university-dayz

[university-dayz]

Goals for semester 1 year 2 (technical three)

Start assignments the day I get them

This may require me to book tickets for a later train or bus so I can spend time in the library after class

Take better lab notes and be less stressed about getting perfect results

Looking back on my lab work over the past 3 years (I did a foundation year), the assignments that required lab write ups require me to justify my findings and show how i got to those figures. So perfect results aren't needed, and if anything, it just shows that its not plagiarized

Have a better sleep schedule

Because I'll be traveling too and from uni this year I will be having 12 hour days. A better sleep schedule will mean that I can pay attention in class and not miss my stop on the bus or train

Continue my adhd referral process

It takes roughly a year to a year and a half to just get an appointment, and my attention was severely lacking last year.

[university-dayz]

For years in secondary school, I said I wouldn't choose a STEM career path, but today, after 2 years of uni and three years of college, I've just realized zoology is a STEM degree. I've. Become what I said I would never!

[university-dayz]

things i've heard environmental science majors say:

"For the test we'll need to tell the different flavours of mayflies apart." / "Did you just say flavours?"

"It amazes me how many city kids are in this program." / "We're all desperate to get out of this city."

"I think everyone who attended all the surface water pollution lab sections should be allowed to lick one piece of glassware of their choosing. Y'know, as a treat."

"Professor, nobody goes into this major unless they like to eat dirt." / "Great, so you can talk the Students' Association into convincing the board to give me funding for my trees?"

"What're we toasting to?" / "Nitrogen pollution."

"You look frustrated. What's up?" / "I had twenty-one Leptophlebiidae in my dish. He's going to think I'm lying about how many Leptophlebiidae are in my dish."

"If you weren't raised by Wall-E, do you even belong in this class?" / "The Onceler." / "Fuck, good point."

"Dude, I spent the whole exam trying not to sink my teeth into a really, really juicy bug in my sample—" / "Cranefly?" / "...yeah."

"Well, just make sure you're not (person)'s lab partner. Last weekend's trip involved him leaving too many fish in the dirt for the professor's liking."

[exhausted chorus] "And the fish go belly-up."

"What's the major difference between east coast and west coast soils?" / "Alcoholism."

"Got any plans for the holidays?" / "Gonna go home and listen to my entire extended family call me a tree-hugging hippie." / "Aren't we all?"

[university-dayz]

A punk stops during a gay pride parade to allow a mesmerized child to touch his jacket spikes.

[university-dayz]

SAME AIMEE SAME

[university-dayz]

well semester one was..... SOMTHING

hey guys. havnt posted in a while but if you read this you will be able to see just how stressfull but rewarding the first semester of university has been

If there's anything I've learnt during the first semester it's to NOT LEAVE EVERYTHING TO THE LAST MINUTE. For a bit of context, I have ADHD. been diagnosed since I was 4 but apparently, I need to be diagnosed with it again? because I can grow out of it. (I was told this as a child but I don't fully believe that this is true) so not only am I trying to get back onto my medication, it's now apparently turned into me attempting to be diagnosed with ADHD again.

All of this is to say that getting my uni work done has been increasingly challenging due to me not having the motivation to do it (it is a bit more complicated than that but it's the easiest way to explain it: if I'm not interested I have no motivation to start). although I'm hoping that when the second semester comes around the motivation will finally reach me as my classes finally get interesting and i can begin to put my best foot forward .

but don't get me wrong there have been some good parts. mostly the fact that I've met Sophia, Paige, Jack, Rachel and Malena. and it's not just the large extravagant day trips we go on that I enjoy (although I did enjoy going to Keswick with them). there the type of people who you enjoy just hanging around with in the flat kitchen (which we do almost EVERY DAY). But if I'm being honest, the only reason I started meeting up with them in there flat was to get away from my flatmates

