The University Diaries

'Twas night before placement when all through the house, I worried and I packed, fluttering nervously like a mouse. Kit bag was packed by the front door with care, Waiting for 5am when I would be leaving there. (adaption from 'Twas the night before Christmas') Tomorrow, bright and breezy I start my placement. I am very nervous obviously. I have never been on an ambulance before and having not been at uni for the past 5 weeks, I feel as if I know nothing! I am excited though! This is what I am expecting for tomorrow: 4am ~ Wakey wakey rise and shine! Breakfast time and time to get ready. 5am ~ Leaving the house, sat nav and coffee at the ready. 6am ~ Arrive at the station with enough time to get myself sorted out. 6.30am ~ Shift starts! Beginning with a station induction for approximately 1 hour then off on the road. 6.30pm ~ (Hopefully) shift finishes on time and off on my way home I go! Obviously this depends on if we are on a call or not. My pockets content...

Textbooks can be very expensive, however they can be really valuable if you have the correct ones! In my first term, we completed two modules: Preparation for Clinical Practice (Prep for Prac) and Skills for Study. I only bought textbooks for Prep for Prac, and if I had bought them early I could really have got ahead of the game. Obviously some universities use different textbooks, however I found these the most useful in my first term. JRCALC Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 Pocket Book This is probably the most important book you will ever buy, lecturers say it is your bible... It is! And it is so incredibly important that you have this! It fits perfectly in your trouser pocket (when you have your uniform) and loves your annotations and dog ear marks. They update every year around October time (but you will probably want it before then), and do not worry about having an old version if the new one is not out yet. You will find the list of updates online and it is usually only one...

I prefer cupcakes to cakes because there is none of the cutting and awkward transportation in a napkin. Cute cupcake decorations are simple and effective, and the design is not ruined once it has been cut! We made a vanilla sponge with orange buttercream icing, but the flavours and colours can be changed to suit the occasion. I have added links throughout for inspiration, either I use the products and recommend them or I think the products are great! *We used a couple of different recipes which will be linked, credit goes to them! But we changed bits and made it our own, so yes, not our recipe but our edits.* Makes approximately 15 cupcakes! Cupcake Recipe : taken from Delia Online  and edited 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 3 eggs 175g caster sugar 175g soft (cake) butter 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 170c (fan) Line cupcake tins with cupcake cases (the cuter the better) Sieve the flour and baking powder to remo...

In September, I remember the stress of having to find a new laptop! My old laptop was struggling a bit (bless her), a purple HP Pavilion who had outlived her life expectancy. My old laptop was certainly clonky, by the end of its life she would only work plugged into the mains, took about 15 years to get onto the login page, and would only connect to wifi spots she knew, AKA my home. So my plan was to look for a laptop which was affordable, but a bit plush, because y'know, I was starting uni. I wanted a decent size that would run smoothly with 100 tabs open (because I've got commitment issues with closing tabs), and did not break my bank! My budget was about £500 give or take.  My family had always had HP computers so initially I looked for that. I found this HP Laptop  that I liked . It was a little bit more expensive but there are usually deals on amazon (including student discount!) and I think the investment is worth it. However, my boyfriend had just bought a lap...

Many reasons can determine your decision for living away or at home as a student. I am a 'Living at Home' medical student with placements, and here are the reasons behind my choice and also an evaluation of my circumstances. I hope this is able to provide some clarification, as when I was choosing a university I did not really know what I was looking for. Making Friends Those living in halls have a head start when making friends. Generally they move in about a week before term, take part in all the freshers events and get to know everyone they are living with. Making friends this way is really easy, especially as halls tend to mix courses, so you do not spend all day in lectures with people you are living with. If you do not live at uni, on your first day it can be a bit daunting as you may not know anyone there. Fear not! So many other people are in the same position as you! The nice thing about uni is that everyone talks to each other and it is really easy to make frie...

Hello. I am a paramedic science student, living at home. I have recently completed my first term of university and this is a collection of my thoughts. University is an incredible place. I am lucky to attend a small uni which means that the experience is more personal. It is 30 minutes from where I live, making living at home and transportation relatively easy. My course is a larger cohort for the subject, with 80 students in lectures and 40 students in labs. I understand that this is far smaller than regular science courses, but we are the largest healthcare cohort in the uni. My cohort is diverse, formed of 18 year olds who are fresh out of school, those who already have a degree in another subject area and parents with children. It is interesting having such a wide range of opinions and experiences because everyone brings something different to the table. In the lecture hall you find love, conflict, laughter and tears. This course hits everyone differently at different times. I...