Why Hello There!

Hello to anyone reading :)

Well this week has been a bit busy, how has it been your end?

I have had a week of university, photoshoot, funeral and am now currently at a Heathrow hotel working at an auction for the day...every penny helps!

We worked out the other day that my class has officially three more days of lectures left...EVER! I find myself living in countdowns! After the lectures we have four weeks of study leave and time for a written exam, and practical assessment (OSCE) and a 20minute presentation. Trying to break it down into chunks to try to avoid panic mode. I also have just over a week until a recruitment day to attend so really need to start doing a bit of research into the trust's visions and expectations.

With any work we submit we receive both feedback and grade. The way it works now is that within 15working days after submission we receive online feedback and then 20working days after submission the grade to try to encourage students to read the feedback thoroughly, digest and learn from both positive and constructive comments. We received our first feedback of year three yesterday for an essay submitted last month and you really do work at a higher level in your final degree year! All I can suggest is that if you are given information at the start of Year three advising how to write at a higher more academic level, read it! I felt quietly confident of this essay and it appears my content is good but my paragraph spacing and overuse of 'direct quotes' needs to be addressed, so at least my writing was on the right track, I just need to up my game with presentation and interpretation of quotes. There did seem to be a bit of tension in the class as other students reflected on their feedback, as you try to work out whether it is positive or negative, trying to estimate what grade you will get the following week. We are also asked to self grade our work before submission, so when a lecturer comments that you have not been generous enough or have over-graded we make a mad panic to refresh our minds of what we awarded ourselves!

A few students in the class have already started attending open days and interviews with one I know being offered a job. I am so used to applying for work a month or two before starting, but here you basically are encouraged to start up to seven or eight months beforehand! We are motivated to get good grades but there is a nice satisfying feeling that the majority of us will be offered a job before the grades have all come back, and are happy to have us as long as we qualify. So make sure you present well at interview as an amazingly caring and compassionate nurse! Personality seems to be a big part of it.

Right, I should get back to bidding, will see you next week (hopefully prepared for the open day!) Am still hoping to pop up a video after the day just to reflect on how it was and what was involved to give you a heads up :)

Em x