I fully understood when I decided to go into accommodation that i wouldn't get along with everyone but I don't think the university's policy of grouping students together has helped. they have placed all of the first year students together. so that has resulted in me being placed with some 18 year olds who are quite nasty, gossipy and snarky. that's not me saying that ALL 18 year olds are like that, Sofia and Paige are 18/19 too and there nothing like that. its just me being unlucky with who i was placed with

so despite my poor time management skills, my aim for semester two is to increase the quality of my assignments, to further nurture my new found friendships, and not to let the people i share a flat with get to me too much

[university-dayz]

Hey there!! I'm planning to go study a Bsc in zoology like you and I'm so confused about student finance, maintainence loans, when I apply for study finance, student accommodation? Do you have any tips? Thank you!

my best advice would be to apply for student finance as soon as possible (you can find it by searching for student finance england and making an account). I'm pretty sure that you can start applying in march (which is what i wish i had done) but if like me you forget. my application was still accepted in august so i wouldn't panic too much. as far as i know no one has ever been refused. having said that i can only talk about my personal experience as a uni student in the uk.

the aplication for your student finance and mentance loan are combinde but separated into two sections. you will be asked questions such as "what is your house whold income" and "where will be your place of residence during term time". these questions are to determin if you are elegable for the full mantance loan or the minimum.

all students that apply for it will get the same amount of money sent directly to there university to pay for the course. your matince loan shouldn't need to be spent on that. what it will need to be spent on is paying to stay in uni halls, food, bills (if there not included) and any leisure activities you might want to do during freshers week

and there's various options when it comes to university accommodation. for me i am living on site but i have a feeling that each facility will be different. with my university the applications opened in January. i feel like it is more important to apply for this as soon as you can because places tend to fill up quickly and you might end up not being able to get a spot reserved.

feel free to ask anymore questions. i might be a bit slow to reply due to classes starting today but ill do my best to respond in a timely manner

[university-dayz]

study surroundings : part 2

in this part I will be talking about what I liked and disliked about the study spaces I have used over the course of my foundation year and which ones I will continue to use going into my first year of zoology

public library

pros

There are fewer distractions as I am by myself in an area that is designed to increase focus. The noise level is relatively low there are tables and chairs to sit at and complete work and they are not normally busy.

Over the last year, I made use of the public library in my home town and in the city I was studying. I found that the public library in my home town (which is a small coastal town that very few people have heard of) tended to be busier than the one in the city. Because of this, I found it easier to put my thoughts into sentences easier than I would have at home. At this point, I should say that the one in the city is significantly larger and has more floors. so it might look like the library is less busy since there are more floors and each floor is larger

In addition to this transport to and from the public library was easy no matter where I was. When at home I had to walk a short distance to the bus stop and then travel on the bus for ten minutes to reach the library. When I was at university it was easier to just walk which took no more than 15 minutes

cons

but like with everything there were some negatives to studying in a public library. The first is the fact that the library holds numerous groups throughout the day. The ages of the participants range from about 4 to 90 so, as you would assume, multiple groups meet throughout the day and when they do, they can be very distracting. It is almost impossible to prevent a fussy and/or crying child from crying but it is distracting. and, Due to a limited amount of table space, and the uncomfortable nature of the chairs, the option of moving away from the group was not always possible

Additionally, whilst studying in the public library, I was unable to use the resources available as they were mostly for leisurely reading. As there weren't any books related to the field of zoology, I relied mostly on papers and articles I could find online. but unfortunately it was not guaranteed that the internet would be fully functional upon my visit

university library

pros

This location was by far my favourite to work at solely due to the relaxed atmosphere created by the students and the librarians who were okay with me asking my questions. The books, in my opinion, are far superior to those in a public library as there are books that are specifically tailored to the courses offered at the university and books that are there for casual reading as well

The one factor that separates the university library from a public one is that there are designated areas for each situation. if you are meeting with a group to practice a presentation you can book a private room (or there's a building that has a floor with screens that you don't need to book but I won't be talking about that here), if you are in a group working on individual assignments you can go into the quiet study area and if you're by yourself you can go to the silent study zone. These zones can be used at any time since students can access the library 24/7 with the use of their student ID

