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Course review
Review by: Laura H
University: The University of Edinburgh
Course: Primary Education
Year of study: 4th
Level of Study: Undergraduate
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The course in general
How many contact hours do you have in the average week?
12
Ideally, what 3/4 subjects would you recommend doing in order to be in the best position for your course?
1 expressive art (e.g. music/ drama/ art)1 social subject/ science (e.g. history/ geography/ biology)EnglishMaths
Why did you decide to study your degree programme?
I decided to study primary teaching as I was interested in working with children and liked the idea that I could have an impact on children's lives. I also wished to study teaching as everyday is different and presents a new challenge. At the end of your degree you also have a specific career path and your first years work guaranteed.
Describing your average day
Explain how your day is made up. For example, do you have labs/seminars/tutorials/lectures?
The course is made up mostly of tutorials, however you will also be expected to attend around 4 lectures a week.
How much extra work/reading are you required to do out of lectures?
In 1st and 2nd year there is lots of work to do out of university but it tends to be focused on reflection tasks and practical work (e.g. making a poster to describe a WW2 novel read). Assignments are only submitted at exam time, you are generally not expected to write any further essays throughout term time. However in 3rd and 4th year there is a huge focus on academic reading. Reading is the main body of work undertaken out of lectures/ tutorials at this time.
Is there anything else you think is relevant or that you would like to add in respect of your course?
Moray House has a great reputation for Primary Education. I have friends who study teaching at Strathclyde and the teaching methods and course structure does not appear to rival that of the University of Edinburgh.
The best and worst parts of the course
What do you like best about your degree programme?
Most of the tutorial classes are great fun and very practical. I also enjoy the mix of academic work in university and opportunities to put what you have learned into practice in placement.
What do you like least about your degree programme?
The Education courses can seem overly academic and unrelated to learning in other subjects. However towards the end of 3rd year it began to come together in my head and become clear why we had learned what we had. There can also sometimes be a little too much group work.
Academics and course content
What do you think of your university's academics and facilities?
Facilities are great at the main George Square campus but at Moray House (education campus) facilities are not as good and it is a little disconnected from the main uni.
Explain how you expected your course to be and how it compares to how it actually is. Give an outline of the content of the course.
There is a lot of group work involved in the course and many of the tutorials are student led, especially as you progress through the degree. The course is not a highly academic one, with much practical work. However placement can be very demanding with a huge workload, thus it is usually not possible to keep a part time job at this time. 3/4 subjects are studied per semester with formal assessments at the end of each semester. Subjects include; Education, Maths, Language, Expressive Arts, RMPS, Environmental Studies. In 4th year you can study 2 electives of your choice, a curriculum option and a generic option.
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Other reviews for Primary Education
Kathy H, 3rd Year doing Primary Education at The University of Strathclyde
Lauren M, 4th Year doing Primary Education at The University of Edinburgh
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University review
Review by: Laura H
University: The University of Edinburgh
Course: Primary Education
Year of study: 4th
Level of Study: Undergraduate
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Describing your university
Sum up your university in one paragraph:
The University of Edinburgh has a diverse mix of students, with lots of students from oversees as well as British students. It maintains an excellent reputation and provides a great quality of student life in a beautiful city.
What is the academic life like at your university?
Library services are generally very good. The Moray House library has recently reduced its opening hours but provides a very friendly and homely place to research and study. The George Square library is usually open until midnight and is open overnight during exam time. There is plenty of study space and open access computer labs. Despite the amount of group work expected in the Primary Education course, there is very little space for group study at Moray House. Academic support is good but you will generally only see your DOS if you have a problem, relationships between students and their DOS could be better.
Describe your Freshers' Week - was it as you expected, better or worse? Why?
There's lots to do at Fresher's week at Edinburgh Uni. This is where I met the most people throughout my whole time at uni. Fresher's can buy a Freshers pass from the EUSA website which allows free entry to all events. You will also get in before those without passes. I mainly went to evening events but there are plenty of things to do during the day and lots of opportunities to join societies.
What is the best and worst thing about your university?
The best thing about the University of Edinburgh is the general atmosphere and the level of student support provided by EUSA.
The worst thing is the fact that the main student life centres around the George Square campus. E.g. at student election time, candidates rarely visit the Moray House campus to canvas voters. However I believe this is generally the case with most education campuses in Scottish Universities.
Sport and extra curricular
What are the sport and other activities on offer like at your university?
There are lots of sports societies and clubs with good facilities and the CSE gym is well equipped and even has a climbing wall! The gym is reasonably priced and also runs classes.
The social scene
What is the social scene (and/or nightlife) like at your university? Is it particularly alcohol orientated?
The uni offers lots of societies and clubs to join. The nightlife is great at Freshers week and thereafter the most popular nightlife is 'The Big Cheese' at Potterrow on a Saturday night. The social scene is not particularly alcohol orientated.
What do you think of the city your university is based in or near (as a city)?
Edinburgh is a beautiful city. There's always a great atmosphere, especially during the Fringe and always something to do and something new to discover. The nightlife is great and there are plenty of student nights with good drinks promos etc. Living costs can be slightly higher than in other parts of the country, mainly accommodation costs. However if you look around you can find a good deal, costs tend to decrease the more people you share with. Edinburgh is a small and compact city, so it is easy to find your way around if you are new to the city and is not too overwhelming!
Accommodation
Do you live in a halls of residence or a student house (or college)? What would you suggest is best in your opinion?
I have lived in private rented accommodation since 2nd year. However in 1st year I lived in self-catered flats (Kincaid's Court) which I would definitely recommend. This option helps you settle in to student life and living away from home easily as you still have the support of the uni accommodation services and a cleaner for domestic areas. It is also a great way to meet lots of new people.
Approximately, what is the average cost of accommodation per week in your first year for catered and non-catered halls/colleges?
About £90-100pw self catered halls, £150-£200 in catered halls, depending on the quality of accommodation and whether you require en-suite or shared bathroom facilities.
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