lifeuni

My time at uni so far….

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150ml 5.07oz - My time at uni so far....

I have been at uni for 4 months now so feel it’s about time for an update.

Our first week there for all induction, info on course + modules + tutors etc, we got down to business the second week. We are only there Monday – Thursday so I have been able to keep my job, though I will be leaving it soon (more to come later).

In the first year we have the following modules:

  • Foundations Of Nursing Knowledge
  • Foundations Of Nursing Practice
  • Human Anatomy And Physiology For Nursing
  • Nursing Assessment Skills
  • Person Centred Practice

By far the hardest module is Human Anatomy And Physiology For Nursing. I find it the most interesting but also the hardest 🙁 We have four 1 hr online exams for this module, thankfully mostly multiple choice. I’m not doing any current revision as yet as I am concentrating on my other modules.

Very early on everyone broke into social groups, most people are local, but there are a few of us that have to travel some distance. There are/were 24 people in our co-hort, so a nice small group, we have since been joined by 6 (I think) students from the co-hort before us. they either needed to make up placement hours + failed a module or failed part of a module. You fail the year if you fail 60 + credits. Some are retaking Foundations Of Nursing Practice (they failed either hours or assignments), some are retaking that plus Nursing Assessment Skills and some just Nursing Assessment Skills. We have also lost one student you gave up and one student who is pregnant so isn’t allowed to do placements, therefore she is doing her placements with the September co-hort and will be in the year below us.

We have so far only handed in two assignments. One was a 1000 word report for Foundations Of Nursing Knowledge the other was a presentation that was recorded! We should be getting our marks back any day now. We have a presentation due in in July (as well as anatomy) but our main focus right now is placements.

Placements have been another thing entirely. There were many an issue for some people. I pick Portsmouth uni due to the placement area i.e Worthing, but all my placements this year are in Bognor or Chichester. When I queried this, as it turns out you stay in that area/hospital the full 3 years, they were surprised as I live in Worthing and asked if I’d be interested in Brighton. No difference in travel but a much bigger hospital, so I said yes. As far I haven’t heard anything, so either nothing will happen or it will change for next year. I was expecting to get a nursing home placement 5 min walk from my house but that hasn’t happen, maybe next year.

Other people had much bigger issue than me, some couldn’t get in touch with anyone, some had their placement taken away and some didn’t even know where they were going to start with. We start placements next week and have two 3 week placements with our OSCEs the week between them!

More on placements + OSCEs to follow.

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Life: Uni update…

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crest - Life: Uni update...

There hasn’t been much movement of late in regards to university info. I have been waiting for the day I could set up my student account.

Well the day finally arrived on 29th November, exactly two months before I start uni. I managed to set up my student gmail account as well as register at the uni. I can’t now see details module information but no timetable. I still need to do ID checks once there, complete my student card and occ health forms.

It is slowly all happening.

I don’t have my timetable yet but I have emailed them to ask what days I’ll be in at least. I need to let work know. I have decided to leave my current role at the end of March 2018 as I don’t want to commit to 23 hours EVERY week, I am however staying on the bank and aiming to do 5 – 6 shifts a month.

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University: A possible change in working schedule

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150ml 5.07oz - University: A possible change in working schedule

My original plan was to drop to only working one day a week (12.5hrs) so I’d have time to study as well as time off from both. Now that doesn’t appear to be possible. Matron has said that the min hours we can work is 23 so that means if I plan to stay (and I need the money) I have to work two days a week.

For the first year this is do-able as this year is basic and doesn’t count towards my final grade but for years 2+3 this could be a struggle. I’ve know people who have managed to work every weekend but that is not something that I want to do. I plan to carry on and see how things go, if needs be I’ll need to look for agency work so it is more flexible and still good pay.

What do you think I should do?

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University: The countdown begins

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150ml 5.07oz - University: The countdown begins

Timeline

I have 5 months remaining before I become a full-time student again! This time will no doubt go fast, I’ll probably be working mostly, trying to save as well as pay down debt. I can”t actually do anything uni related yet as my student ID number doesn’t activate til 2 months before start date. I just want my timetable!

Aims

  • Lose weight. I have around 55 lbs to lose in total but I would like to lose 1/2 before I start uni so aiming for 150 lbs.
  • Pay off debt. I have £7500 of debt of that £1480 is credit cards. To day that off in 5 months would mean £296 per month! A huge task and one I don’t see myself making unfortunately. I will be looking at it an other way and pay via the avalanche method of paying off the highest interest first. So the order will be: Aqua (£189); Marbles (£450); Barclaycard (£355); Lloyds (£500). Anything left I hope to transfer to my OD on a new student account as there will be no interest.

Personal

  • New glasses. I really need a check up and new glasses but I need to save up for this as its not cheap £200+check up
  • Dye hair. I plan to actually go to the hairdresses this time and get a full cut and dye. No idea on price but I’m thinking £100.

What are your plans for the lead up to university starting. Are you going into your first year, second or last?

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Update on studies

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9k= - Update on studies

Results were released last Tuesday, there were not good. I knew I had failed K311 as I didn’t get the required 40% for the OCAS. The result for SDK228 was/is pending, I got through today however the result of the investigation for plagarism! Basically everything they flagged up has been ignored so very little is to be marked, I won’t have passed due to this!

What does this all mean?

I can do a resit in September with the result at the end of the month but that would be too late for Portsmouth. I am trying to get The Open Uni to convert my credits to the DipHE in the hope that Portsmouth will still accept me. The Open Uni are very slow to respond so I may have to phone them up tomorrow.

I feel like should a failure yet again!

I am thinking of applying to The Open Uni for nursing for September 2018. It would mean 4 years but might be better financially. I am however thinking of giving up completely. I can get funding for a 2nd degree and have been thinking of going down the route of Computing & IT or Sport & Fitness. The former would be better job wise that the latter, the latter would be more for enjoyment but maybe I could get a part-time job at the gym or something.

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