EARLY YEARS DEGREE

EARLY YEARS DEGREE

by: NurseryNurse - 16-10-12 00:38

AHHHH Im currently studying an Early years foundation degree, next september i will then be going on to do the 3rd year to get the full BA honors degree. I'm going to be honest, I'm pulling my hair out, I feel like the stupidest one in the class when paper work has always been my strength. 

I would very much appricaite any sort of guidance and would be prepared to pay for a tutor. I live in north london and would prefure a female tutor if anyone can help me please contact me asap! and I will private message you my email address!

Kind regards

by: me

i presume you have paid a huge fee for your degree i suggest you assert yourself and get support from your very well paid tutor at uni! dealing with these issues is as much a learning curve as the theory is and throwing money will not get you a degree unless someone else does the work for you! Take responsibility for the money you have already forked out I ll happily take £50 an hour off you but it wont get you a degree if you cant do it do you deserve it? 

by: Smallfry

Not worth it with the low wages at the end...unless you hitch up with a man with a fat wallet xxx Good luck xxx

by: purepurple

Are you doing much reading? How much support do you get from your tutors?

i suggest you speak to them first as they won't want anyone failing or dropping out- it reflects badly on them.

by: calypso

As a lecturer in childhood studies I am always amused by the comments posted on here by those who view a degree as something worthless. A degree is a fantastic thing to have and one which is worth every bit of hard work and money. I cannot assume those who are posting have not taken the time and effort to engage in further research about early years, but if you have I am surprised at the lack of admiration and appreciation to those who have. I would suggest you speak with your tutor and be honest about your lack of confidence. It's natural to feel as though you are flagging if you though you would cope - you will not be alone. As for the financial gain well of course if that is the only reason you are doing it, you may be disappointed. I undertook a degree aged 36 and now at 42 have a masters also. I earn a decent salary - as Me points out - and am about to start a PHD. It is not easy at all but it is wonderful. Keep at it SLM and don't listen to the negative posters :)

RE: RE: EARLY YEARS DEGREE - 17-11-12 17:34

by: NurseryNurse

Thank you for this inspirational comment!

by: Sunshine

Is there anyone on your course you can talk to about the work? We had a 'study buddy' system when I did mine and it was great, and in fact I'm still friends with my 'study buddies' 6 years after finishing my degree

by: jujujo

Aaaawww that could have been me writting this post 5 years ago and now Im doing my masters in childhood and youth :)

I always felt the stupidest one in the class, and the first year I think I might have been...but then something clicked in the second year and I kicked everyones butts :)

Its not that your dumb, its the way they want you to think about essay writing is so alien to you right now you are probably struggling with that and not the work itself. If you think of the essay writing in this way, you need an intro - explain what you are going to be writing about, who may have written about this before and what thier current theories are and what you persieve you may discover about this subject from your findings. main body - Research the subject more widely adding any key theories you have discovered, be critical about your statements, if this person said its white, find someone who said it was black, that sort of thing. Conclution - bring it all together and make suggestions but never statements!! dont fall into the I must conclude from the facts that..... you are never going to be able to make that statement unless you have done a fully intergrated research proposal that unaeuivically can not be disproven, in other words be a bit vaugue :)

Look at ways other research papers are written, that will teach you everything you need to know about writting essays.

Dont be scared to stick your hand up and say "Oh Miss I dont know what the hell your banging on about"

Dont be intimidated by others so called knowledge, you are all learning the same thing at the same time, so they cant be cleaverer than you then, just because they may have read a book or two doesnt mean they know the correct stuff, better to come as aclean slate than have a head full of rubbish

Dont put yourself down, you could be studying your final year of your Maters in 5 years ;)

