ATAR Notes: Forum
Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => The University Journey Journal => Topic started by: Dorito on January 15, 2021, 10:05:09 pm
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Discovered this forum when I was applying for university, but mostly lurked. Always looked forward to maybe one day being able to start my own. Well, here I am, accepted into university and starting a university journey journal! I will confess that I've never been good at keeping up with anything in my life, being both inconsistent and a slow runner, but I promise to try and keep up with this journal (or at least not abandon it). This is for those who want to know what it's like to be a medical student, as well as to entertain anyone else who likes to read about other peoples' lives.
Course?
B.MedSci/MD at the University of Newcastle.
Why medicine?
Ah, the old interview question. As inappropriate as this is to tell an admissions officer, the most succinct possible answer to this is that I really want to help people. I felt like medicine was the best way that I could do that. Another reason is that I loved the more human-based topics in high school Biology, and the idea of being able to continue to learn things like that and more throughout my career and life is immensely appealing. Also, and this is definitely COVID-related, I feel like I need to be in a career where I get to work with people and interact with actual, real-life, not-on-a-screen people.
What do you like outside of academics? Hobbies? Interests?
- Music. I play several instruments and listen to music pretty much constantly. My mum probably wouldn't have ever imagined that I'd say something like this when I used to complain about having to practise the piano as a child, but I genuinely feel that music is one of my passions.
- Comedy. Stand-up, panel shows, sitcoms, anything and everything. If it makes me laugh, I'll probably enjoy it. I think that comedy is like medicine in a way, in how they both make people feel better in their own distinct way.
- Football (or soccer for anyone who isn't from the UK). I can only assume that I got caught up in lunchtime kick-arounds and Match Attax trading cards as a child, and it all led on from that. I'm terrible at fantasy, though.
- Languages. I know a few, would like to learn more in the future.
Goals for the year?
- Don't fail uni.
- Make some new friends and do some stereotypical young person/uni student stuff (you know what I mean, socializing, going places, doing things).
- Keep up with some of my hobbies and interests so that I don't burn out and be miserable.
- Keep up a reasonably healthy lifestyle.
Well, let's get on with it, shall we? 加油, allez, давай!
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OMG DORITO HAHA. Didn’t expect to see you here! I’m gladly surprised. Anyhow, looking forward to following your journey through med school, and massive congrats on getting in!!!
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Whys! I'm very online, you can decide if that's a good thing or not :) Thanks so much and congratulations to you too!
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Hey Dorito :),
This looks like an awesome journey and I can't wait to follow it throughout the year. Apart from piano, what other instruments do you play and do you have a favourite one? I can also relate to the hating practice as a child but then gaining a real appreciation for music and playing music later on.
Et est-ce que tu parles français? I have no idea what the other languages are at the bottom, wait let me look them up. Mm Chinese and Russian, wow that's super cool.
Anyway, congratulations on getting into medicine and I'll see you around AN!
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Hey Dorito
Looking forward to your medical journal. Congrats on getting into medicine. B.Med/MD at the University of Newcastle is my current top preference and goal for next year haha.
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Hey Dorito :),
This looks like an awesome journey and I can't wait to follow it throughout the year. Apart from piano, what other instruments do you play and do you have a favourite one? I can also relate to the hating practice as a child but then gaining a real appreciation for music and playing music later on.
Et est-ce que tu parles français? I have no idea what the other languages are at the bottom, wait let me look them up. Mm Chinese and Russian, wow that's super cool.
Anyway, congratulations on getting into medicine and I'll see you around AN!
Hi, love the username btw. Right, if you're all going to be invested in this, it looks like I'm going to have to try extra hard to keep updating it! I play cello (took lessons in it), bass guitar (no lessons but it was fairly easy to pick up for me) and a bit of guitar (very poorly, but I need to pick up a second-hand one when I get to uni because I'd like to get better at it). You may notice a theme here with the stringed instruments, haha. Not sure if I have a favourite; I like them all in different ways and for different styles of music and for different purposes. Good to know someone else can relate to the hating practise as a child and then finding some kind of enjoyment in music later on.
Oui, je parle français. Et toi? Je l'ai appris au college pendant sept ans. Yeah, I'm ethnically Chinese so it made sense to learn it. And I fear I'm cheating a bit by putting Russian down as a language that I "know". I'm certainly learning it, but I can't really say that I know it, not properly yet.
And I hope I see you around AN too!
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Hey Dorito
Looking forward to your medical journal. Congrats on getting into medicine. B.Med/MD at the University of Newcastle is my current top preference and goal for next year haha.
Good luck for next year! And you're pretty much exactly my target audience, hopefully you'll get some kind of insight into what it's like to be a student at UoN before you even start.
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Good luck for next year! And you're pretty much exactly my target audience, hopefully you'll get some kind of insight into what it's like to be a student at UoN before you even start.
Haha yeah. Did you just graduate from Year 12 or did you do/partially do a degree already?
