interview in derry

kenyard

pgce interview English media and drama.
I received a letter today for an interview on March 1st 2012, I am from nenagh co tipperary..does any one know the best and cheapest way to get to coleraine campus using public transport Also, does anyone know what the interview is like? In the letter it says you have to complete a dramatic prescibed piece and a written exercise does anyone have any ideas?I have a place in Canterbury christ church..but i reckon maybe I should go to keep my options open; what do people think ?

cloneslad

I'd imagine your quickest way is going to be getting to dublin, then making your way from there to Coleraine via Belfast or Derry.

You can get from Dublin to belfast hourly by bus, then take a bus to Coleraine.

You can also Get from Dublin to Derry or Letterkenny almost hourly too. Then get your way to Coleraine from there.


Canterbury is a great place, haven't a clue about the University, but the town itself is really nice and has a great nightlife.

NoelleTh

Hi,
I did my PGCE in Coleraine and let me tell you it's not very accessible if you don't drive! The best way would be to get to Dublin get the bus from Bus Aras to Belfast -they're hourly, then the train to Coleraine you can get the train from the bus station, the Europa Station can check times on Translink.co.uk and it leaves you directly at the university!

With regards the interview, my subject is history so I can't help much about the English questions but the more general ones are about classroom management techniques, why you want to be a teacher, previous experiences you have working with teenagers etc. From what I remember the English tutor is big time into ICT so if you can bring that in at any stage it won't do you any harm!

Another piece of advice I would give you if you are successful and decide to take it is to live in Belfast! You are only in college for 7 weeks the first term and 5 weeks the second Belfast has a lot more going on and the transport system is better and a larger choice of places to live and more schools for them to place you in so you have a better chance of being near to where you live!

Best of luck with it, any other questions fire away!

P.s. I had a place in Liverpool and kept my options open by going to Coleraine and it was the best decision I could of made! The PGCE is a very stressful year and for me knowing that if I wanted to get home without a flight I could helped a lot! It is a great course and you have very small classes, between 10-12 in each subject so you make great friends!

kenyard

Thanks you so much that was so helpful !! Did you drive ? And I get what you mean by Belfast but did u live there from day one?Is Derry recognised by the Irish council?..oh and my other degree subject was History but as I had no chance In Ireland with a 2.1 I picked English.Sorry about all the random questions. I have a mate going to Edgehill Liverpool, so you reckon Derry is just as recognised as UK then because thats what we are worried about.I have good few qs Im sure il be annoying you again..cheers btw.

NoelleTh

By recognised do you mean by the teaching council? The PGCE in Coleraine is recognised but you have to sit the history and structure of the Irish Education exam €100 for your troubles and something like a 90% pass rate - a total money making racket! If you go to England you will have to pay to get your qualifications assessed and sit the exam think it works out about €300 altogether and is a longer process!

I didn't drive no, and yes lived in Belfast from day one - trust me if you do get Coleraine and decide to take it you will not want to live there! Well that is my opinion anyways, not much going on there and you are very limited school wise and transport wise!

As I said fire away with the questions, I know exactly how you feel I was so clueless going into it that I wish I had someone to ask!

kenyard

Ya I know what you mean... thanks so much for the heads up... did you travel the hour and half everyday then to Belfast by bus or what way? Is that expensive? What? 300 pounds that’s so stupid!! Ya I think they are called qts exams in ICT, Numeracy and Literacy. Do they not have to be done in NI? Where are u from?
The thing is aswell the postgrad grant is gone that includes NI BUT there a 5000 training bursary in the UK for 2.1 upwards and I cant get any such funding from the North but I do realise that accommodation is relatively cheaper and that the fees for the University of Ulster might not go up to 9000 as they are in the UK as the University is still considering if they will raise them.Also as this course in Coleraine is the same as the course in Canterbury did ye have an options of getting master credits aswell for this course as we told this by Canterbury in the interview?!

NoelleTh

I got the train in at first and then I met someone who lived in Belfast and got a lift with them but you are in college for such a short time it was grand traveling....You can get a student travel card that gives you discounts I never got round to getting it tho!
I'm a dub so the bus from Belfast home was real handy for me, takes just under 2 hrs! No those exams don't have to be done in NI...I don't know about the expense in the UK I got a loan from the Student Loans Company my fees were £3290-haven't started paying that back yet! My rent was £250 a month but I sorted it all very last minute so I say you could get cheaper...and yes it offers Masters credits can't remember exactly how many but I say it'd be the same!

kenyard

Ya cool that sounds grand..ya seen that student discount thingy!! ya Dublin grand you were sorted like..ah im sure id get over the bus..doesnt really bother me YA cos those qts exams seem very full on and I am **** at IT can do basics but not a master mind..so not having to do them wud def destress me ...you were very lucky to meet someone to give you a lift..id say saved alot of hassle..sorry another qs was the train Belfast to Coleraine expensive per day?..I bet u can get weekly tickets neway..:p