I applied for Primary Education at University in my last year of high school however was still very unsure of this career choice. The conditions I received were all a grade B or above in higher English, which at the time I did not believe I had the confidence I would make. I did a number of extra activities at this time to ensure I had good experience in different fields. This included house captain, class rep, befriender, peer mediator and buddy within school and Monday club, voluntary work at Oxfam, a paper round and even helping set up a small local business in Fife which is becoming a lot more widely known out with school. I was always very busy and wanted to give myself a good chance of achieving something when it came to leaving school.  When the SQA results came in August, I was happy to learn that I had gained higher English at a grade B as well as three extra highers.

However after thinking carefully about my decision, I decided that perhaps going to college for a year and staying at home would be the best choice for me. I had a job at our local supermarket and had not long passed my driving test. I was hoping to make some money to help me for the years ahead as well as gain some experience in the classroom from my placement at college. I feel in that year I gained a lot of experience having worked and volunteered in many different places and I was able to go out and drive which made me feel a lot more independent.

I decided to apply for university again when I was at college as I felt I was in a lot better position. I gained interviews for Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen University which I then went onto receive either unconditional or conditional offers. Dundee was a clear winner when deciding where I wanted to go and I decided it would be best to stay away from home as it was something I had not yet done before. I was able to keep my job and change to only work weekends as I do enjoy coming home and seeing my family.

I hope to gain a lot of knowledge of what it takes to become a primary school teacher this year and this should prepare me for the years I have yet to come. I have felt a massive change in my life since coming to university and even within the three months I have been here I have felt I have learned more about organisation and different skills about the qualities a primary teacher has to posses.

I feel that taking a year out and going to college and learning so much new things has done me well. I would not have done things differently and believe that I prepared myself the best I possibly could before coming to university. I hope that I am able to enjoy the course in the rest of the time to come and one day become a primary teacher.