Me and my roommate on our first day!
It is Tuesday and our first day of classes here in the UK! We dressed in our business casual attire and made the 15 minute walk to Birmingham City University. The college is gorgeous and slightly secluded from the craziness of the city. The area that we entered through had decent security which was nice. It was very wide open and had beautiful glass windows. The classroom we went to was on the second floor and it was smaller than our rooms at the University of Pittsburgh, yet very modern. We were offered tea, coffee and water along with snacks. One downside I noticed is that the walls are very thin and we could hear through to the other side the whole time.
The entrance to Birmingham City University
The dean of nursing’s deputy gave us the run down about their program. It is more rigorous than anything found in the United States because they go all year round with an exception of two weeks out of the year. They finish in three years instead of four, but they have to sacrifice their summers and many holidays.
Hospital simulations for practice
We went on a tour through some of the areas within the nursing building. We got to see the library which had a very convenient board of organization to help students find the location of the topic they wish to read. Their simulations are very advanced and they seem to have many opportunities available. One simulation in particular is the midwife birthing area. They have a “dummy” named Victoria who can blink and make noises. The best part is that she actually gives birth! In the same room as Victoria, I got to hold a fake baby that weighs the amount of an average newborn!
Victoria in her tub!
They have one huge hospital and two other hospitals that are very easy to access due to the great transportation in the UK. The nursing area of the university runs on terms instead of semesters which is new to us Americans due to the year round work. They also mentioned that their diversity within nursing has improved significantly over the past few years. This helps with translation issues in the hospitals as many people seeking asylum come to Birmingham.
sign outside the British market
Then, we received a presentation from the BCU’s student union. They described how their student union works such as running independent from the university. The union is run by a team of students who plan multiple events for and outside of the university. They are huge about welcoming new students and trying to make them feel at home. They have 100 different societies which includes a nursing society. These are similar to what we call “clubs” in America.The cost difference is very different to join their societies compared to joining clubs. They only charge three pounds for a year which equates to $4.50 in the US. We unfortunately have to pay hundreds of dollars sometimes depending on the club.
Some clubs that the BCU offer
We also observed a presentation about education in England. The education system is managed by the separate countries that make up the UK, but each country has the basic five stages: early years (3-5 ), primary education (5-11), secondary education (11-16), further education (16+), and higher education (18+). There are 8 levels of education included in the qualifications and credit framework. A General Certification of Secondary Education (GCSE) is needed in math and science which would be taken during secondary school (levels 1-2). Level 3 deals with A- level classes which represent the advanced level. Levels 4-6 are for a university degree, and level 7 is for masters degrees. The final level is 8 which is for a doctorate PhD.
Our speaker on education in England and research education
We had an hour to go grab lunch, so we went to the market that the BCU students shop at. It was interesting to see the access they have to food compared to the students at Pitt. Oakland does not have grocery stores within walking distance like BCU does. It looked like an average grocery store that we would have back in America, but the brands were British! We looked at flowers and grabbed some snacks!
My favorite flowers I found at the store
To wrap up our first day of classes, we got to learn about the systems of education in the UK. They have trouble finding specialist teachers for foreign languages and music which is also a current issue back in the United States. Foreign language and music learning has since then become devalued due to the lack of interest in teaching the subject. Foreign languages are being taught online instead. Another new concept is the mastery approach towards education. This is where teachers assume that everyone in the room has the same understanding and level of education. This was implemented to help close the gap of learning between the kids who get left behind when they are moved down and out of classes.
Powerpoint slide on statutory framework of the school system in the UK
I am looking forward to tomorrow! Stay tuned…