The last open day of 2018 hasn’t been met with the beautiful weather Plymouth is known and loved for. Instead, Storm Diana has swept the campus, leaving many of the courses Q&A sessions low on attendees.
Marjon’s Open Day signs withstand the weather
I caught up with third year Harry Richardson, a student on the BA (Hons) Physical Education course, to sweep up any information that prospective students may have missed.
Mike: Hey Harry! How is the opening day going so far?
Harry: Really well thanks Mike. Just low on numbers in our courses talk earlier due to the storm, and I don’t want anyone to have missed any important info!
Mike: So, for anyone who doesn’t know, including me because I’m one of the few people not on a sports degree at Marjon – tell us a little bit about your course.
Harry: Well, the main objective of our course is to give us an overview of Physical Education in both Primary and Secondary School environments. The idea being, if you’re not so sure where you want your career to be rooted at first, you can get a real feel for both teaching environments before you commit.
Mike: Does that mean students can make a decision more towards the end of the degree as to where they want to head?
Harry: Absolutely! After you complete the degree you can do a couple of things. Firstly, you can apply for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at University, which you’d then specialise in either primary or secondary. You can also do something called a School Direct programme, where you train in a school whilst earning a salary.
Mike: Do you know which direction you see yourself heading in yet?
Harry: I’m aiming to study a PGCE for sure, and that will be in Secondary Education with Physical Education.
Mike: What makes a PGCE the right fit for you?
Harry: For me, I just think there’ll be more support there from the University, and that can only benefit me.
Mike: Would you say your course has helped you solidify where you see yourself teaching?
Harry: I definitely want to work in secondary. Now that I’m this far through the degree, it has given me that reassurance that I’d find secondary school P.E the most rewarding to teach. The placements we have in schools are such an advantage in helping you work out where you want to be.
Mike: What else can students expect from the course?
Harry: We’re heavily involved in sports, and that really is a way of life here at Marjon. We actively participate in ‘BUCS’, which stands for ‘British Universities and Colleges Sport’. Being a member of BUCS allows us to compete against teams from across the U.K, and with so many sports and teams here, there’s something for everyone.We actually now have no lectures scheduled on Wednesdays to support student’s commitments to BUCS fixtures on that day, which I think is great.
Mike: Thank you for chatting with us Harry, is there anything else you feel needs to be mentioned?
Harry: Just that, if you love sport as much as I do, then this course and University is such a great option. It’s such a worthwhile thing to get into!
Whilst many of the students took shelter in the main canteen, including myself and Harry, Plymouth Marjon’s open day continues on as the weather looks set to clear.
If you do miss any of the talks or course information, please log onto www.marjon.ac.uk to find out more information on your desired course.