Amy Alexander
Course: BA History
Graduated: 2005/06 Academic Year
Destination approx. 6 months after graduation: PGCE - Secondary Education, AU
Background
After I gained three A-levels in History, Drama and Psychology at Sixth Form, I decided that I wanted to take a gap year, which I spent in London. I wanted a break from education and taking a gap year had become a popular option.I knew however that I would need to do a degree in the near future in order to fulfil my wish of becoming a teacher. I have always enjoyed learning and love History; I was also keen to experience university life, so I decided to do a degree in History after this year out.
I wanted to experience a completely different place to London, having just spent a year there, and Aberystwyth looked really appealing. I loved the scenery and relaxed atmosphere that Aberystwyth had to offer. It was also the first university on the UCAS website that offered a degree in History, so was the first institution that I considered, and it just stuck in my head.
Where are you now?
Six months after graduation I am doing a PGCE in Secondary Education, also at Aberystwyth, having really enjoyed my time there during my undergraduate studies. The History course that I completed gives you the opportunity to study many different aspects and time periods of history. You get the chance to study a huge variety of decades from the medieval period up to the modern. There are endless choices on offer and there is a module to suit every interest. I got on really well with the lecturers and their enthusiasm really helped me to enjoy the subject. My favourite part of the course was the dissertation module. This provided me with the chance to do independent research on a topic that I really wanted to study in depth.How did you get there?
I applied for the PGCE course at Aberystwyth through the GTTR (Graduate Teachers Training Registry) website and was consequently offered a place. I have always loved history and loved the idea of being able to teach it and pass on my enthusiasm to others. It has been a goal of mine for some time to try and make the subject as appealing as possible to children today who consider it to be boring. I also like the idea of having a teaching qualification to fall back on. It’s a solid career.I had an extensive social life whilst studying in Aberystwyth which has made me a more sociable and confident person, which will really help me in the classroom. I met a variety of people from all walks of life, some of whom I would never have met if I had stayed on in London.
During my studies, I learnt a variety of skills which are useful and relevant to my future career. I learnt how to communicate well, my use of the English language and my vocabulary improved significantly, and I learnt how to argue evidence effectively and how to correctly analyse and evaluate pieces of work.
I arranged some work experience for myself at Penglais School at Aberystwyth too. I attended regularly and really enjoyed it. It gave me a good insight into teaching as a career as I gained first hand experience of classroom situations.
Whilst I was at UWA I was an active member of the Fencing Club. I love how fencing has a historical aspect; it’s a very traditional sport. This activity has become a real talking point on my CV as it is an unusual sport to participate in. I trained three to four times a week and learnt some valuable transferable skills such as time management and being an effective member of a team, for which I received my half club colours.