Next year, due to living on-site, I will be able to make more use of the library on-site and hopefully improve my grades

cons

Although it makes for a good view, to get to the library you have to traverse 5 flights of stairs. More often than not the lift is broken to the point where it looks like you are stepping into your horror movie scene. once you are situated in the library you might find that, because of its size and the poor organization, it is hard to find the books for your course. if you are anything like me it will not help that you never want to disturb anyone but, honestly, talk to a librarian, they don't mind helping and they're the best person to go to.

some times whilst studying in the university library, you may encounter a group of students that are slightly too loud for your comfort (whether they mean to or not). unlike a public library, there are plenty of tables available so moving away from the problem will not be as hard

dining room

pros

I have a table in the dining room that remains unused and it seemed like an appropriate place to get work done. when it comes down to it all a person needs to work on an assignment is a laptop, an internet connection, and a thing to put the laptop on. but it also helps that all of my stationary is already in there

cons

Over the years it has become increasingly difficult for me to GET to the table due to it being the household junk room. My dad places, what seems like, everything he owns on the floor, in the doorway and yes on the table. I have found out that I find it hard to work in a room that is cluttered and for this reason I have only been using the table during meals. but even then I am worried about the table and chairs collapsing due to age and loose screws

As an individual with ADHD, I know that if I am working on something that I don't want to do any minor distraction could mean that I've finished working on it for the day. Some of the distractions I have faced in the past include being called into a different room by members of my family, the TV in the dining room, the pots in the sink and people walking into the kitchen (which is joined to the dining room)

[university-dayz]

When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.

Dian Fossey

[university-dayz]

study surroundings : part 1

(Part 1 of this post will be addressing what makes an effective study area. Part 2 of this post will be more focused on my personal likes and dislikes of different study spaces)

There is a specific emphasis placed on having a suitable study atmosphere. Some studies have shown that the area in which a student studies can affect their grade by as much as 25%. for For this reason, you must get it correct.

physical factors

Whether or not the study area is within your home or in a public space, three vital characteristics are needed for a study area to be efficient. it should

allow for free movement

be organised with the necessary equipment close by

comfortable enough that a student can stay in the area for long periods of time

When creating a study area within your house, one way to keep on top of the tidiness is to designate a specific area as the study area. Designating a specific area not only helps the student stay organised (as it's not an entire room) but it also helps when maintaining focus as, after some time., the brain will eventually enter a "study mode" when in that area.

when it comes to comfort, it is tempting to study in bed. where possible try to avoid this as the bed might become associated with studying and not sleep. making it harder to get an adequate amount of sleep. but, if its unavoidable there are steps you can take to avoid this connection developing

don't get under the sheets

sit in a different position to the one you sleep in

don't lie down

don't study in your pyjamas get dressed

environmental factors

personally as an individual with ADHD I have found that frequently changing my study environment helps to keep my focus more regularly

there is numerous different environments that a student could choose to study in and they fall into two categories : public and private, and they both have various levels of noise

a "public" study space refers to an area that is open to the general public and has the resources can be used outside of studying or working on assessments. an example of a well known study space is a public library. the resources in a library can be used by students, jobseekers and people looking for there next read. because its open to the public the disturbance levels may be higher than if you where studying at home

having said that not all libraries ARE open to the public. university libraries are often only open to students and, therefore resources are more specifically tailored towards the courses that the university offers. when studying in a university library I have observed that it is easier to control the noise levels around me. for instance if I'm doing group work, don't want to disturb people around me but would still like to hear what my classmates are saying, I would book a private room. but if I'm wanting to focus for a long period of time on a computer, I would go into the silent study section of the library.

in the second part of this post i will be talking about what I think the pros and cons are of the study spaces I have used during my foundation year

[university-dayz]

University with impaired hearing

I'm not going to be the only person attending university with a hearing impediment, but I'm posting this to share my experience

The issue with my hearing

I was born without my cochlea. A cochlea is snail like structure that is filled with liquid. It is responsible for transferring sound waves into electrical impulses and sending them to the brain. Because of this I only have 20 % hearing in my left ear

Issues I have day to day and in class

I find it very difficult to hear someone if there is an excessive ammount of background noise. If I'm in a situation like this, the chances of me mishearing someone will increase

