A taste of university life

Details can be found on the university's website

I would always advocate attending an open day at any university that you are thinking of applying to.  These give you an opportunity to visit the campus and accommodation, learn more about the structure of the course and get a feel for the atmosphere – after all, it will become your home for the next three years.  I knew as soon as I came to the University of Bedfordshire that I felt comfortable and liked the staff.  It is also helpful to attend an open day so you can understand and articulate why you want to attend that specific university – a common question in interviews.

I asked my friends why they attended university open days to see if they had any further insight.  These are their words of wisdom;

“I have always believed if you like a place on a rainy day you will be happy there.” Emily

“The open day gave me an insight into how the university worked before I applied.” Anne

Meet current students

“I appreciated being able to talk to the students and get an insight into their experience – lecturers and staff will always be positive; I wanted to know what it was really like.” Alex

“I found it helpful to learn the course structure and the type of assessments which are used so I could see if it suited me.” Daisy

“I was able to meet other applicants who I then contacted on Facebook so I already had friends when I started!” Joely

“I liked looking round the simulation lab – that made me really excited about starting the course.” Mary-Anne

“I went to one open day for a university which I had set my heart on going to, but once I got there it just didn’t feel right.  I am glad I realised that before I had gone through the application and interview process.” Jenny

See the facilities

I have previously written a post with lots of tips about choosing the right university (Where to go?).  I also spoke to my friends about what made them choose the University of Bedfordshire and how they made their decision. 

Many people only applied to institutions which were within a commutable distance from home, whereas others were drawn to the structure of the course.  They looked at league tables (such as The Guardian’s University Guide, The Complete University Guide, What Uni?), prospectuses, student forums, and asked college tutors and family members.  There doesn’t seem to be a magic formula for choosing the right university.  I think it is important to do some research and attend an open day to see if it feels right.  Trust your instincts.  See you next week!

Where to go

Choosing the right university is a massive decision, one that needs careful consideration.  Although the decision was slightly taken out of my hands as the University of Bedfordshire was the only

Decisions, decisions

institution which offered me a place, I remember the heartache and indecision which surrounded my choice to study at Loughborough University.  There are a number of factors to consider; here are just a few tips which may be helpful to you when you are making the decision…

Read the course syllabus and structure
Every university will structure their course and organise their assessments in slightly different ways. With midwifery many aspects are stipulated by the NMC so there is some standardisation, but each course will have its individual nuances which you need to bear in mind.  UoB, for example, have continuous placement throughout the three years of midwifery training rather than block placements.  Look through university prospectuses and look on the university’s website for details.  One of the things which attracted me to Loughborough was the fact that the dissertation was an optional unit!  Needless to say, I did not choose that option.

Attend an open day
The best way to get a feel for a university is to attend an open day.  Usually this will include a tour of the campus and accommodation, which is important because not only will the university you choose become the place you study, it will also become your home for the next three years.  There may also be the opportunity to talk to current students which means you will be able to ask them all the

An easy way to get a taste of student life

important questions you will have.  You will be able to gauge if you can ‘see’ yourself at that university, if there are societies you are interested in, where you will take your grandparents when they come to visit!  I instantly felt at home when I attended open days at Loughborough and Bedfordshire, something I didn’t experience at some of the other universities I looked around.

Think about location and transport links
This is a very practical consideration but one which will serve you well.  I always wanted to study somewhere which was far enough away from home so I wouldn’t go home every weekend, but was close enough to get back if I needed to.  I often fight the temptation to just pop home to enjoy my mum’s cooking and familiar surroundings when the homesickness sets in, but I have learnt that it is important to stick these times out and put some foundations down. Also, a two hour journey is just long enough to put me off if I have had a busy week, but not too long to get back for special events (or a mummy hug!).  You also want to think about whether you like to be in the city or prefer a small town; one of the things which put me off studying in London was the thought of working in a big city hospital.  Also think about what the transport links are like.  Being based in Luton was fantastic for me in my first year as I didn’t drive and the bus service is excellent. 

Talk to family and friends
Ultimately the decision is yours, but it is also useful to get the opinion of friends and family if you are really struggling to settle on a university.  It would be more beneficial if they have accompanied you to an open day, but even if they haven’t they may think of something you haven’t.   My mum, for example, googled the train journey home from Luton and fretted that I would have to cross London.  I think she had forgotten I had lived and worked in London for nearly two years!

Graduation - the ultimate goal

My final piece of advice is to look at student experience league tables as these offer an invaluable insight into what it is like to be a student at the universities you are considering.  There is no flashy marketing involved, just honest opinion from the people who are where you will soon be.  See you next week!

