First Years...come and share your experiences

[JDBfangirl]

College, Uni, OU or anything else. How's it going? The good the bad and the obscure.

Same here - I really truly am. We have a case study of a client and we did a fab interactive session through Blackboard last week where we "talked" via email to the Multi Disciplinary Team and to the client herself to see what her needs were. We now need to build the blasted model and write an essay about building regs, colour schemes ad adaptations. Eeek!!!

Had my 2nd Hep B today so have an achey arm.

Are your weeks still full on? Ours are getting more full on as the semester goes on. We have a lovely 9-5 tomorrow too which means the 7.25am train. Eeek!

Well...it's 3 days a week physical attendence at teh University (although Tuesdays are only half days....but plenty of reading and work to be done...so, by no means am I off the rest of the week!

We did a Casestudy as a Groupwork exercise....one week it was finding out about teh physical conditions that the client displayed and things like that, and then we planned interventions, then did an interview and redid interventionplan...
was interesting

Just back from first placement shift. After the obligatory 90mins spent feeling like a spare part I got more stuff to do even admitting a patient and doing obs as well as giving out drinks, emptying catheters and the like. Mentor is fab and easy to talk to. Actually, all the staff are really good (thus far). Me and my mate are on same shifts so we're driving in together. She's on gynae as was really full of stories when she got finished!!

Glad everyone is keeping busy. I'm going to try get essay near as done tomorrow afternoon and thurs morning. Better get myself to bed as I'm on a early tomorrow.

Thats it Fairlady - our courses are really interesting - every day is fab and there have not really been any sessions that I haven't enjoyed yet.

JDB - Wow - they have let you get into it quickly. I am really nervous about my placement as I have always worked in offices. I am so scared I am going to do something wrong and will fail my placement. Will they be rotating your placement so you "get a go" at everything or will you be on the same ward for the duration?

Notalone, I know what you mean about enjoying every session, I never thought I'd find anything that I whole heartidly enjoy as much as I've enjoyed the first two months.

I'm on this placement for five weeks - same ward. Out on placement two in feb which is on another ward at the same hospital.

Today I got to see a PEG feeding tube being inserted in endoscopy and a angioplasty in x-ray. Both were really good to see and the Dr's took the time to explain what they were doing to me, making the experience even better.

Am thrashing through my ethics essay (still) The Hannah Jones heart transplant story has helped me so much, currently writing all about it. Felt a bit guilty about being so pleased about it at first, after all, this young woman is going to die. But then I considered the bigger picture and I feel pleased that she's going to get her wish to hopefully die at home, the way she wants. As a wannabe palliative care nurse, that would give me a sense of pride.

JDB...your placement sounds good
And that Hannah Jones case has fascinated me....I find ethics issues realy interesting, in general....! Glad she won her case....!

Notalone...oh definately....the bestest course ever (sorry everyone else...I am sure you feel the same about your courses and so you should!)
Well, looks like I will be missing lectures tomorrow....my car is broken down, and I had to put it into the garage (to dangerous to drive it until fixed....), they couldn't get the part tat is needed until tomorrow, and don't know when they will get it tomorrow....hopefully early enough so they can put it in....
tried to get hold of people living in surrounding areas, but have not heard from anyone, and have contacted my personal Tutor, but she didn't come back to me neither...(thought she might be able to contact those people and ask them to contact me, as she probably wouldn't have been able to give me any phonenumbers....)....I looked into going by bus, but I would have to leave that early and it would be a complete nightmare trip, too....hohum...will work on my Occupational Being Project...so, at least the time won't be wasted.
My friend said I should just try to get in late....BUT....that somehow doesn't appeal to me...and I would be to late home at night...and that would cause all sorts of problems....as dh is on nights....and, then I would be sure NOT to get the car back until Friday....as dh wouldn't have time to collect it and place would be shut by the time I get home....sigh

Ooo haven't watched Bend It Like Beckham in ages!! Lol.

