Although Caoimhe initially struggled with homesickness, the incredible experiences on her course, the support from her lecturers, and the friendships she has built along the way have helped her feel settled at the University of Cumbria. Below, Caoimhe shares how her course and placements are strengthening her passion for supporting children with special needs and disabilities – not only with their educational needs, but in reaching key milestones across all areas of their lives.
Why did you choose to study your course – what or who inspired you?
I am currently a third year on the Primary Education: Inclusion with SEND with QTS (5-11 Years) course. I have always wanted to work with children and have had a particular interest in helping people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – my mother works with adults with SEND as a support worker in a supportive living facility back home.
My interest in working with children has been with me from an early age, and the possibility to do so, with the added experience and ability to help children with SEND, was what pulled me in.
Why did you choose the University of Cumbria?
The University of Cumbria is one of two universities in the UK that offer a teaching undergraduate programme with a speciality in SEND. There are alternative ways of doing this through completing an undergraduate degree in Special Needs and Disabilities, then completing a PGCE in teaching.
However, what drew me to the University of Cumbria was how experienced and well versed the lecturers are in the complexities of teaching and working with children with SEND.
What has been your favourite experience at Cumbria?
There have been so many positive experiences, but there is one that always stands out to me when I think back on my time at the university. My favourite experience has been talking and interacting with my tutors, not just about academics and education, but about general topics, too.
Tutors sharing stories about their time teaching in schools, or speaking about their own experiences, helps to build strong bonds. Knowing that these lecturers, who are so knowledgeable, do not treat you as though you are still at school, but instead see you as an independent adult and support you when you are struggling, makes a real difference.
How have you found your placement(s)? Where was your placement, and what was it like?
With my course, I get one to two placements each year. I am completing my third placement in a special school in Blackpool, and it is the best placement I have had so far. In my experience, when you go on a placement, you get a huge amount of support from the staff in the school, as well as from the university. Your UPT is there for you the whole time you are on placement – they're there to support you, check you’re okay, and listen to a rant whenever you need it, because realistically, it can be stressful!
You get so many new experiences that will help you on your path to a future career, even if you do not want to go into the field you are studying. You get to experience every single part of that career and life, which helps you decide what you actually want to do. This placement has been the best so far, because it helped me realise that the school I am in is exactly what I want to do and where I want to be. Previously I have enjoyed my placements but have always felt like something was missing. This was no one’s fault, I just hadn’t yet experienced a special school. Now that I have, I could never go back.
That is what your placements help you do. They give you the insight that being in class at university sometimes cannot. The university will prepare you as much as they can, but if you get a chance to go on placement, or get a job in the field of work, do it! It will help anyone realise what they actually need and want.
What’s been the most difficult obstacle you’ve overcome in your student journey?
There are always obstacles when you begin living on your own and being properly independent, but I have struggled the most with living away from home and my family, especially when they aren’t just a train ride away. When my friends would go home for a weekend or be able to go home for a few days during the week, I would be in my flat, or student house, and have to suffice with a facetime call, even though all I wanted to do was go home and have the life I had lived for 19 years back with my family.
Homesickness never goes away; you just get better at managing it. I made a new family over here that I spend every moment I can with. I work, I focus on university, and I talk to my family as much as I can and I can comfortably say I am still and will always be homesick while I live in England, but I have found ways to distract myself and feel better. Sometimes it is good to just let your feelings in and have a cry.
What do you enjoy most about your course?
The experiences on this course are what I enjoy most. Placement is always what I look forward to when coming into a new academic year; being able to experience new settings, meet new people, and build my abilities. I have a great time in class, interacting with my tutors and lecturers and getting our work done, but they don’t act like lecturers who know more than you; they treat you like an adult and have a good time with you. The lecturers tell you stories, tell you about their lives, give advice (whether personal or professional), and are there to help or simply just listen.
How have your tutors supported you during your studies?
I have received a great deal of support from my tutors during my time at the University of Cumbria. They have provided me with pathways and support for studies, such as study sessions for things I may find tricky while completing assignments. On a personal level, they have been there to listen, give advice, and give their own personal experiences in situations that may relate.
The tutors do not only act like we are part of their job; they care about their students, and it shows. They will provide us with opportunities to further our experience for our future, as well as our time in education, such as job opportunities, social life experiences and much more.
How is university life beyond your studies?
In my experience, I initially wanted to stay with my friends from the university, but I have found that you will find people anywhere you go that you will have a connection with. I got a job late into my first year and I have found friends and people from there I want to keep for the rest of my life.
I have had experiences I never expected coming into my first year, purely through meeting people and having friends from the city of Lancaster, not connected to the university. You have to go outside your comfort zone, but you will find people you could have a connection with anywhere you go.
What do you enjoy the most about student life at the Lancaster campus?
I enjoy being able to go to the library at any time of the day. It is open 24 hours a day, and as a night owl, it works perfectly when I have a free evening and want to work on some assignments or work by myself. The vending machines provide the snacks, and the study rooms allow me to set up my space however I want. I'll play some music, watch a show, sit comfortably and do my work. It is one of the places I love spending time at the university as I can sit by myself and work at my own pace.
What would be your top tips for people thinking of doing the same course as you?
Use as many timetables and planners as you can. There are so many aspects that you need to keep in the back of your head. I recommend having a weekly planner stuck up beside a monthly one, then keep a daily planner with you where you can add things that you have been asked to do. Add everything to your weekly or monthly planner, depending on when they are due. Have everything on display, so if you need it, it’s there, on your wall.
What are your career plans, and how is your course preparing you for your future career?
At the start, I knew I wanted to work in a school and work with children. That is all I knew. Now, halfway through my third year, I know I want to work in a special school, with PMLD students, supporting them not only with their educational needs, but helping them reach their milestones in every area of their lives.
I want to work in a special school that puts the students' wellbeing at the centre, not meeting numbers of what they can achieve, but somewhere where the children are taught to thrive in whatever way they know how. Not tests or broadcasting how students have been able to pass all these tests, do all the academic things, but how they hold themselves, teach them to care for themselves and others, and actually watch them grow into real, decent people.