“Norland offered exactly what I was looking for” – Vania’s story
As a mature student, Vania’s experiences in the early years helped her to establish that Norland was the perfect choice for her, and for her future career.
In her My Norland Story, second-year student Vania discusses her path to Norland as a mature student, how she has settled into life at Norland, and why our degree with a difference is exactly what she was looking for to develop her experience.
“My name is Vania, I am originally from Mozambique and have been lucky to experience living and working in a number of diverse cultures and countries. My career path is built on a wide experience of life. I have worked in an orphanage and nurseries in different countries, gained a Montessori professional qualification as an Early Years Practitioner, and worked in a range of other jobs. These experiences fuelled my passion to work with children.
“Before applying to Norland, I worked at a nursery in Bath, which showed me that I still wanted to learn more and study for an early years degree. Through my research of different colleges, I found that the best university degree to study was right here on my doorstep. Norland offered exactly what I was looking for, in that it offered a world-class degree that would enable me to further pursue my career to work with children.
“I went to the open day, which was really informative, and this confirmed my decision that this was the path for me to follow. On that first day going into the college, you cannot imagine how proud and excited I was and looking forward to meeting new friends and getting started with my study.
“During the first year, it really was about finding my feet. As a mature student, drawing on the support of the tutors and the college as well as my peers in Set 46, many of whom are now my friends as well as those in earlier sets, was particularly helpful. My ‘Norland buddy’ from a previous set has been especially invaluable. One of the main things I have learned is to be kind to myself and take things one step at a time. While the number of things we must learn and experience can seem overwhelming at times, particularly when deadlines are approaching, this approach alongside the support of staff and peers has enabled me to meet the demands of the course.
“My advice to future students, and one which is a really key thing for me, is to learn to start to prepare for assignments early, and not think the deadline is far away so you have time to do it. Also, to be very organised in your approach. I had not studied at this level of intensity for many years. One thing about the studies at Norland that has been a highlight for me is that what we learn academically, we can then put into practice with hands-on experiences in our placements, which confirms that it is a degree with a difference.
“Another highlight has been the various placements we have undertaken, working with real children in real situations, both in nurseries and family homes. When I started studying, I thought that we would just be learning how to nanny, but we go into depth around the academic theories of how children learn and develop; this was an eye-opener and another highlight for me.
“As part of the diploma course, we learn about sewing, something I had not done before; the sense of satisfaction after I made my first piece was so good. Yes, I did it! Food & nutrition was also enlightening; I learnt so much, like how to ensure a balanced diet, how to make an interesting weekly menu for children, and how to cook it!
“My advice to any mature student wanting to follow this path is to do it. You do not want to be wondering, later on: what, if I had made that application, could I be doing now?”
Read more Norland stories
"I thought to myself, why would I do this anywhere else other than the best place in the world?"
Before joining Norland, Lizzie swapped a rural village in the Peak District with South Africa where she had the unique experience of volunteering in a prison school in Johannesburg. Since then, she’s gone on to fulfil her childhood ambition of studying at Norland.
Read full story
“Norland is an investment in yourself.”
Matthew (Set 43) worked in a range of early years settings before enrolling at Norland as a mature student. In his My Norland Story, he explores student life and the opportunities available to Norlanders.
Read full story
"It's a door to so many other doors and opportunities. It's the next step in both my personal journey and my professional journey in being the best person I can be."
Having always wanted to work with children and considered training to become a teacher, Holly reflects on why she chose Norland and her time so far.
Read full story
"The Norland Agency has been wonderful ... I can totally see how it will be a lifelong place for me to find the right job."
"To me, nannying was especially appealing because of the personal bond I could have with the child that you can't get in every profession and also the relationship you can have with families is amazing and such a privilege to have."
Read full story
