Choosing the right education degree - my tips

So you're interested in studying an education course at uni. But how do you know which one to choose? Early Childhood Studies student Shannon has some tips.

Choosing an education course can be difficult, as there are so many to choose from. If you have an idea of what you would like to do after your degree, you have a bit of a head start but when choosing a course, ensure you do background research first. That way, you're fully aware of the course content and if it best suits your needs.

There are a range of teaching techniques that are used to make learning interesting, so here are a few tips I can give you when applying for courses:

• apply for a variety of education courses
• visit the universities you have applied for, as you may not like the university in person
• attend taster sessions and open days to get a feel of what university is like. This way you can also meet tutors
• if you don’t like exams pick coursework-based courses.

After looking at the different universities, I applied for the one I felt most comfortable with, which was Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, studying Early Childhood Studies.

Other options at ARU include Primary Education with QTS and Education with one of five specialist pathways.

When I visited the campus, it felt very friendly and the staff seemed really supportive. After seeing the course content I knew this was the right one for me. There were a variety of job pathways I could do after my degree rather than just having one path into teaching. The teaching techniques varied from essays to group work to creating portfolios and posters. This makes each module interesting as I am not always writing essays.

For each module you complete, familiarise yourself with the further assessment guidance so you can fully be aware of what is expected. There are lots of resources available for each module for further reading and research which could be beneficial to the assessment. After knowing this, it makes it easier to understand the module and to complete the assignment.

At the end of the day, you have to decide what you are going to be happy with so that you can enjoy your university experience.