Early Childhood Studies, 2016
“I like the teachers and the support system in place on the course. There is information available about a wide range of issues on every campus, which helps to motivate you and help you feel confident in your own thinking and work”
Katherine completed her level 3 in childcare and development after High school and decided to move to Oxford with family. Katherine started looking at courses and universities which would support her in continuing to learn about childcare and education.
After reading about the different courses within this field, I felt Early Childhood Studies would provide me with knowledge about key themes and debates, practical experience to support theory, and a range of interesting modules which offered different perspectives both historical and modern. I chose Brookes as I liked both the course and the city. The thought of learning a wide range of knowledge within my chosen field in a city which supports and promotes studying, furthering yourself academically, and professionalism, all seemed to encourage me to pick the course and the university.
I like the teachers and the support system in place on the course. There is information available about a wide range of issues on every campus, which helps to motivate you and help you feel confident in your own thinking and work. My favourite part of the course was placement, because I was able to put theory into practice and see the issues discussed in class being brought to life, which I was able to reflect on in work for all modules.
In Oxford there are places for everything; studying, socialising, jobs in all different fields, tourist attractions, bits of history and the modern world all together. Both the resources and the city itself help with my studies. There are a range of sources to gain information from, and Oxford’s reputation for promoting studying in some ways makes me more enthusiastic about studying too.
In the future I would like to graduate and go into a position within a nursery that would provide me with more hands on experience, before possibly moving into the education field. The mixture of modules Brookes offers gave me knowledge on current issues and ideas behind development, learning, and the role of the family, all of which encouraged me to consider different perspectives, learn the foundation of many theories, and gain professional skills such as working as a team.
In terms of members of staff, Nick Swarbrick makes his lectures lively and full of information. His enthusiasm for the subject encourages you to think and enjoy researching ideas he puts forward. Everyone loves him.