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Hey Dorito!
Excited to see another med journal popup, i'll try follow along! What are you planning to specialise in or any plans post-med school? :D
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Haha yeah. Did you just graduate from Year 12 or did you do/partially do a degree already?
I'm fresh from Year 12. So I assume uni will be quite the shock to the system!
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Hey Dorito!
Excited to see another med journal popup, i'll try follow along! What are you planning to specialise in or any plans post-med school? :D
You sound exactly like one of my teachers from school; he just asked me the same question when I emailed him, haha. No idea so far, I've always been one of those people who is interested in everything. I guess I have time to decide.
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You sound exactly like one of my teachers from school; he just asked me the same question when I emailed him, haha. No idea so far, I've always been one of those people who is interested in everything. I guess I have time to decide.
I hope that imparts my apparent reservoir of wisdom as teachers often do ;) (jk, don't get at me if you are teacher reading this). But yeah you have heaps of time to decide! Do you read any medicine-related books?
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I hope that imparts my apparent reservoir of wisdom as teachers often do ;) (jk, don't get at me if you are teacher reading this). But yeah you have heaps of time to decide! Do you read any medicine-related books?
I've read quite a few. I suppose Oliver Sacks' books are the more generic answer, but they are amazing and a real insight into a more human side of neurology. Henry Marsh's books on his life as a neurosurgeon are fascinating too, perhaps a bit more curmudgeonly but good reads nonetheless. I've just realized that this list makes me sound like I'm very interested in neuro as a specialty, haha, I promise I'm very very open to anything! And finally, personal preference (perhaps from spending my formative years watching a lot of British TV which is at least partially people complaining about things in a comedic fashion, if we're honest), I did enjoy Adam Kay's books on being a junior doctor in the UK, even if he did end up quitting the profession. They're quite humorously written and I think helped dissuade high school me from thinking that medicine was a purely enjoyable and 'dream' profession (bit of a reality check, if you will).
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I've read quite a few. I suppose Oliver Sacks' books are the more generic answer, but they are amazing and a real insight into a more human side of neurology. Henry Marsh's books on his life as a neurosurgeon are fascinating too, perhaps a bit more curmudgeonly but good reads nonetheless. I've just realized that this list makes me sound like I'm very interested in neuro as a specialty, haha, I promise I'm very very open to anything! And finally, personal preference (perhaps from spending my formative years watching a lot of British TV which is at least partially people complaining about things in a comedic fashion, if we're honest), I did enjoy Adam Kay's books on being a junior doctor in the UK, even if he did end up quitting the profession. They're quite humorously written and I think helped dissuade high school me from thinking that medicine was a purely enjoyable and 'dream' profession (bit of a reality check, if you will).
Haven't read any of Oliver Sacks' books, ill check them out! I love: When Breathe becomes Air, going to reread it hahah
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OH DAMNN Dorito! This looks like it's going to be an epic journal, very keen to follow along! I love comedy too, do you like Russell Peters? I find him hilarious! Do you have any favourite comedians?
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OH DAMNN Dorito! This looks like it's going to be an epic journal, very keen to follow along! I love comedy too, do you like Russell Peters? I find him hilarious! Do you have any favourite comedians?
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Hi, love the username btw. Right, if you're all going to be invested in this, it looks like I'm going to have to try extra hard to keep updating it! I play cello (took lessons in it), bass guitar (no lessons but it was fairly easy to pick up for me) and a bit of guitar (very poorly, but I need to pick up a second-hand one when I get to uni because I'd like to get better at it). You may notice a theme here with the stringed instruments, haha.
Thank you - your username is pretty cool too! Also, I play the violin and my cousin is an avid guitar player so I'm also partial to the string instruments (plus I love the sound of the cello, it's so beautiful).
Oui, je parle français. Et toi? Je l'ai appris au college pendant sept ans. Yeah, I'm ethnically Chinese so it made sense to learn it. And I fear I'm cheating a bit by putting Russian down as a language that I "know". I'm certainly learning it, but I can't really say that I know it, not properly yet.
Oui, je parle français et je l'ai étudié aussi au lycée. Malheureusement, je ne l'ai pas pratiqué depuis l'année dernière donc je suis un peu rouillée!
Anyway, thanks for the response and again I can't wait to see your journey through med school!
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2 weeks to go until move-in day and a month (well, 30 days) until the first day of classes. I'll be looking back on this post with a good chuckle at my own naivety within a year, I'm sure, but for now I'm genuinely excited to start a whole new chapter in my life. For me (as I'm sure it will be for everyone) this is a massive transitional period: moving out, moving to a new city, starting at university, etc, which I'm sure I'd be quite intimidated by if I wasn't so eager to start with the whole thing. I did get into contact with some teachers back at my high school who asked me to tell them what course I ended up getting into and where, and they were all massively supportive and happy for me, which has helped. Most funny was the guy who said I could learn now to surf in Newcastle. Thanks for the vote of confidence, sir, but I don't think I've got the coordination for that!