Hope this helps

email me for more advise

www.fivelittlemonkeyschildcare.co.uk

by: kirsty_footy

Hello. I felt the same when I was doing my Early Childhood studies degree five years ago! But you know what? Think back to your time working in nurseries. I bet you always thought 'I'm better than this'? You know what's right for children and you want to prove it with your degree right? Well, use that determination to get through this. The more you read, the more you will start to think 'wow that's what I think too'! Private message me for more info xx

by: lorla

its nice to know i am not the only one pulling my hair out at this degree lool, and the people who have commented after thanks because from taking your advice i feel a little better. so thanks to all :) xx

by: NurseryNurse

wow thank you all so much for your support it means so much!! jujujo you are right its not so much the imformation I struggle with, its putting it all together. Im just panicking because if I dont pass, I wont be able to go on to do the 3rd and final year which is the BA honors degree. and calypso you are right, I honestly hand on my heart dont want anyone to do my work for me, just a bit of guidance or just for someone to say your doing ok and you will be ok in the end. Im hoping I will just have a big bang in my head and suddenly be able to put it all together I just worry about my tutor this year, I think she has a very high standard of marking. Its not that I dont understand the work so much this year I just worry as im writing. Ive never failed an essay but I did last week with this new tutor, my confidence has been really knocked and im terrified to make more mistakes on my next essay. Ive taken on her feedback and realised what I need to do this time but It doesn't change the fact I feel worse now than I did before I wrote my comment. I feel stupid asking for help or admiting im struggling to my tutor...I'd love to achieve a degree, to me it is something big and not for financial gain as I am aware many people have told me its a "useless degree". I want to have my own nursery one day and know I dont need a degree to do it, but just the achievement alone would make me so proud. 

I really appriciate everyones comments I didn' t think anyone would respond. Thank you all so much for your advise it has picked me up:) xx

by: Sally

In the second year of doing my Foundation Degree in Early Years I found I was struggling (and in tears most of the time!). i asked my Uni for support and found that there was student support in the form of someone to read my essays and give me advice and support to progress and improve my marks. I passed that with a Merit. From that I have gone on and done my BA top up with honours in Early Childhood Studies and have had my validation assessment visit this week as completion of my Early Years Professional Status. I've worked all along, raised a family and studied on a full time pathway. I'm now 42 and am welcoming the rest! It has been bloody hard juggling everything and being up till all hours writing essays. But I would not have changed it at all! I graduate in December for my degree (I got a 2:1).

Keep on going, it will enrich your thinking and practice so much in the future (if it's not done so already!)

I'm only 2 days out of studying and am already thinking of my next steps of studies. I quite fancy being a Dr one day. I enjoy the learning and am so looking forward to catching up with the books that I've only managed to 'flick' through searching for a suitable quote to shove in an essay!

Keep at it!

RE: RE: EARLY YEARS DEGREE - 22-11-12 20:29

by: NurseryNurse

WOW! congratulations!! thats amazing you juggled all of that and done so amazingly well I could only hope to be a successfull as that well done for pushing yourself and coming out of a degree like that I bet your family is so proud. I'd love to have kids one day who would be proud the fact I've done a degree, your setting such a strong example xx

by: sephelia

Does your course offer a mentor scheme? I found it particularly useful when I was doing my dissertation. If not feel free to get in contact me with me I'd happy to help http://scottishgirlinlondon.blogspot.co.uk/ 

I've got to say, getting my BA (hons) and EYPS was definitely worth it and there a quite a few employers who are willing to pay decently for staff who are degree qualified

by: Trinitori

I can read your assignments for you and give you pointers. I got a first for my Early Childhhod degree and I know just how you feel!!

by: Katie Krafter

As other posters have said, it is definitely worth approaching your tutor. I am doing a childhood practice degree (at the age of 50!) and had a scraped 'D' in my first assignment.  I didn't really understand why, and really needed some support and targeted feedback which was not originally given. I approached my academic tutor and after a long delay got specific feedback which I kept pushing for. To cut a long story short, eventually, I got more feedback, began to see what I was doing wrong, and this time round had improved to the point of getting a B and then an A from the same tutor.