KAREN THIRKELL
Guidance Development Manager, Elmwood College
- What does Guidance Development Manager mean?
- Do you have a lot of contact with students?
- What types of support is available to me at college?
- In what ways would you say college is different to school?
- If I’ve heard about a course I’m interested in, what do I need to think about and do before deciding whether to apply?
- I’m a bit worried about having enough money to complete my course – is this a fairly common concern and what advice can you give?
- Is it possible to change courses once I’ve started?
- In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
1. What does Guidance Development Manager mean?
A Guidance Development Manager is someone who manages all the members of staff at the College who make up the guidance team. This includes the Student Adviser, who is a great first point of contact for anyone with a concern about their studies, the Student Activities Co-ordinator, who organises fun events and trips for student groups, as well as the learning support and student finance teams. They all are on hand to offer support to students and my job is basically to make sure they do their jobs!
2. Do you have a lot of contact with students?
Yes! We offer guidance to students before they start their studies (pre-entry), while they are studying at the College (on-course) and before they finish (pre-exit). This includes help completing UCAS applications for students applying to university. All this means I have lots of contact with students throughout their time at college. There are many events and activities laid on for students throughout the year and I go along to these, which is the best bit!
3. What types of support is available to me at college?
There is a whole range of support services available to our students. I’m directly involved with finance and personal development and welfare, which includes providing support on money issues, personal problems facing students, accommodation, study help and careers advice. There are also teams who deal with disability and learning support.
It’s really easy to get help – just approach any of the teams and they’ll point you in the right direction. You’re first point of call would be Student Services. A drop-in service is available daily where some issues can be dealt with there and then; otherwise more help will be given if needed.
4. In what ways would you say college is different to school?
I would say college is very different to school in many ways. It’s a much more adult environment where you are expected to make more decisions and take more responsibility for yourself. You might not be attending classes every day so there may be more home study involved, and again you’re responsible for doing your work. Very importantly, at college you study something you chose to do. This will probably mean a lot more practical work as work experience is included as part of almost every course. I would also say college is different to school in terms of the people you meet – we have students who come from all over the UK and Europe, not to mention the USA and China.
5. If I’ve heard about a course I’m interested in, what do I need to think about and do before deciding whether to apply?
The first thing to do is get more information, find out what the course is really all about to help you decide if you’d definitely like to study it. Look at the prospectus and our website, which as well as giving you lots of information about the course will tell you the entry requirements, so you know what school qualifications are needed. We always welcome prospective students to come in and visit before applying (and bring their parents!) The Student Adviser will be happy to help and actually seeing the College will help you get a real flavour of what it’s like.
Once you have decided to apply, it’s important you get your completed application sent in as soon as possible as our popular courses can fill up fast. You’ll then be invited for an interview but don’t worry – we see it as a chance for the student to ask us questions as much as vice versa!
6. I’m a bit worried about having enough money to complete my course – is this a fairly common concern and what advice can you give?
Student finance is a very common concern! Here at the College we have produced a booklet called Money Matters – this is given to every student and it details different types of funding and what people should be entitled to. Different funding is in place for those studying an HNC or HND course from those studying at another level so it’s very important to do your research first – find out who to apply to and what you funding you are eligible for, otherwise you could go to a lot of effort for no return. It’s also advisable to apply for funding early to make sure it arrives in time for you to begin your studies. Of course, the Student Advice team is on hand to help you through all this and it is all covered in the information packs you will get.
7. Is it possible to change courses once I’ve started?
Yes it is possible. We realise that students can sometimes change their minds about courses and we would never want someone to continue doing a course just because they feel they have to. However, it’s best to let us know as soon as possible as the course you’d like to move into may have already completed a lot of work so it would be hard to catch up. It’s also important to remember that you shouldn’t quit a course at the first sign of trouble – we often find that things that are bothering students can easily be fixed. Just pop in to see the Student Adviser.
8. In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
- Making new friends and having a great social life.
- Learning something new and having access to subjects you would never do (or weren’t taught) at school.
- Becoming a more rounded person and finding out what you’re capable of – you may well surprise yourself!
