Meet Evie: our student open day speaker

What did you do prior to coming to Norland?

Before securing a place at Norland, I attended sixth form where I studied Early Years, Health and Social Care and Business. From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children but I was never drawn to teaching or working in a nursery. I struggled to find a university course that suited my interests until I discovered Norland and realised how exciting a career as a nanny truly can be. After attending an open day, I immediately felt this was the perfect place for me to study and gain an education in caring for children. To prepare, in the hopes I would be allocated a place, I started babysitting for my neighbours’ children and worked as a children’s party host. These roles allowed me to gain valuable experience while also helping me save for my studies.

What have you most enjoyed most about studying at Norland?

What I enjoy most about studying at Norland is the strong sense of community and the lifelong friendships you form. From studying here for almost three years, it is clear for me to say that the staff are so supportive it has made studying here so enjoyable. There is a balance between academic work and socialising and Norland consistently provides events to support our wellbeing. For example, quiz nights, BBQs and our own wellbeing festival! Our amazing Student Staff Liaison Committee also plan nights out in Bath or ice-skating socials for example, that provide the opportunity for all year groups to mix and get to know each other, emphasising that sense of community at Norland. I also appreciate how the course is structured with both academic and practical aspects. I particularly love the practical days, like our food and nutrition and sewing lessons. They provide us with a chance to destress after focusing on our written assignments during our academic lectures the days prior.

What were you most worried about prior to studying at Norland and what advice would you give to someone who has that worry now?

Before starting at Norland, my biggest concern was how I would manage to balance the academic workload with a social life and part-time jobs. I was worried it might be difficult to juggle everything. However, it has been far easier than anticipated. I really value having downtime, so I love to ensure my weekends are for socialising and occasional nannying work. During the week, I focus on my academic work alongside working for families for two evenings. Within our lectures, Norland also provide time for independent study and I am fortunate to have most Fridays off unless there’s a guest speaker, which gives me a dedicated block of time to focus on assignments. If you’re worried about managing work, studies and socialising, I can honestly say there are more than enough opportunities to balance it all, and in hindsight, I had nothing to worry about at all!

What are your ambitions for the future?

In the future, I would love to work as a nanny for a family in London, especially one that enjoys travelling. Finding the right family to work with is important to me as I would love to build a lasting relationship with them and watch the children grow over time. However, I also enjoy embracing new opportunities, so I am interested in temporary positions, which would allow me to work with a variety of families and gain experience in different roles. Thinking way ahead into the future, studying at Norland has broadened my horizons, and I am now considering specialising in a specific area of child development I have particularly enjoyed exploring during my academic work. Once I am ready to settle down or start a family of my own, I would love to focus on supporting children with speech and language development, an area I am currently exploring through my dissertation.