I’m Georgina and I’m already a final-year psychology with criminology student at Teesside University. Wow, that went quick!
One of the reasons I chose Teesside (which is 80 miles from home) was the abundance of opportunities compared to other universities. My twin goes to a university much closer to home and we often engage in some friendly competition on whose university is better (Teesside obviously!).
Teesside Uni has so many opportunities to help you figure out your next steps and to help with your professional development – such as Summer University.
What is it?
Summer University offers a range of short courses that you can study alongside your existing studies or other commitments in summer (that bit was self-explanatory, I know). I have taken part but I wish I had found out about it sooner. I’ll be enrolling this year too.
Who can do it?
Absolutely anyone. You don’t have to be a Teesside University student, applicant or graduate to enrol on these short courses. The only requirement is that you are 16 years old. Some courses outline their own specific requirements, but these are usually the materials that you need access to throughout your course.
I met a range of people of different ages, aspirations and backgrounds. I’m 20 years old but university isn’t just for people my age. I have made friends with students who have taken a few years out, are parents or soon-to-be parents, or are retired and looking for a new challenge. The same is true for Summer University.
How long do the courses take?
It depends on whether you prefer to do a lot of work at once, or little and often. And how many courses you enrol on (up to a maximum of three). From my experience, the courses run one or two evenings a week for between four to six weeks. At the end of the course, you do an assessment to gain 10 credits – either an assignment, portfolio, exam, or a combination.
How much is it?
If you’re a current Teesside University student, you don’t pay to enrol on the courses. If you’re an applicant, you will be reimbursed when you enrol on your degree course here afterwards. But if these don’t apply to you, each Summer University course is only £50.
Why should I enrol?
These courses are usually on campus but, because of Covid-19, they’ve been running online. I enrolled to learn more about my degree subject but there are so many courses to choose from that it was hard to only pick three.
Choose from short courses related to psychology, criminology and law, which are the ones I chose, or art, graphics, visual effects, history, maths, creative writing and English, forensics, policing or cybersecurity, architecture and interior design and even business.
Each course has a capacity limit so it’s better to enrol as soon as possible. This isn’t something offered at every university and, unlike other short courses, you gain credits from completing them. To find out more visit tees.ac.uk/summeruniversity.
By Georgina Rooney.
