I’m Milly, I’m 28, and I have decided to go ‘back to school’.
This sounds like a bad intro to an AA meeting.
I first went to university in 2009, when I was 18, and had no idea what I was doing or why- I mainly did it because all through GCSEs and A-Levels it’s kind of drummed into you that university is the next step. In hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have gone, I hated it and ended up working in a bar until 2 years ago. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Now, I did enjoy being a barmaid, and was going through all different types of management training in preparation to make a career out of it, but I reached a point where I decided it wasn’t for me. I was going through some things and took what I can only call a leap of faith- I quit my job, applied for an Access to Nursing course in the local college, and planned to start that in September. I was lucky that Calum (my boyfriend- am I too old for that phrase?!) actively encouraged me to do it, and was really supportive of the whole idea.
Then, somewhat unexpectedly, we found out we were going to have a baby. I emailed the college, who were great, and they said come and do the course anyway and they’d figure out deadlines and extensions etc once I gave birth. Cue lots of tears and tantrums (from me) during this course, but I passed, and got into University. I actually cried at the interview, because my baby was 6 weeks old at the time and it was the first time I’d left her for more than an hour, and my boobs were leaking haha! So, now you know, even if you cry you can still get accepted. She’s a year old now though, and is in nursery once a week when Calum is in uni (he’s doing an MA in some kind of computer wizardry) and then he looks after her mon-thurs when I’m in uni in the days. I’m really lucky to have him support me through this- not many men would- but he knows that it’s going to be a better future for our whole family.
So, 3 weeks ago I started the Adult Nursing degree. I know, starting in March is weird, but there are two intakes of nurses a year, and I wasn’t able to start in September because the baby was still only 7 months old and I wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. I’ve actually found it better, as the March cohort is smaller, so lectures aren’t packed and you can actually get to know people. The first few days was mainly an induction, and paperwork, and surprise vaccinations for things like Hep B- and meeting people- which is definitely not as easy as it is when you’re 18 and all bond over drinking games! It been really nice though, all the girls in my group are lovely, it's odd though getting used to being around adults again all day every day. But we’ve finally settled into lectures now, at the start it’s mainly introductions to the topics and modules, lots and lots of law and ethics.
They have to go through everything in the beginning- literally everything- the nursing code from the NMC, the law, what’s expected of you as a student nurse, safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, what to put and what not to put on social media. Honestly not all of it was completely interesting- and some bits did have me questioning what on earth I was doing there, I’m not going to lie. But then this week we’ve gotten more into things like microbiology, and infection control, and anatomy- and it genuinely is fascinating and I'll expand on it in other posts- so I know I’m on the right track.
As the weeks go on we’ll find out anyway- first exams are after Easter!
