Pumped.

As much as I love talking about Unis, sometimes it can sound a bit, well, tedious.


*For the record, I have an offer from Hull. I'm not going to accept it. End of.


So instead I thought I'd muse a little on some of the things I've learnt by taking this gap year.


1. I will make a snobby student.


Perhaps I would've fitted in more at Oxford that I'd permit myself to think; I am going to be a complete snob. The thought of sharing a bathroom with other people (up to twenty!) turns my stomach although I think that, other than 'LADs', most people would agree but I'm even struggling to cope with the idea of sharing with seven strangers. So en suite it is for me. 


I've looked through my student cookbook and made a list of the things I'd like at Uni, including balsamic vinegar, prawns, salad and fresh fruit. Beans on toast just does not cut it.

My weekly shop, dahling.

2. People will always live within their means


Back in the days when I sold kitchens at da HB-massive I split my wages between savings and 'spendings'. Bearing in mind I was earning considerably less than I do now, I don't really remember ever feeling 'skint' or running out of money. Now, I give myself a generous monthly allowance (not including petrol, mobile phone bill, gym bill, any Uni-related spendings, car insurance or repairs!) and always spend it all. Down to literally the last penny. Adding up the amount I spend on food and drink (and believe me, I'm no gastronomist) is ridiculous: ASDA stripy strips, pints of cider black and McFlurrys are wiping me out. And that's before I add on manicures, packets of hair dye and other non-essential essentials.






3. I think I've caught autism from the kids I work with


Or rather, I think spending so much time with autistic children has made me over-aware of my own autistic-type traits. Now, whether in or out of work, I find myself using first-names before I speak to people, checking myself whenever I use metaphors or idioms and asking people 'do you understand what I mean?' I'm also hyper-aware of how much a creature of habit I can be; without my to-do lists, budget calculator and my filofax I would be lost. Without a schedule I completely fall apart. I'm hoping I'll be cured before my hospital placements kick in...






4. I am addicted to exercise


I cannot stress quite how obsessed I am with the gym. I can wax lyrical about the benefits of the gym all day long, pausing only for a sip of cherry flavoured, zero calorie,  ASDA price isotonic drink. As a target-driven person (read: neurotic) I've had to structure myself a plan for the gym, so that I actually have a well-rounded workout: 1 Zumba, 1 Spin, 1 Bodycombat and 2 runs. Even the running follows a carefully selected running programme, so that hopefully I can run 5km (without walking) by spring time, when it should be warm enough to run outside. The funny thing is, I don't feel that I've particularly lost weight/toned up yet I feel far more confident - like I have a sign that says 'I have been going to the gym! My CV system is tip-top!' Ultimately, it's more important to be fit (and able to walk up stairs without puffing!) than skinny.

Looking reem.

5. I'm not at all bitter about my gap year


Quite the opposite. This year out was probably the best option (which I avoided like the plague). I would recommend a working gap year to any Uni student, but particularly to Medics - the learning curve between last application and this has been immense, particularly for finding specific, grown-up examples for interview. Looking back, 'I worked really hard on an experiment last week' or 'I've learnt teamwork by helping out at a student club night', sounds childish compared to having actual experience of a working environment and (in my case) children, their parents, diagnoses etc.


Financially, the benefits have been enormous. Not only have I learnt how to budget properly, I should also have a comfortable nest egg in the bank by the time September rolls around. This means I've been able to choose the accomodation that I really want, rather than picking the cheapest. I've taken a stress away by knowing that although I'll try my best to budget with whatever funding I'm entitled to, there's backup cash available if I struggle, without having to ask my parents. Plus I can afford a new swanky laptop and some branded products. 


SmartPrice? Moi?

Tourist.

Friday was my Offer Visit Day, my first taste of Southampton. Apart from catching a ferry and a cruise ship, but I'm not holding too much importance to the state of the docks... And if I'm honest, it was incredible.


Firstly, the Highfield Campus is fairly easy to get to (by car anyway) and if I'm honest, location has always been a factor in my decisions. Yes, I know I applied to Hull and Leeds which are bloody ages away and a pig to get to but I still think it's important. Don't get me wrong; I'm not clinging on to Mummy's apron strings and I'm not planning on using home as a launderette, but I do think it's important to at least have access to home. I want to be able to come back for somebody's birthday or Mothers' Day, I want to meet Dad at Reading to watch the rugby, I want to know I can make it back if something happens. Plus, living in Hull would require a full-day's travelling. That's a day home and a day back. In Southampton I can (in theory at least) come home on a Wednesday afternoon and be back for lectures Thursday morning. 


The campus is lovely too - really village-y with a relaxed, safe vibe. The hospital (where students are based) is a 20 minute walk, and most of the accommodation is within 10 minutes of the campus (you have a bus pass included within your rent so at least transport is sorted). There's all the usual things you'd expect (bar, pub, library etc) and next door is a really pretty common (always good to have a sunny spot to sleep in around exam time).


The course is pretty fab too: most teaching is at the hospital, so lots of clinical experience and also getting used to being in a hospital, where most of us are going to spend the majority of our lives. Southampton are hugely focused on research (they're part of the Russell Group) and the fourth year of the course is mostly based around completing a BMedSci on a topic of your choosing - this means getting an extra degree in the same amount of time. (You can also intercalate, which would give you three degrees. Greedy pig.)


The only downside is that Southampton practice prossection rather than dissection. Essentially, in dissection you do it yourself, prossection somebody that knows their way around a scalpel gets to do it. Initially, I was really keen on dissection, but the more I think about it, it seem like a novelty and a lot of time is dedicated to the dissection room (presumably this is where Soton find the time to squeeze in another degree.) Anyway, at Soton in your third year you are essentially given a free pass to the hospital - so as long as you ask somebody first, you can turn up wherever and just lend a helping hand. Personally, I would like to spend some time in the mortuary, at least getting some experience of dissection via post mortems and other gory going-ons...


Very lastly, Student Life. We had a Q&A session with current medical students and unsurprisingly the question of 'where to drink?' came up. The students all suggested 'Jesters', with the ominous warning to 'leave your nice clothes at home. Buy a pair of shoes from Primark and just hope it doesn't soak through.' Obviously, we all laughed. And then I googled Jesters and found this:


"Widely regarded as the scummiest licenced establishment in the South, if not the whole of the UK, and largely resembles a large 'bucket' of alcohol, vomit and faeces in which drinkers 'swim' around in (bring wellies), usually naked to boot (on Wednesdays, mandatory for sports teams).

Beware of snakebite ripcurrents, usually located in and around the dancefloor. If you manage to walk in and avoid having various drinks (this term is used rather broadly, since most of them can usually be found to have bits floating in them) spilled over you by vast numbers of drunken Jesterers, consider yourself very, very lucky."

On the plus side, pints of lager are 50p and Snakebite the fact they advertise Snakebite says something are just 80p. Bring on Freshers!

A warm welcome awaits