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!

Reflection

 

Afternoon all!

 

Well with 10 days left until Christmas, I thought it would be a good time of year to talk about reflection.

Reflection is something you will most likely already do, whether it be due to a positive or negative experience. Those moments when you replay a situation in your head that you either observed or were involved in, then wonder whether you could have done things differently or maybe just take something from the moment that could affect similar scenes in the future.

This time three years ago, I had made the decision to apply for nursing. I remember vividly standing in my Gran's garden telling her how unhappy I then was with my life as my then job was not going anywhere, and she told me to come home. This happened a few weeks after she had been in hospital and I had worried about the care she had received and I decided I could care for people like her better than she had been cared for then. She passed away not long after I stood with her, and less than a week after her funeral, I was offered an interview for the course. I put everything into applying for the University of Bedfordshire as I wanted to be around my people to support them. When the email popped through the following summer offering me an unconditional place, I was over the moon. I gave in my notice at work and looked towards the future.

This situation made me view care of the elderly differently. I see families come onto the ward and see peoples children, grandchildren, partners, friends and other relatives. Every now and then I see similarities with some patients or families to my own which does remind me of why I am there. I think I will always have a soft spot for those patients who you notice do not have any visitors and you wonder how they feel seeing other people around them being visited with gifts and cards in tow. Does nobody miss them? 

The reason for the above example is that you will realise once on the course that reflection is very important for your learning. You will be expected to write reflections of your experiences throughout the three year course of any event that makes you stop and think. Reflecting on such events in nursing and general life will then lead to better future experiences. Because of my close family and past experiences, I believe that I appreciate working with the older generation more than I would have done prior to my Gran's death, as I have witnessed care both good and bad and know what care I want to give as a nurse.

Another form of reflection could be maybe writing a diary of events throughout your day...maybe during placement. I did this throughout my second year and found it a valuable tool to refer back to in regards to reflection and learning experiences.

Well, I now have three shifts left before Christmas leave then am determined to get my next essay done and out of the way. The work I have done so far along with research is currently sat staring at me so I must get on!

Thanks for stopping by, will catch up again next week :)


Em x