JDB, so glad to hear your placement is going well.

Notalone, glad to hear you're enjoying your course

FairLady, so sorry to hear about your car But hopefully you can catch up with stuff if you don't go in! My dd's ill at the moment but well enough still to go into school, so just hoping she doesn't get worse so I have to take time off too.

My course is a bit... well everyone's not really happy with it. And I understand their point of view as some of it does seem way off the mark. But I'm still enjoying it besides the stress it's bringing. But got some great news today. The presentation we were suppose to do in January is now going to be an exhibition, mostly because so many of us did so poorly in our practise presentation, which suits me a lot better. So now writing up my proposal for mine and trying to think what kind of finger foods to provide... lmao.

tammy, hope you dd is better and you didn't have to miss Uni.

Well, I was able to arrange a lift for tomorrow....phew...and hopefully by Saturday I should have the car back...tbh...sa long as I have it back by Tuesday I will be fine.

Spend the day working on my Doll/Gingerbread house and the House is done...i.e. the cardboard boxes are made into a House...but it needs decorating and I have to do still te rest...but it is a start...and it looks o.k., too...whihc is good....phew...

How is everyone esle?

JDB, Placememnt still good?

HI all,
I have added a pic of the "Dollhouse" and one of the things that is going to go into it into my picture page....
just for fun....

Wow fairlady... the house is looking like a house! Am rubbish at art and craft so always marvel at other peoples efforts! Well done!

Have two days off now (so obviously DS woke up at 7 this am ) and just need to write my conclusion for my essay. I just want it to pass really. DH says he'll help me reference. He's going to help me go through the referencing book tonight so I can get in printed etc and handed in on Monday.

Still loving placement. Have spent the last two shifts with a staff nurse as my mentor is p/t. She's been great to work with too!

Glad you enjoy it so much!

I always put the references I use into a seperate document as I am writing the essay and then tidy it up aferwards, i.e. put it into alphabetical order and the right format, etc....works quite well that way

Oh and believe me, I am utterly rubbish at arts and crafts, hence me being so proud, lol...was lucky though, I mean, total coincidence that I had 2 boxes that fitted together so nicely...made it all much easier
Am gonna go to the iNlaws later....as they have a Lidl nearby, that hopefully will stock all the bikkies I will need to decorate the outside Our Lidl is getting rebuild and they just have a little temporary tent lidl here now, which desn't stock any x-mas stuff yet....sigh

I have, for all my general disorganisation done just that with the references, it's the going through Cite it Right and formatiing them I'm not looking forward to!

Lol @ Lidl biscuits! A house good enough to eat

Lol...well...tis meant to be a german gingerbread house...what with me being german and all that

Cite it right is that like a Harward referencing system?

Aaargh still nowt done on essays, time ticking away and me having NO MOTIVATION because I loathe writing essays. Help please...target setting for tomorrow could be finish watching Metropolis as that's the hardest film to watch (all silent, with subtitles). Maybe watch film and do reference list?

sounds like a plan...
and what will the essay have to include?

About 1000 words on what the film's about, and then 1000 on a part of the film that excites me, which for me, is the music. Need to find some sources on music psychology, music creating moods etc I think.

Wow Fairlady - I am impressed! Think you may secretly be arty crafty after all!! Our model looks fab but sadly that is not down to me - I have become the designated research / typing / file share person which is probably best lol. I did make some logs for the fire and made a template of a kitchen cabinet but that is about it sadly. Oh, and you have jinxed me too lol because as soon as you posted about your car, then our car failed its MOT. Arrgghhh!!! It is ok now but we had to fork out for new brake pads and tyres and apprently the brake pipe is corroding too.

JDB - I am pleased your placement is still going so well. We have been warned that sadly for some people, placement may not be what they are expecting. Apparently it is after placement that a few people tend to leave the course too. I hope I don't feel like that. We also had a talk on bullying and unprofessional conduct of our educators. Eeek! Glad the essay seems to be going well. What is Cite it Right?

