I'm not even going to try to sugar coat this. I HATED the
application process! Oh my GOD it was stressful, but so worth it when you see
that status change on UCAS (that's the University and College Admissions
Service to all that don't know). It was the best day of 2012 so far!
So the first thing you have to do, aside from actually
deciding that you want to do the course and which branch/field
(adult/child/mental health/learning disability), is think about where you want
to study. My choice was always set in stone. I have several commitments at
home, as many people do, so moving was never an option. Besides that, I have
one of the most prestigious universities on my doorstep. So that was decided.
Then you have to start to compose your personal statement. This is so important
as it's the university's first impression of you. You can only use a limited
number of characters so everything you say has to be concise and important - if
it's not going to really convince them that you want it and that they should
take you, then you don't need to say it. There are so many sites for advice on
completing your PS (honestly Google it! 3, 470,000 results) that I'm not going to go into detail but I will say
this....Show how passionate you are about nursing and definitely mention your
chosen field. Nursing courses are so competitive now that you have to show that
you know what you want and are committed to a certain field. If you want to
study child nursing then make sure you say it and be absolutely positive that this is what you
want to study for the next 3 years, as well as work in for the next 40. I would
also advise to start your PS with something that will catch their attention.
Admissions read sooo many applications that I'm sure they get sick of reading,
"I want to study adult nursing because..." - be original! Remember,
this is their first impression of you and you need to make it count. Also, in
many uni selection processes, each section is pointed, including the PS so it
needs to be good to get you further.
Next, reference - Make sure you ask your chosen referee as
early on as possible to ensure they have time to complete a quality reference
for you. I'm sure no one wants to be a few days from the deadline, flapping
because their referee hasn't submitted a reference yet. And you definitely
don't want them rushing it - it has to be as amazing as you, right?
Interview - ARGH! Even the word sounds scary. Usually,
universities send out some information about the structure and content of the
day. Mine sent an email, generally outlining tasks and such. All universities
do things differently - some have group interviews, some have individual ones,
others have both. Some have literacy and numeracy tests, some have 1 or the
other, others have both. Most universities have a little information session
though, to break you into the day and help you relax - and obviously to give
you more information about the course! At my interview we started by
registering. We had to take photographic ID and certificates to prove our
qualifications. Following this we gathered into a room where we watched a
powerpoint and listened to a talk about the course. The tutors are very
friendly and put you at ease straight away. I think the biggest misconception
people have with interviews is that they're trying to catch you out. They're
definitely not - they want to bring out the best in you. So, anyway, after this
we watched a short video (2 minutes) about a lady's negative experience in
hospital. We had a 10 minute written activity about the video and had to write
about any issues and how we would improve her experience. This was quite simple
and was mainly to test your ability to write. This aspect is pointed in the
same way as the PS. After this we were put into groups of 5 and had a short
break before our group interview. We had the chance to get to know each other a
little better and feel a bit more comfortable before being plunged back into
the testing conditions again.
Group interview - This was basically a group discussion that
lasted for around 40 minutes. Firstly, we talked about the video we had watched
in the previous session. The interviewers (2 of them by the way) threw in
questions to keep the conversations flowing. It's important to remember that
this group interview is not just about what you say, which is obviously
important, but the interviewers are looking at how well you can communicate.
Communication is HUGE in nursing (or so I've been told :0p). They want to see
that you don't sit silently and let other people control the entire discussion,
or that you don't completely dominate the discussion and drown others out. You
have to find the middle ground with this one. Another thing - make sure to make
eye contact and talk to everyone in the discussion, not just the interviewers.
I made sure to build on other peoples' points, agreeing, disagreeing, adding my
opinion or experience to things mentioned. The best thing to do is to not over
think it. Try to be as natural as possible. It's just a conversation - no
pressure :0/ ha! To prepare I made sure that I had read up on relatively recent
changes or important things within the NHS and in the media. I went in with a
general knowledge of several things, but in depth knowledge of around 3
different issues. You don't have to know the ins and outs of everything or know
everything that is going on in the world of health. They aren't looking for
ready-made health professionals - just show that you've taken the time to read
up on a couple of things.
The final part - the individual interview. We were told that
this would be very short but I wasn't expecting it to be as short as it was - 5
minutes if that! They asked me one question - ONE! I had answers prepared for at least
40, including what was the last book you read and which bloody super hero would
you most like to be! I'm glad I had prepared anyway, just in case. So the one
question: which qualities/skills do you feel you could bring to nursing? A question
you would expect and should definitely prepare for. I said communication,
caring and compassionate nature (cliché but very important), experience in a
caring role and adaptability, all very important in nursing. Following this,
they asked if I had any questions and then if I'd applied elsewhere - I hadn't.
I left, fumbling with my scarf that I almost tripped on, dropping my bottle of
water and wishing the door wasn't so far away from my shaking hands. I never
get that nervous in any situation, and honestly I didn't think it had gone
overly well.
So I was left with the inevitable wait. I received an email
from the university a few days later telling me that I had been successful at
interview and that I was going to be short listed - fantastic!! I had to send
them a second reference and then they were going to take my application and
total score to a selection event, where a group of admissions tutors look at
applications and decide whether they are strong enough to be accepted. I
emailed admissions every few days, phoning them just to be sure they received
my email, praying that I'd hear soon. I was told that it would take them until around Xmas time to make decisions and inform everyone, so you can imagine my surprise when I received an email
from UCAS telling me that my status had been updated only 2 weeks after the interview. I logged in
apprehensively to see the word "Conditional" beside the university
name. To say that I cried with joy would be an understatement!
The application
process was difficult, the wait was even worse but finding out I was in was
absolutely amazing.
If anyone has any questions about the application process or needs some clarification on any aspect, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email.
Until next time, TTFN.
