Results Day
Seren is a first year Midwifery student at the University of Leicester.
Results day - unlike any other is a day not always filled with smiles. It’s a day for some that can be stressful, uncertain and a key moment. This year for myself, results day was not straightforward. In fact, it went exactly how I didn’t imagine it to go - and that’s okay!
Here’s what I learnt from going through clearing:
Clearing allowed me to question whether a healthcare course was really right for me and why I wanted to study midwifery.
It taught me not to take certain things for granted such as expecting myself to just gain a place at uni.
My experience with clearing was over a number of days, due to the fact that clearing is on a first come first served basis as well as the general issue of poor service in my holiday home! Eventually I was offered an interview at a University which I am now attending this year for Midwifery!
Midwifery interviews can be quite complex but they generally depend on what the university you are applying to requires. I was required to complete a Maths and English test as well as a role play amongst other things. However, with some of the other universities I applied to, my interview consisted of questions and scenario- based decision making. This goes to show the great variety of things you may be asked to participate in during an interview (which is often why preparation is needed). Midwifery interviews aren’t supposed to be easy. One of the common misconceptions is that they are all similar and as I’ve highlighted above, they aren’t. These interviews are designed to test your skills, passion and rationale for the course whilst also learning more about you, the candidate. All of this may sound quite intimidating but with preparation such as revisiting your personal statement and creating answers to common questions like “ why do you want to be a midwife?” it all helps to ensure you are more confident when entering your interview.
Now onto the fun stuff - starting university… I can’t wait to start university this year, it is such an exciting time for not only myself but anyone else who may be beginning a degree in September. An exciting but scary thought is that I begin community placement 6 weeks after uni starts (ahhhh). In all seriousness though, I am looking forward to beginning the road to qualifying as a midwife and meeting all the other midwifery students!
As I close this blog, I thought I would leave a last piece of advice for any future students out there considering a degree in healthcare: Although applying for healthcare courses can be tough, it is about persistence and I can say that there will always be somewhere - whether it’s the same year or the year after!
Thanks so much for giving my blog a read and I hope to catch up with everyone soon with more exciting stories once I’ve started university.