By Eve Brown
Have you got your work-life balance right?
Whether you are in your first undergraduate year or in your final year, I am sure you have all felt the pressures and demands of undertaking a degree. I am also sure there are times when you have taken your foot of the gas pedal, spent too much time socialising and wished you had just pushed yourself that little bit further! Some of us may be better than others at getting the ‘work-life balance’ just right but one thing is for sure, the wonderful experience of being at University is but a fraction of our lives and goes so quick - who can believe that the 2014 – 2015 academic year is nearly over? So, fellow students you need to make the most of your time at CMU - Carpe diem (seize the day)! My motivation for writing this article is to share with you a learning experience I have recently had abroad organised by CMU. However, before I do, I want to share University experiences with you.
Speaking from experience – time flies!
I speak from experience when I say that you may regret not making the most of what University has to offer. I graduated from my first degree in 2001 and I am now embarking on my second degree in podiatry at the age of 35! I have so many fond memories of my first degree - I had lots of fun (probably too much!), made some great life-long friends and definitely grew as an independent person. Although, on reflection, I did not have a clear career path at University and probably believed that the degree title alone would be my ticket to success - I did not join any societies nor access any support services, career centres, or partake in any study opportunities abroad. All of these facilities were there for me to use but there always seemed to be a tomorrow that never came. Time just flew by.
What if…?
My story luckily was a positive one. I graduated mid-July and was employed on a permanent contract with an excellent employer by the 31st July 2001. It helped that I was employed throughout my degree and had work experience. However, my degree was in Applied Biology and my career for the last 13 years has been in Financial Services/Banking and briefly in the Welfare to Work sector. Whilst I have genuinely enjoyed my career and have acquired invaluable skills, as the recession hit the Banking sector hard I started to think about the ‘what ifs’: What if I had focussed more on my degree – would I have stayed in a science-related field and what would my job be now? What if I had made use of the services at University – would this have given me the direction needed to follow my degree discipline into employment? What if I had engaged in more activities such as placements abroad – would this have helped me focus on a clear career path? These questions have plagued me over the last few years and I am lucky to have a second chance at University to utilise my science background and my people skills. So, here I am, training to be healthcare professional with a clear direction in mind!
Standing out from the crowd
It is safe to say that the job market is different from when I first graduated and it is so important to stand out from the crowd. The degree ‘ticket’ alone may not be enough. Also, I have first-hand experience of working with the long-term unemployed and have seen the deeply saddening events that happen in peoples’ lives. Therefore, it really is important to make the most of the opportunities available to us. In fact, as mentioned, the reason I started writing this article was to promote a three-day learning experience in Belgium that I attended in March 2015 paid for by CMU.
Learning experience abroad
In January 2015, an email went out to certain eligible degree disciplines in the School of Health Sciences offering the opportunity to attend international week at KH Leuven University in Belgium. The application process was a simple 300 word piece and I was lucky enough to receive a place with four other CMU students. The experience was fantastic as it gave me the opportunity to broaden my experience of healthcare outside of the demographics of where I am likely to work or attend placements. It afforded me the opportunity to attend some thought-provoking lectures on patient pain, euthanasia and ethics delivered in English by some inspirational lecturers. KH Leuven as a whole had a fantastic atmosphere and we were all made to feel incredibly welcome. We had ‘private’ tours of the hospital nursing simulation suites, reception drinks at the Town Hall and guided tour of the beautiful, historic Leuven centre, dinner at a restaurant with other students from all over Europe – to name a few itinerary items! On the last evening, we attended a European evening with drinks and entertainment as well as the opportunity to try food and beverages brought in by the students of the representative countries – we did Wales proud with our table display! This experience allowed me to network with a diverse range of people and highlighted that we are all working towards a common goal despite any cultural differences - to truly help people. Therefore, I would strongly encourage anyone who is eligible next year to apply. I have put a link at the bottom of this article to the International Week – please have a look. KH Leuven run many programmes of lectures not just healthcare e.g. International Marketing week, International Management week etc. Perhaps it would be worth bringing this up with your school in case they are not aware of the opportunities!
Grab those opportunities
On a closing note, I hope this article has offered some encouragement to ‘grab opportunities’ and that you will apply for events such as KH Leuven or indeed any of the ‘Outward Mobility’ opportunities. There are a whole host of activities that can add value and make you stand out from the crowd at CMU: become a student representative; join or even set up a society; link up with the Centre for Student Entrepreneurship; take part in volunteering and paid opportunities advertised by Cardiff Met SU; look out for Student Ambassador opportunities; join free SU workshops run by industry experts e.g. Time Management, CV writing etc. Also, remember there is plenty of support available from Cardiff Met SU on issues such as feeling home sick to matters on money advice as well as the excellent support and advice from Student Services. Make the most out of these opportunities and services at University - this is your time to ensure that you do not end up asking ‘What if…?’
KH Leuven International weeks: http://www.leuvenuniversitycollege.be/International-weeks