Even if you’re not a diehard fan, most aspiring medical students have heard of the Emmy winning medical drama, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. In the very first episode Dr Miranda Bailey gives her five interns (including the infamous Meredith Grey!) five rules to survive their internship, which is roughly equivalent to FY1.
Following in that vein (pardon the pun!), here’s five of my ‘rules’ for surviving and thriving in your first term of uni!
Optimise your outgoings
Sign up for every student discount going! One of the best student discounts I signed up to was the yLink card which gets you half off travel with Translink – things like bus journeys, trains and the Glider service, which comes in really handy when trying to get to placements or explore Belfast, especially if you’re new to Northern Ireland.
Second best would definitely be Boots. Just sign up for an Advantage card and then take your student card into your local Boots branch to add your 10% off to your card. It can really come in handy when you’re buying basics like shower gel and also when you want to splash out on some nice makeup or buy Christmas pressies! Twice a year, they also do a double student weekend where student discount is a whopping 20% off – best time of the year to stock up on all your essentials!
Just after Freshers, a couple of shopping centres near me did a Student Night where all the shops were doing 10% off, there was some entertainment and spot prizes. Unfortunately, I had double booked myself and couldn’t go to either of the nights but it’s something I would recommend going to in order to get any last minute things you need for first year and get on top of your holiday shopping. I’m definitely going to try and get out next October! Always worth keeping your student card on you and ask if the shop offers a discount for students. In uni cities, some hairdressers, etc might do student prices during certain days or times which can be really handy.
I haven’t had the opportunity to take advantage of this, but the Grand Opera House in Belfast offers half off student theatre tickets when you ring up in the evening which gives you the opportunity to try something new at a lower price!
While not true student discount schemes, different activities run at uni, like language courses or different sports clubs tend to be cheaper than their ‘outside world’ equivalents and so if you’re thinking of taking up a new skill or sport, university is the place to do it!
Schedule your time well
Personally, I like Google Calendar and have mine colour coded for lectures, tutorials, GP practicals and personal events, as well as Medic Mentor things. I find being able to properly see when you’re free and which days are busy and compressed really helpful for planning when I’m going to work on essays and revision, as well as doing fun things.
Another thing which I’m trying to get better at is more effectively using ‘dead’ time. These are times like waiting between lectures when I don’t have time to get home, waiting for an appointment or when I’m on the bus. It can be hard to feel like you can do any ‘proper’ work in times like these where it might only be 15 minutes but you can definitely work through some flash cards or multiple choice questions.
For longer breaks (like between lectures) I like to go to the library to make some flash cards for a change of scene. I really like the desks that have three high sides so you aren’t distracted by other people.
Eat properly (and drink lots of water…)
One of the first pieces of advice an older student gave me was to make sure I had something to eat before dissection – I’m not usually a breakfast person but I always have some breakfast biscuits on my way in on a Wednesday morning. It’s definitely a good idea to have something to eat before an Anatomy class since you’re standing for a while and the chemicals can make you feel hungry.
I find that if I don’t drink enough water or go a long time without having something I can get headaches so I like to keep a water bottle in my bag. At the start of the year I bought a special ice cube tray for water bottles that makes long thin ice cubes which easily fit in the neck of my bottle and keep the water nice and refreshing!
Another thing I like to do to make sure I’m eating well is to batch cook on the weekends or holidays. Spaghetti Bolognese is easy to make, freezes well and is a fairly balanced meal. All I have to do when I get in after a long day at uni is throw a portion in the microwave and make some pasta. It’s simple but tasty!
By packing yourself a lunch, you can save money and it means you are more likely to eat something healthy and more balanced than something you might pick up in the Students’ Union shop. Studies have shown that food shopping on a empty stomach is a really bad idea and leads to you buying more unhealthy food and trying to satisfy cravings you have in the moment. Having something made can also be helpful when you’re in a time crunch or in a rush to placement.
I realised that I feel better after a day of eating properly and having my meals planned for the week is something that I’m trying to stick to going into the second term and beyond!
Sleep (lots!)
I always feel groggy without a good night’s sleep. Sometimes it can be really tempting to stay up to finish an essay or piece of work but it usually leaves me feeling awful and unable to concentrate the next day so I have to spend longer going over the slides from the lectures from that day and it just ends up being really counterproductive.
The standard advice of turning off screens for two hours before bed can be hard, especially as a student but if you use traditional textbooks or paper resources you could do any readings you have before bed.
It can also help to keep yourself in a routine and to get the best start to your morning, I recommend moving your phone somewhere that you can’t simply tap it and snooze it – you need to get up to turn it off and then you’re much less likely to sleep on and sabotage your morning before you’re even out of bed! It also means you’re less likely to turn back to your phone if it takes you a wee while to get over to sleep.
Ask for advice/help
One of the most important things I’ve learnt in my first term at medical school is asking for help when I need it. In our heads, we can blow up asking for help into something that we only do when we’re really stuck or struggling, but the truth is that it’s probably better to ask for advice more regularly so that you don’t end up struggling!
Sometimes, it’s as simple as asking the librarian in the Medical Library where something is or how the system works, so that you don’t spend ages trying to work it. Older students are a fantastic wealth of information about different resources and specific hacks for your university. In my experience, older students at society meetings and events are usually really helpful and give loads of good advice.
If you’re finding uni harder than you expected though, it’s really important to reach out to someone for help in a more official capacity. At the start of the year, you’ll usually be given the contact details for your Academic Support Lead and Pastoral Support Lead so note these down somewhere safe, like your contacts. Some unis will also offer counselling services and other student support services to make the transition from school to university easier so make sure to get in touch with these services if you think they would benefit you!
Hope this helps!
