Amelia Burr

Whilst at Sixth form, I volunteered at my local primary school, and I loved it. Watching children when they learnt something new and their excitement to come to school was amazing. I wanted to be someone to provide children a safe, fun space to learn and grow, providing them with a quality education and memories they can hold forever.

Edge Hill was the first university open day I came to, and the minute I walked on campus, I knew it was the place for me. Everyone I met was so lovely and welcoming. The campus is spacious, well-kept and inviting. The accommodation was well-priced, comfortable and homely.

Most importantly Edge Hill has been rated one of the top universities for primary education. The standard of my degree was my top priority, and Edge Hill proved itself through the introductory lecture and taster sessions.

The top three skills I have developed during my degree are:

Confidence – Teaching means you are put on the spot, and you must put yourself out there. It also means you must do a lot of things independently. This degree has taught me how to be confident in myself and my abilities, and that I can do hard things even when I don’t think I can.

Communication – Communication is vital for a professional course. I have been taught how to communicate professionally with tutors, peers and mentors.

Teamwork – within seminars, we do a lot of group activities, whether that’s micro-teaching, making mind maps or lesson planning. This has taught me how to work well with others and find a balance between giving contributions and listening to others’ ideas.

One of the most memorable moments of my degree so far was our end-of-first-year celebration. It was so joyous and fun. First year is hard but amazing, and our end of year celebrations captured this. It also made me realise that this career I had dreamt of for so long was becoming a reality.

My favourite thing about my degree subject is how much fun it is. All degrees are hard work, but not all of them are fun. Mine is fun. Every lecture and seminar has laughter. We paint, do science experiments, sing songs, doodle, take trips, placements, etc. Every day includes something fun and engaging.

The best thing about Edge Hill University to me is the constant life. There is always something to do or attend. Whether that’s societies, trips, nights at the Students’ Union, meet up with student life. You can never be bored.

My favourite place on campus is The Hub, where everything happens. All the food you could want, marketplaces to do some shopping and plenty of places to sit, chill and hang out with friends between classes. All the staff are friendly, and the place is always clean.

Edge Hill has supported me during my degree academically, through resources at the Catalyst, helping me build skills in academic writing. Mentally, my mentor and personal academic tutor have constantly checked in on me, asking how I am and supporting me when I needed it.

When I graduate, I hope to be a primary school teacher within the North-West area as well as in children’s ministry, looking at how we can aid vulnerable children.

For anyone considering studying my course at Edge hill I would say give it your all! The more you give to the course, the more you will get out of it. It’s hard work, but also so much fun. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.