What a year 2017/18 has been. I think that I have aged 5 years, but it has been memorable for all at York St John University, especially those within the School of Education. Our amazing students have worked and in many cases played very hard; providing academic and administrative staff with sources of inspiration and at times frustration. I salute them all and I am looking forward to the next installment.
Courses
The new Foundation Degree and Top Up programmes have proved to be popular. The knowledge and experience which these students bring to the classroom continues to impress us and the learning community which has evolved is an empowering one for us all. Students on the Education Studies suite have enjoyed exploring a variety of venues outside of the classroom, undertaken some impressive work experience and many have written dissertations which evidence valuable and interesting research. Our Postgraduate students on the MA Education programmes have been a genuine pleasure to work with and we are thrilled that so many are YSJ alumni. These students may suggest that the highlight of their programme is the refreshments. For me, though the most memorable aspects were the induction meal out and reading the many examples of their outstanding academic achievements. I want to thank all students, but especially those who take time to work with us as programme reps, those who provide us with feedback, and those who engage in all aspects of YSJ life.
Achievements
You might think that the main challenges for staff working in Higher Education and at YSJ are managing to keep smiling when there is so much change within HE, or balancing busy work and family commitments. But for me, the biggest challenge this year has been to keep my head above water and to keep hold of the belief that I could actually complete my Doctorate of Education without divorcing my husband, disappointing my family, ignoring my friends and forgetting what my children look like. Thankfully, I have managed to avoid some of these; unlucky Ken :).
So this is the end then of my first blog. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and the ridiculous hat. I did finish my doctorate, thank goodness; motivated by the fear of failure, a desire to do it for my Mum and Dad who asked for weekly updates with high expectation written all over their faces. Well that and a few hours extra work.
The future
Here’s to 2018/19; my advice, for what it is worth, is that anything that I can do, you can definitely do better, so don’t hold back and that when faced with a mountain, have confidence in your own ability and perseverance to succeed because you can do it. And don’t forget to take time to chill because you will always deserve it.
