University life can feel overwhelming, like there’s no time away from your degree. Jemima explores how see finds time to enjoy life outside of Nursing.
University life can sometimes seem a little overwhelming and you may feel you have no time away from your degree. My biggest advice would be to find some hobbies so you can have a break from thinking about placement and your degree. It has really helped me keep my mental and physical health high despite being busy.
The exciting and intriguing element of university is getting to meet a whole new pool of people. Try and push yourself out of your comfort zone to meet new people away from the course so you have a break from talking about nursing all the time.
The Guild put on a variety of events in your accommodation which are fun to go to and get involved with. Some of these could help with finding people to live with for the following years or getting involved in some fun crafts. There is a plethora of societies to choose from so you will hopefully be able to find something that aligns with your interests. One of my friends is a member of BWEMS (Birmingham wilderness and medicine expedition medicine society) which involves different exposure to medical conditions and scenarios with trips away, again, another great way to meet people.
MedSoc is also a great society for all healthcare professionals – not just medical students. It is a broad society which has lots of different sports you can join, such as hockey, cheerleading, football and rugby. This is helpful as it recognises that in healthcare degrees you can be busy with placement shifts and your workload so there is less pressure to play at every match and turn up to every training session. MedSoc also puts on many events to get involved with which are super fun to go to and interact with a variety of students.
Joining sports and societies has really transformed my experience and enabled me to be pushed out of my comfort zone to interact with more people and find my housemates and friends that I will cherish for life.
I also joined the athletics society which I love for finding a new group of people, all with a similar hobby and passion. It also then made me enjoy and look forward to training more. We have been away for competitions against other universities which have been highlights of my university experience!
I also gave myself the challenge of signing up for the marathon for a children’s cancer charity. I was inspired after working a placement on the oncology ward at the Children’s Hospital. This gave me a focus away from placements and university work. I managed to raise over £2000 for the charity which was an incredible achievement and an unforgettable experience to be part of.
Jemima running a marathon for a children’s cancer charity
University of Birmingham Netball team
For me, Netball has always been one of my favourite sports! I joined nursing netball which was one of the best things I could have done. The variety of age groups and the fun it brought has completely changed my university experience. It is accessible for all abilities which was very appealing and reduces the stress and pressure to play. We have had training weekly which also helped to improve skills, grow friendships and get to know people better. We also had matches at the weekend where we play other societies which was also super nice to meet lots of new people. We would then celebrate at the pub to get to know everyone which was very social. I also liked how the society is not just for nurses, so you could bring friends from other courses along to join in!
My final top tip is to throw yourself into everything you can to figure out what you enjoy and to get the most out of your university experience!
Nursing BNurs - Child
Hi, I'm Jemima, a 2nd year Nursing student. I enjoy socialising and playing sports. My career aspiration would be to wor...
