Wow I'm a 2nd year student!

This photo can mean only one thing! My first train commute back to uni for my 2nd and final year!

I feel excited and nervous about the year ahead and the reality of how close I am to applying for jobs and preparing for life as a newly qualified OT is beginning to hit me! I have a feeling that this year is going to go even faster than the last!

We have started the week by beginning our new module in which we will be studying specialist areas of practice for OT's and there is a 30 minute assessed Viva in 6 weeks time! I have never done a viva assessment before but I feel this will allow me to develop my verbal communication skills/knowledge and prepare for interview environments! The topics we will cover during the module sound really interesting and I am looking forward to learning new things and also synthesising knowledge I have experienced of specialist areas from placement.

I have received my practice placement 3 allocation and this time I am with a community mental health team! I'm very excited about this as it is an area of practice that I am interested in yet have no experience of. This does make me slightly nervous however, because this placement is a step up to level 6 and a lot more is expected of me within an area I do not know a lot about! I will now contact my placement area and begin my much needed preparation!

I have also been assigned some 'buddies' through the new buddy system at uni where we as 2nd years have the opportunity to help and support 1st year students. I am looking forward to this opportunity. I think back to how I was feeling this time last year when everything felt so new and I didn't know what to expect. I would've quite liked to have a buddy. I remember feeling lost and anxious at the critical language of masters level study and the overwhelming un-certanty of what was expected of us at this level. I look back now a year on and I smile, I can't believe I'm here and that I made it through without failing a single thing. I really feel that OT is where I am meant to be and I'm proud of the journey I have been on that has got me here so far. Here's to another roller coaster ride of a year, but this time with a years experience under my belt.

I will post soon about my progress on beginning 2nd year, my new modules and dare I say dissertation? ....

Summer

Summer Holidays 

A break over the past few weeks has been much needed after the intense first year of the MSc! It has been important for me to switch off from uni and to engage in occupations that I do not have chance to whilst studying during term time.

On reflection from my first year I have thought of some tips to share with those who may be beginning the MSc in September:

• Keep a diary! Managing your time is hugely important on an intense course like this one. Plan for classes and lectures in good time, begin your assignments early and most importantly, make some time for yourself!
• Do plenty of reading! It took me a while to gain an understanding of academic literature from coming from a different degree background. But as I have read more and understood the language in which critical research articles are written, I feel my critical reading and writing skills have really improved!
• Be prepared to work in groups and teams and allow room for flexibility in your routine for this.
• Try not to panic, we have all been there it's perfectly normal to feel panicked and anxious (because you will at some stage) take a deep breath. The course intensity is a shock to your system but it will be ok!
• If you are completely new to research (like I was) make a glossary and familiarise yourself with research terminology before your research lectures... trust me, I wish I had done this! 
• Seek help and support from tutors and your universities learning support services.
• Be prepared to move location for your placements, be flexible with this and enjoy all the opportunities offered to you!
• Reflect on all of your experiences! I use my blog for this and creative activities.
• Become a student member of BAOT for access to the British Journal of Occupational Therapy (really good for writing your assignments).
• If you are a Twitter person, join in with #Otalk on a Tuesday evening to get involved and connected with OT's and other students.
• Keep updated with CPD opportunities and attend some conferences if you can.

• Most importantly....  HAVE FUN! Enjoy yourselves, make new friends & contacts. Feed off each others experiences, work together. 

So here's some of the occupations I have engaged in over the summer:

                                                             Painting

Cooking

Spending time with family

Socialising with friends

Time with my partner.

Pampering!

Walking

Exploring & visiting new places

Splash dashing for charity!

Spending time with my cat.

And of course working to earn some much needed cash!

So as you can see I have been engaging in a variety of occupations that span through the areas of self care, leisure and productivity and these occupations are all very important and make me who I am! 

I'm feeling very well rested and relaxed and somewhat ready to tackle second year... feeling slightly nervous about the intense road that lies ahead! But most of all I'm excited! This time next year I'll be an OT! Yippee!

For those new students that may read this I will leave you with this thought:

What is an occupation?