Lockdown 2.0 is really giving us all the time to reminisce about when things were normal (whatever that means). So, here’s my journey at University College Birmingham so far…
I’ve been at UCB for 4 years now, currently taking my 5th and final year studying Bakery and Patisserie Technology (BSc). To be honest, I’ve loved every minute of my course – it’s been hard work, but it’s also shaped me into the person I am today (cringe, but true).
When I started here, I was 16, very shy and just had a passion for making sweet treats every now and then. Now, I’m 20, loud, confident and probably a stone heavier – wish I was joking!
After 4 years the bread, cake and chocolate take their toll – definitely worth it though.
To any current students here, you’ll already know that the bread and cakes at University College Birmingham are incredible. To any future students, you will soon understand. Even if you aren’t studying bakery, you are not exempt from the cakes and bakes…
Cakes and Bakes is the first thing you will see as you enter the Summer Row campus. It’s full of bread, cakes, chocolate, sandwiches, drinks and yep… even more cake. It’s AMAZING!
Have I spoken too much about Cakes and Bakes in this blog post? Sorry!
The past 4 years of my journey here have been eventful, but I wouldn’t have gotten through it all without my amazing friends. You really do go through it all together, you drag each other through the tough times and laugh your way through the not so tough times. I have a lot to thank my friends for, if you’re reading this… you know who you are.
I better talk about the lessons at University College Birmingham as that’s probably what you’re here for. The lecturers are amazing, they take the time for each and every student to make sure we are all benefiting from the lesson and learning something new each time. A special thanks to Richard Wood, who always made the 8am bread lectures fun when we were all half asleep! I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say the early lectures can be painful – I have to wake up at 5:30am to get into Birmingham, but when you’re taking home some lovely goodies, it makes it all worth it!
Particularly at college, you have the opportunity to take part in work placements, and for me, this was such a valuable experience in shaping my future. I was fortunate enough to have 3 placements across my time at college, allowing me to decide which part of the bakery industry I want to pursue and which I definitely don’t!
I went to a hotel in Birmingham and got experience as a pastry chef, then I went to a little cafe in Birmingham and got a taste of bakery on a smaller scale. Saving the best until last, I finally went on a 3-week work placement to beautiful Marseille and lived out all my patissier dreams!
I’ve learned to throw everything into these work placements because they aid any future career decisions you make. It seems daunting at first going on a work placement but I promise you, it shapes you into the person you want to be.
It’s dissertation year for me now so I’ll be sure to update you on how I get on with this year’s laughs, adventures and stories of mayhem as I go along – if there’s anything else you wish to know about University College Birmingham, be sure to let me know!
See you next week
Amelia 🙂