Because I have better hearing in my right ear I try to position mysf so that that ear is in that direction. For example, If I'm aware that group descussions will need to take place I try my best to sit so that my right ear is facing them. But I am not always able to predict when this issue will arise

I find it easier to sit at the front of the class as well because, in addition to partial hearing, I also need to where glasses and have ADHD. Although sitting at the front helps me to me tain concentration and see the board, I also feel like everyone is staring at me whilst my back is turned

Is there anything doctors can do

Yes actually. When I was 9 I was informed that I am apparently a good candidate for a cochlea implant once I became old enough to make my own decisions. I am 20 now and although I would love to have it, starting the process requires me to make an appointment and face my phone anxiety head on which I don't think I'm quite ready to do

[university-dayz]

what I wish I knew about university : ONE

having completed the foundation year of my degree (and going onto my first year) I am now able to look back on the numerous minor inconveniences (although they didn't feel minor at the time ) and see how I could have avoided them. My aim with this is to help university students feel less alone if they were to encounter similar problems and to help people see that, more often than not, those inconveniences aren't as devastating as they feel in the moment

1) if you miss the deadline for applying for student finance its not the end of the world

Over the summer most of my time was spent visiting a member of my family who was in "end-of-life care" which ultimately led to a family bereavement. I was my family's main source of consolation as I was able to detach myself from the individual (it sounds bad I know but I wasn't exactly treated well by him) so applying for funding was not at the top of my list of priority's as I was more focused on ensuring that my family would be ok. in addition to this I had other extracurricular activities that required my attention, and presence. With all of this going on I just forgot about it

My initial feeling was panic. I had put so much effort in the previous weeks to join accommodation and class group chats and talk to people who would be in my flat and class and, when I realised id missed the deadline, I thought that I had wasted my time as I thought that I wouldn't be able to move into accommodation or start class. Luckily enough, that doesn't seem to be the case. After looking online I've found out that I could still apply for funding (although this is at the beginning of august I can't say for certain if you'll still be able to if you do it after August) but there would just be a small gap between starting university and getting the first payment

if you find yourself in a similar situation to this, my advice is to get in touch with the finance and accommodation team and explain what has happened. at the university I go to there is a student support fund that can help students whilst they are waiting for there first payment

[university-dayz]

Just got my move in date for uni but I can’t help but feel like a chapter of my life is closing

[university-dayz]

It’s a bit late but I couldn’t be happier with these results!!!!

But despite the happiness, At the beginning of the year I was adamant that I was only just going to make it to the next year. And I’m not surprised. I had so many barriers in my way. I had to travel 2 -3 hours to and from university, work, spend time with family and I too if that complete my assignments.

I also had (well, still do to some extent) a MAJOR feeling of inferiority which wasn’t helped by the fact that I didn’t have any classmates to talk with or hangout with outside of class. Seeing posts of people who are receiving 1st class grades (80 marks and above) while I’m receiving 3rd class (40-49 marks) was incredibly disheartening and hopefully next year, when I’ll be living in the city, that will change.

But anyways ,during the second semester I was able to get my grades up!! These grades are a result of supportive tutors, a weekly bus ticket that enabled me to go to the library whenever my impulsive ADHD brain would let me study and the kind staff at my local library that delayed shutting some days whilst I was there (which I only just found out feel bad about because they have lives of there own to go back to and, looking back I feel like a burden 👍)

Onwards and upwards tho to the first official year of ZOOLOGY!!!!!!

[university-dayz]

Summer study brake

Ive spent almost the entire day reading to many ecology papers. I deserve this brake

[university-dayz]

// tips for being an a* student

by @peachblossomstudy

[university-dayz]

not going to lie this was me for the entirety of my foundation year. I didn't have much time outside of travelling 4 to 5 hours on the bus to attend university, looking and then working at my job, helping around the house and looking into my accommodation offers for the next academic year. I had to cross my fingers and hope for the best (which I have. I've nearly scraped by with a pass)

my favourite study method is asking everyone to pray for me