Lollipop - if you have online access to journals there is a lot of research on music releasing endorphins and being used therapeutically. Not sure if this is what you are looking for but let me know if it would help and I could try and help you find some.

Tammybear - why are people unhappy with your course?

Ooooh - and most of you have faces lol. Forgot about creating profiles and have been a little nosy! Its nice to be able to put names to faces! I don't have a profile but I am on Facebook - are any of you on Facebook too?

notalone, am kinda on Facebook, but never go on there....lol!
Not sure about being secretely artsy/crafty afterall...I think I was just lucky, as had the right boxes about, and I suppose whilst planning my project I also thought of my abilities....lol...and a doll house is easier to make then it sounds...lol

Hey,
FairLady - yeah dd was pretty ill, so had my dp come round in morning to look after her as we had a lecturer coming in in the morning so didn't want to miss it! But got to uni and the lecturer wasn't coming til afternoon but I had to leave at lunch because dp started work at 2:30 But apparently I didn't miss much. But still annoying! House is looking excellent btw! And bless you and your kids. So cute!

LV - know exactly what you mean. I've spent the last 2 days having "days off" because really I spend every day studying and my dp told me off and made me do nothing lol (though I've just spent an hour doing some because he's on the Playstation lol). So I feel like I've wasted two days of doing stuff, not that I really had the motivation to do it anyway!

Notalone - A lot of people thought the course was going to be different to what it is. Like at the moment, we've been studying a lot of painters and paintings, which I understand and think it's quite interesting as obviously photography stemmed from paintings. I'm on Facebook! I think my email for that one (because I have far too many) is [email protected] Should come up Clare Bear lol.

Cite it Right is a guide to referencing. It basically tells you how to reference everything like books, jourals websites etc. I imagine every Uni has something similar, even if it is just a website.

Felt really relieved to finish my essay. I've got another one due in after Xmas holidays but that one doesn't daunt me as much. It's a clinical skill. I think I'll do BM (Diabetic Blood Sugar Tests) as I've done that a few times now.

Notalone: Yes, I imagine a few people are going to discover that being a nurse is not quite what they imagined. I had a moments reflection on my first day where I knew it was definitely what I wanted to do... which after all the drama, is a good thing! I even wrote a relective diary acount of my first week.

I'm on facebook, clairebear_79 at hot mail dot com

If you want to add me, do write that you're off mumsnet or I'll become confused... well, more than usual!

tammy, so sorry to hear that she was that unwell and that you missed a lecture....

JDB, yeah, we have a Harward Referening Guide. Must be the same then

I'm feeling pretty awful tonight. Got my grades back for first project (not official but still...) and also peer assessment/what the lecturers think. There's good bits, but it's the peer stuff that makes me feel awful.

Strengths:
Attitude
Attendance
Commitment
Listens to others
Positive
Work rate
Respect
Creative Potential

Issues
Attitude
Participation
Pro-activeness (I've changed that, it just says pro-active on my sheet)
Creative Potential
Work rate
Communication
Respect
Leadership

My issue with it is a) I either got a massive pile of boring work to do, not practical editing/filming, and no help or b) no work at all. As for respect, it's a two way street and the group had big egos and were patronising all the time. So I withdrew, did exactly what they asked of me and nothing more. Any editing I did, was left out/discarded as a "learning exercise for me". So irritating. I only gave each of them 1 issue and about 3 strengths...there's 4 of them btw.

My grade was 6/15. A 3.0 in degree terms. Not happy.

Still, this next project should change that hopefully, got a new, nicer group!

Aww Lollipop....that is shit....but obviously people weren't really agreeing on any points, were they?(Or am I misunderstanding this....because you have lots in both categories that are the same...

BUt, I can understand why it would bring you down....just don't let it get to you to much!
Will you be always working in teh same groups?