Aroundtown Magazine May June 2023 edition
Read the May/June edition of Aroundtown Magazine, South Yorkshire's free premier lifestyle magazine.
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FAMILY<br />
Degrees<br />
on your<br />
doorstep<br />
at University Centre<br />
Rotherham<br />
Whether you’re looking at continuing your studies,<br />
are planning to return to education, or want to<br />
upskill and change careers, study locally and save<br />
thousands on your degree at University Centre<br />
Rotherham.<br />
What students love<br />
about studying at UCR<br />
Hailed as a game changer for<br />
closing the skills gap in the town,<br />
the £10.5m University Centre<br />
Rotherham, part of the RNN Group,<br />
opened to students in September<br />
2018. Over the last five years, UCR<br />
has proved to be the single most<br />
important development for increasing<br />
access to higher level skills, degrees<br />
and training for people living in and<br />
around Rotherham.<br />
As a university centre, UCR<br />
delivers courses differently to<br />
traditional universities. Students<br />
aren’t just a number in a big lecture<br />
hall, overwhelmed by multiple<br />
campuses spread across a city.<br />
Smaller class sizes mean tutors can<br />
take the time to get to know each<br />
student as an individual.<br />
Courses are classroom based<br />
within one building, with all the<br />
facilities students could need<br />
to complete their studies, from<br />
soundproof pods for personal<br />
study to the two-storey library<br />
and computer space. There is<br />
also a music studio, photography<br />
studio, conference room and<br />
outdoor auditorium.<br />
While it may be smaller in size, it’s<br />
bigger in opportunity. Their diverse<br />
range of vocational-focused degrees<br />
have been designed with future<br />
employability in mind. Kick-start<br />
a career in sought-after areas of<br />
industry like engineering, business,<br />
computing, and education. Get<br />
hands-on learning in a range of<br />
subjects like arts and media, music<br />
and theatre, or hair and beauty.<br />
Many courses are offered full<br />
and part-time allowing students to fit<br />
studies around work and family life,<br />
great for mature learners heading<br />
back into education. All courses<br />
are accredited by other Yorkshire<br />
universities such as Sheffield Hallam,<br />
Huddersfield and Hull. But the UCAS<br />
tariff points needed to study at<br />
UCR are generally lower – 48 or 64<br />
compared to 80 and 112.<br />
Located in Rotherham town<br />
centre on the site of the former<br />
Doncaster Gate Hospital, close to<br />
the bus and train station, students<br />
at UCR can achieve their career<br />
aspirations without the need to<br />
live away from home or travel<br />
long distances.<br />
But one of the biggest pulls<br />
to studying at UCR is the cost.<br />
Ending up with over £45,000 of<br />
student debt can be a real barrier<br />
when choosing whether to carry<br />
on in education. However, full-time<br />
courses are £6,900 per year of study,<br />
far less than the average £9,250<br />
course fees at other universities,<br />
making UCR an affordable option<br />
without compromising on the quality<br />
of learning.<br />
Ethan<br />
The continuity of<br />
learning and tutor<br />
support<br />
Studying for a degree is basically<br />
about choosing a subject you’re<br />
interested enough in to dedicate<br />
years of your life to.<br />
Ethan Massingham is a final<br />
year BA (hons) music performance<br />
student at UCR who has been<br />
able to expand on his life-long<br />
love of music through his studies.<br />
He naturally progressed onto<br />
the music degree course after<br />
studying a level 3 music course at<br />
Rotherham College.<br />
At UCR, there are no random<br />
degree courses; they all follow on<br />
from those available at RNN’s three<br />
colleges. With the music tutors<br />
working across both the college and<br />
university courses, Ethan knew he<br />
could turn to them for support.<br />
“They teach in a way that<br />
simplifies it and I’ve tried to learn<br />
everything I possibly can from them.<br />
People might not think you need<br />
a degree to be a musician but my<br />
course has taught me other skills I<br />
can take away from here like filming<br />
or how to set the sound up at gigs.<br />
It’s also good to have a back-up<br />
option and perhaps one day I’d like<br />
to get into teaching. Having a degree<br />
would support that.”<br />
As a well-rounded musician,<br />
Ethan plays the acoustic and electric<br />
guitar, bass, piano, and is a singer/<br />
songwriter, so rehearsal space is key<br />
for him. UCR has fantastic facilities<br />
for the music department to use, with<br />
a soundproof studio and industrystandard<br />
equipment.<br />
He’s now a regular on the<br />
open mic scene, having gained<br />
confidence in his ability as a country<br />
folk musician while studying. Ethan<br />
has completed his degree around<br />
other commitments like this thanks to<br />
the flexible hours of his course. Many<br />
courses are compiled into two or<br />
three full days a week, rather than an<br />
hour lecture here or there.<br />
44 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
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