August 2024
Transition Day helps students moving into next stage of education
By Sean Madden
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University College Birmingham has held its first Transition Day for new further and higher education students with neurodiversity or disability.
More than 60 students attended the event, aimed at easing the move between either school or college and the next stage of their educational journey, and helping those with additional needs to address their anxieties and take the next steps with confidence.
For further education students and their families, the day began with refreshments, and the opportunity to speak with representatives of the Disability and Neurodiversity support service Guild of Students, CASE, HIRED, the safeguarding team, library services, and the health and wellbeing team.
Following this, Director of Learning Services Stephen Dudley led a question-and-answer session alongside student ambassadors Alex, Evie and Ellie, who were able to share their personal experiences of life at University College Birmingham before new students were taken in small groups on tours of the campus.
Alex, who originally studied bakery but is about to begin an Access to Higher Education (Health Professions) course, said: “I grew up in Birmingham and really enjoy the hustle and bustle, but what’s great about the location is if you have disabilities, the transport links into the city centre and the campus make all the difference.”
Evie, currently in her second year of an Adult Nursing BSc (Hons) degree, told the assembled new students that when she finished school, she had no idea what her next steps would be.
When she saw an advertisement for University College Birmingham, she was initially anxious about attending the open day. “Despite all that, I fell in love with the place within 30 minutes of getting here,” she said. “It’s a small and tight-knit community, where everyone is friendly, and you get to know everyone. They supported me fully as a student, not just as someone with autism. You’re never made to feel different.
“Now I’ve been able to take advantage of the career opportunities and the placements, and I’m going into my final year of a nursing degree. It’s the best decision I ever made. Just know that if you’re nervous, you’re not alone.”
In the afternoon, higher education students were able to get involved in similar events, with the addition of a university accommodation tour at The Maltings. The new intake even had the chance to sample student life by spending the night in halls of residence.
Ellie, a postgraduate student on the International Hospitality Management MSc, came to University College Birmingham having completed her first degree elsewhere.
Despite early difficulties, she told students how much she’d come to enjoy life in Birmingham. “I came from a sleepy town in Cornwall and the contrast with the big city couldn’t have been greater, but I figured out what I enjoyed and what I didn’t and started to love living here,” she said.
“As I have autism, I struggled to make friends at first, but the teaching staff put so much effort into making me feel included. They went above and beyond to help me anywhere, and at any time. Now I have a really great group of friends who I’ll treasure forever.”
For more information on the University’s disability services, please visit:
Students with disabilities and additional needs (FE)
Or:
"As University College Birmingham is committed to providing a fully inclusive, student-centred environment, this was a great opportunity for students to learn more about the support they can access.
"The overnight accommodation stay enabled students to get a taste of living independently and to prepare for that next step. Thanks to Alex, Evie and Ellie for offering their insights into life at UCB and sharing their success stories!"
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