I attended UCO at two different points on my education journey. I first attended in 2013 and completed a BA (Hons) Psychological Studies – I then moved onto the University of Salford to complete a Masters based on the Criminal Justice process.
Once I completed my Masters, I was unsure about what I would like to do with my qualifications. I met up with Kate Clegg, Criminology Lecturer, and Michelle Whitehead, Student and Alumni Lead, to discuss my options, and we concluded that I would enrol on the PGCE at UCO – and teach on the foundation Criminology course alongside Kate and Matt Kinsella, Criminology and Social Sciences Lecturer.
I loved my time at UCO. As it’s such a small campus, I was able to seek advice and support when I needed it. I felt the teaching styles were much more personal and individualised, which helped me understand and complete my learning. It left me feeling inspired and hoping I would make as much of an impact as the tutors at UCO had made on my own teaching journey.
My standout memory from UCO is being asked to deliver my thoughts on creative teaching within Criminology during a teaching staff training day – this made me feel like I was doing a good job and that I was part of the team.
“The skills you gain from UCO are transferrable – you just need to be brave and bold. If it’s meant to be, it will happen for you.”
After graduating from my PGCE course I went on to do supply teaching working with a range of agencies across different points of education. My favourite role was teaching at the Tameside Pupil Referral Unit, as it was such an eye-opening experience and pushed me to use all of the techniques that I’d learnt during the course combined with my Criminology knowledge.
Following this, I gained full-time employment at Tameside Adult Community Education, teaching a range of qualification and vocational courses.
The best thing about my job is having the freedom to design my own courses and deliver them using a range of teaching methods, tailored to which suit my students best. My current place of work is remarkably similar to UCO, as it is a very small team in an area where adult learning is essential to support the economy.
The best advice I received from somebody at UCO, and that I would give to students graduating soon, is to not be afraid of trying something different to what you are currently doing. The skills you gain from UCO are transferrable – you just need to be brave and bold. If it’s meant to be, it will happen for you.
