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How did it feel to be a Graduate from St Mary’s University College this year?
Rabiyah Mazhar and Stewart Goodall
Finding enough time to study is something all students can relate to, but Rabiyah Mazhar knows more about this problem than most. As well as studying full-time for her teaching qualification for three years, Rabiyah worked as a Teaching Assistant whilst also looking after her husband and two sons. It’s been hard work,” she said. “I’ve had to balance looking after them and seeing to their needs, with working, as well as studying.”
“I continued to work at the school I was at, so I could use that experience for the course. And that’s what made it manageable with my family.”
Rabiyah graduated with a BA Education with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in Primary Education. She was originally studying at another university, but transferred because she heard about the reputation of the course at St Mary’s. During her time here she enjoyed gaining experience from the various schools she visited, as well as meeting other degree students in the same boat as her. Most importantly though, she said that the support from the tutors here had been fantastic.
At the time of her graduation, Rabiyah was looking for her first teaching position in a primary school. She was also looking forward to having more free time on her hands. “I do like to get out to the gym, the theatre and the cinema, so hopefully I’ll be able to do that more in future. I’ve also been thinking about further studies – I must be mad!”
Another student who did very well juggling study and work is Stewart Goodall, who was a Sport Science undergraduate at St Mary’s before gaining his MSc in Applied Sport Science here. “I was lucky enough to get a teaching position while I was doing my Masters, so that’s been brilliant,” said Stuart.
Teaching and studying at the University College meant he had little free time, but he feels he got a lot out of the experience: “St Mary’s is a great institution that’s got a lot of elite athletes, and that’s what I’m interested in – working with the future of British Athletics.”
As well as the high standard of the University College’s Sport Science courses, Stuart also cites the atmosphere at St Mary’s as one of the best things about his time here: “It’s nice and cosy, everyone knows everyone,” he said.
Despite completing his MSc, it is still unlikely Stuart will have much spare time; he has just started a PhD and is busy training for the London Marathon in April.
Thomas Jia and Diarmuid Skehan
China is not a place people in this country usually associate with Christianity. Yet according to official Chinese government data, there are at least 14 million practising Christians in China, while independent estimates range from 50-100 million.
One Chinese Christian is Thomas Ji, a priest from Xi’an – home of the Terracotta Army. Thomas was living in the UK for three years while studying Pastoral Theology, transferring from another university to St Mary’s for his final year. “I found the course there was very academic, whereas at St Mary’s the course was more practical, more useful,” he said.
“Here there were more modules to study and the course was more demanding, but it was better for me. I learned a lot of things here.”
Despite being busy with his studies, Thomas was able to pursue one of his favourite pastimes, travelling. During his time in the UK, he was able to travel in Spain, Germany and Italy, as well as travelling in England.
Of all the places he visited, though, London is his favourite: “People here are kind, and I like the mixed culture – there are so many different people here. I like the weather here too. The UK’s a very nice country.”
After his graduation ceremony, Thomas was flying back to Xi’an the following day to meet his Bishop and discuss his role in their diocese. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think I’ll continue teaching seminars, because before I came here I had been teaching for five years already,” he said, “And also, that was the reason my Bishop sent me here.”
Thomas feels he gained a lot from living in the UK and studying at St Mary’s, and hopes his Bishop will send more Chinese priests here in future.
Diarmuid Skehan, from Clare in Ireland, is another international student who graduated this year. Although not from as far away as Thomas Jia, Diarmuid still found a contrast between life at the University College and life back home: “I come from a very rural background in Ireland, so it’s obviously a case of chalk and cheese, a very different experience to living in Ireland.”
With a large number of Irish students attending St Mary’s, though, Diarmuid soon felt at home here. “There was a really good bunch of people here and a big Irish community at St Mary’s,” he said. “It’s always nice to meet great people, and especially to meet great people from back home.”
While studying for his PGCE here, Diarmuid enjoyed playing hurling and Irish football regularly, but says he did not have much free time: “There were a lot of long days and evenings planning lessons, but it was enjoyable all the same. I think ‘fulfilling’ is the best way to describe it. I’m actually teaching now in the school where I did my placement, so that’s a good sign that I got a lot out of the experience.”
He is enjoying teaching and is looking forward to having more free time in future. “One of the plus sides of teaching is that you get decent holidays, so I’m hoping to do a bit of travelling this summer for five or six weeks,” he said.
“I mean, you don’t have the opportunity to take that length of time off work with other jobs, so I want to take advantage of that by going on holiday to either South America or Eastern Europe.”