Accomodation

One of the first decisions you will need to make once your place at University is confirmed is where you are going to live.  If, like me, you move away from home to study one of the options open to you is halls of residence.

I lived in halls for my first year both times that I went to university.  It made sense to me, and was relatively hassle free.  There are a few adjustments to make, as there always are when you live with someone (see my previous blog post Flat Pack Furniture and Flatmates) but the benefits are numerous.

Fancy new halls at UoB

Location, location, location
Most halls of residence are in the centre of town or very close to the university campus which makes navigating a new city easy.  I lived in halls next to the campus so I could be out of my bed and in lectures within 40 mins!  Very handy as you become used to the student lie-in!  There was also a bus stop 50 yards from the front door which was perfect for the early morning starts on placement.

A sense of identity
By living in halls you instantly have a group of people who you have something in common with – you all live together.  The first few weeks away from home can be daunting and homesickness is not unusual – I know I experienced it, and still do sometimes.  My top tip to beat the blues is to surround yourself with noise; turn the radio on, watch a DVD, or get together with some friends.  And this is so easy when you live in halls.  There is always someone around to share a cup of tea or cook dinner with. 

Being a grown up is hard!

All bills included
One of the horrible things about growing up is budgeting.  Living in halls takes some of the stress out of it as there is just one outgoing – your rent.  This covers water, gas, electricity, internet and all the other things that eat away at your student loan.  The only additional expense you will have is food, washing and a TV licence.  It makes the transition to independent living a little easier.

Finally, I have a few tips for living in halls:

• Designate male and female bathrooms – most apartments are co-ed and separating bathrooms will reduce arguments.
• Discuss a cleaning rota – it may not be something you want to stick rigidly to, but, it will ensure everyone does there bit.
• Buy some flipflops – you can wear them in the shower and around your room.
• Decorate your room – lots of pictures and bright colours.  Use white tac so it doesn’t cause damage, but it will make your room much more homely and warm.
• Get some earplugs – if you are working nights (which you will as a nursing or midwifery student) there will be times when you need to sleep when everyone else is awake.
• Keep a toilet roll in your room – just in case!

This is how I look after a run of night shifts

See you next week!

Opening Day

Hi people :)

Well it's been about 10days since my last post and life has been same old...3 weeks into the 12week study block and work is slowly mounting up. We have a date set to attend an open day at the end of March to give us the opportunity to speak to people from the various hospitals regarding job opportunities and to ask questions and listen in on various talks-should be interesting! As I am also looking for work further afield in the UK I am also registering on NHS Jobs just to see what opportunities are arising, with another open day to attend at the end of February. Definitely worth registering on before looking for work, as you will be able to see what they expect and look for from newly qualified students so you will gain some indication of which area's you will need to focus on.

As the title states, I thought it a good opportunity to write about the university Open Day. Although I was determined to get onto the nursing course and only applied to Bedfordshire, I wanted to get a bit more information about the course from talking to people rather than just relying on the prospectus I had received. After keeping an eye out for dates, I attended the open day at Aylesbury (Bucks campus) as the date suited me and a lot of the staff are the same as well as the sessions and course structure. I finally managed to find the campus (advice-look at google maps/sat nav/map etc before leaving and leave extra time!) and there were a lot of other people there. The open day was aimed at not just potential adult nurse students but also mental health, child and ODP (Operating Room Practitioner). Even if you think you want to apply for a certain field of nursing, it is worth sitting in on the talks around the other area's as who knows, there may be other options and it also gives you an insight into the other roles.

I think the most valuable thing I found when there was being able to speak to admin staff about funding/bursary options. I knew I would need to contact the bursary/finance teams for more exact details but getting a good overview did put my mind at rest, as after years of working on a full-time wage I was wary about whether I would have enough to live off or whether I would need to take up a part-time job whilst studying (fortunately I am getting away with not having to, but it depends on your situation/lifestyle etc).

I know a lot of students who did not attend any open day prior to applying for the course, but feel they may have been able to gain more of an understanding about what to expect from the course. If you end up going-let me know what you think. Do you think it helped?

On a sadder note (but I feel worth bringing up) I had a death in the family last weekend of a close relative. We were aware he was ill from before Christmas so at that point I decided to work on my essay over Christmas and submit three weeks before the submission date. Over the three years other students have had similar situations where things happen-either family illness or personal illness maybe, and the last thing you want is the stress of an essay that is due in within the next week. As previously mentioned, some students thrive on pressure to complete their written work well and do work better by leaving things to the last week or two but my belief is if you can get it done early, do it. You never know what is around the corner and sometimes the last thing you need is uni work.

Right, well that's me for the day. See you next week!
Em x
 
 

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