End of Uni

Hi.

I dislike the word 'Uni'. It has an element of evil smugness which plants you straight into a particular socio-economic classification. Yet I find myself using this word a lot seeing as I do attend such an institution. I apologise in advance, I can fully empathise if it gets annoying. It has to be said that University is a place for many things, not just education: the opportunity to grow (literally in the case of some people I know), find your own feet, gain independence and indulge in the company of like-minded people. In this post I intend to wrap up my first year at Manchester and include any things I wish I had known at the start for all you freshers excited for your first year.

In my previous post which was published an while ago (had exams etc in the meantime), I mentioned about obtaining a job in Manchester to work at during the semester. This turned out ok despite studying a content heavy course such as Medicine and I would recommend it to those who are looking to make some extra money during term time. I was fortunate enough in that I could cut down my hours during exams and that my shift schedule was flexible whereby I could effectively work whenever I wanted to. However, there are lots of ways out there for students to make money while studying, ranging from filling out surveys online to promoting and selling tickets for particular nights in the city.

In terms of the actual University experience, I managed to pass my first year of Medicine which was more of a relief than anything. It was definitely challenging and lives up to its reputation; we were given more free time than most courses during semester 1 but trust me, that was for our own benefit in terms of allowing us to catch up on work! The rest of the time, I discovered new scenes to indulge in, new places to hang out with new people, all of which has culminated into one of the best life experiences I have ever had. Some people may say "wait til you spend 3 years in one place" but I don't think this can detract from the impact the first year of University has on you. Thus, all in all, I would definitely recommend it and can empathise with anybody who is excited to come to Manchester or any other Uni for that matter.

As for things I wish I had been told before I came to Univeristy, here is a little list I've compiled myself:
- DISCLAIMER: These are simply suggestion and are my own opinions influenced by my own experiences. They are not rules to be followed religiously.) -

• Be ready to change your learning style. A University course regardless of whether it is group learning based or lecture based requires a lot of independent learning.
• Get organised with signing up for societies (sport or academic) early on in the first semester, most fairs are usually during freshers. Societies lend you a whole host of skills which look class on your CV.
• Do plenty of extracurricular stuff (sport and academic), however boring it sounds it's actually pretty enjoyable, the earlier you start the better. Just a case of being organised, doesn't take much effort.
• Lastly, I would say CHILL OUT. It's all going to be fine, it's only first year so kick back, study hard when necessary but above all, remember to enjoy it! 

I'd like to close this particular post, however clichéed it may sound, by saying how much of an inspiration my family has been in getting me into and through my first year of Medical school. Thank you.

Best of luck to all those who have finished exams and are awaiting the release of their results!

Ciao for now.

VZ x