"As someone looking to go into teaching, I had the option of either studying for a BEd or doing a mathematics degree followed by a one-year PGCE course. Both options were exactly the same in terms of course duration so I opted to do BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Education.
The course allowed me to get both an insight into teaching and a mathematics degree at the same time – essential if I decided teaching was not for me or if I was to change my choice of career in the future.
The course at Plymouth was superb. I was able to consolidate and extend my mathematics skills whilst at the same time gaining enough experience in schools to decide if teaching was a career I wanted to pursue. The education side of the degree involved both the practical side of teaching and the theoretical aspects of the profession. I was able to go into a school on a regular basis, observe lessons and gradually build up to leading a class. At the same time I was also looking in detail at the theory behind how teachers teach and how pupils learn, a vital aspect of teaching.
