

Hi Anastasia,
I have an interview for BA (Hons) Primary Education (5-11) with QTS.
For the interview I have to plan and lead an activity that shows I can :
I am really nervous as I don't have many ideas on what to do for the activity and not very confident. I have one idea to do and activity based on CPR but I feel like it wouldn't be fun for everyone and I would just be talking for the whole activity. Do you have any ideas on an activity I could do ?
Thank you

Hi there! My course I've applied for (Religion) has got substituted for Education as not enough people applied
So I'm just looking for more information on the course itself really to see if it's something I want to do as I've never even heard of this course before 😅
I'm not interested in a career in teaching or anything like that so what kinda things do you learn about if the course isn't centered around teaching?
I have looked on my course page but the modules don't really go into much detail so any info on the course in general would be appreciated! Thank you

Hi @Robyn_13 !
I am sorry to hear that you can no longer do Religion.
I am currently in my third year of Ed Studies, so I will try my best to give you an overview of my experience on the course. One thing to note is that, based on current and past students' feedback, they have changed/revalidated around 75% of the course. So in September, you will be doing the 'new' stuff.
I worked an Open Day last weekend, so I have a good idea of what will change.
So, for September, the course's main themes will be Social Justice, Technology, Global Education and Employability. Those themes will run through every module.
Ed Studies is a nice blend of theory and practicality. You won't just learn how to be a teacher, although it will give you a solid foundation if you want to study further and get qualified. I personally prefer the theory side of the course. I love learning about philosophy, psychology, sociology, and politics, which are all aspects of this course.
Another thing that I love is the room to personalise your assignments. There are no exams, so you will be assessed based on your coursework. If you have a particular interest, such as religion, you would have lots of opportunities to focus on it within your assignments. There are so many links between education and religion, so you could specialise in that area. They are also introducing optional modules such as racsim and mental health.
In the second and third years, you will be focusing on your individual research project. I will be submitting my dissertation very soon, and I can confidently say that I have had the best teaching experience when it comes to conducting research and writing an academic paper. I felt completely prepared and even excited to do my dissertation. Most of the Ed Studies lecturers are either working on a PhD or have already done one. So if you are interested in doing a Master’s degree or a PhD in the future this course really sets you up well for that by giving you the skills to research effectively.
I would say that the majority of students on Ed Studies do want to go on to be teachers. However, there are some who aren't interested in teaching, just like you. Off the top of my head, I know there is someone who wants to work in a prison, another who wants to work with charities supporting families, and many who want to study further. There are many options to study further and go down a completely different route; for example, you could end up being a psychologist, children's nurse, etc.
I would strongly encourage you to come to an Open Day or an Applicant Taster Day, if you get invited to one. A lecturer from Ed Studies goes through exactly what has changed and what each module will be like. Our next Open Day is on 29th June, and you can sign up here.
I hope this is helpful and if you do have any specific questions please reply to this thread and I will answer those for you.
Anastasia,
BCU Student Rep.