I got an email from Student Living yesterday and today someone told me that the timetables were coming out on the 1st of February, so everything is moving quite fast. Bit of a shock to the system having all of Christmas and a bunch of time before and after to relax and do nothing, and now everything's really starting up. I've heard that I've got pretty full days Mondays to Wednesdays, but only have to go in on alternating Thursdays and mornings on Fridays, which is an interesting schedule. Reckon it can't be too difficult to get used to though. Have also started trying to adjust my sleep schedule. You lot wouldn't believe the body clock I was on before; sleeping at 4am and waking at 12pm. Really liked it, but obviously that doesn't really jive with university life so I'm trying to shift that bedtime several hours back.
OH DAMNN Dorito! This looks like it's going to be an epic journal, very keen to follow along! I love comedy too, do you like Russell Peters? I find him hilarious! Do you have any favourite comedians?
Thank you for the positive judgement in advance! I haven't watched Russell Peters in a while, but I did find him hilarious a few years back. Might have to catch up on some of his newer sets. In terms of favourites, I don't have a specific favourite person but I do like Hannah Gadsby, Michael McIntyre, Milton Jones (actually my profile picture at the moment) and Ed Byrne (although more for his participation on panel shows than his stand-up).
Oui, je parle français et je l'ai étudié aussi au lycée. Malheureusement, je ne l'ai pas pratiqué depuis l'année dernière donc je suis un peu rouillée!
Anyway, thanks for the response and again I can't wait to see your journey through med school!
Je peux confirmer que je suis énormément rouillée aussi! Definitely have to keep engaging somehow with the language, I really don't want to forget it after putting effort into it at school.
I think my next update will be either when I've got my timetable or when I've moved in, or maybe when I've had a week or so of uni under my belt. If you're at Newcastle as well, I'm always up to say hi!
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Quick little update to procrastinate packing to move up to Newy (hopefully there will be less procrastinating when I'm actually studying the course or we may be in a world of trouble!)
Got my first correspondence regarding the course a week ago, and the first week timetable yesterday. Apparently the timetable is not very much like what is on the uni website/Allocate+ which is somewhat inconvenient. And it is also subject to change so we're going to be getting a new timetable sent to us every week. So I guess I'm going to really have to develop some organisational skills quickly. The first week seems very introductory and getting us informed about medicine and how it is taught at UoN. I suppose we're being eased in, which is nice.
I've also seen the Resfest and O-week timetables (or at least what I think is some kind of draft of them), and it does appear that there are in-person events, which is lovely and I can't wait to meet new people and maybe make new friends (just kidding, unless... :P).
So everything is really kicking off now I suppose. This was a lot more of a feelings-based post rather than anything informative, so if you weren't interested in that I do apologise.
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Hey Dorito!
Sounds a bit tricky that the timetable is changing, but hopefully it will sort itself out soon! Our uni starting using Allocate+ this year, so I understand the difficulties!
Anything in particular you are looking forward to about O-week?
All the best for the move! I've been to Newcastle a couple of times and it honestly seems an ideal city to live in!
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Hello, everyone. Long time no see! Well only about a month, but so much has happened since I moved to Newcastle and started uni.
Ok, first of all, moving. Packing was an absolute NIGHTMARE; I found myself sitting on the floor in the middle of the night trying to fit things into boxes and decide what I wanted to bring to uni and whether anything in my life was worth anything at all. Advice to anyone wanting to avoid a complete existential crisis about packing for a move: START EARLY! Don't be like me and procrastinate it for so long, especially if you have more than just packing to do (life admin, etc). You'll save yourself so much stress. Surprisingly, I unpacked within just a few hours of arriving...
We had two weeks on campus before classes started. This was great and I can't speak highly enough about the University of Newcastle, the Student Living department, and the Residential Mentors for making us all feel very welcome and settled in within just days of arriving. Knowing people who live around you when you've just moved to a completely new city is really invaluable and helped me feel less alone. That being said, it's totally ok if you don't end up vibing with everyone who you meet on campus at the beginning. It's a good environment to meet new friends but you're definitely not going to get on super well with every single person you're around and that's ok, don't lose hope about making friends at uni.
I could go on about what it's like to move out and live at uni, but this is ATAR Notes so I gather you might be a bit more interested in what it is like to study med at the University of Newcastle. Please take this with copious grains of salt because I've just started my third week and there's twelve more to go so obviously I'm not super experienced yet.
So the way my first term is structured is like this: a 5 (?) week block of a general whirlwind tour through every body system possible, and then we jump into the cardio and respiratory systems. Currently I'm in the tour through the body stage, and it's really something, haha. Coming from having a biology and chemistry in high school background, I was happy to find that I already knew a bit of the biology and chemistry things (DNA replication, translation, organelles in cells), which definitely lifted the burden on me in my first few weeks a bit. I like how at my university they teach you this kind of biochemistry/purer science knowledge, but they also try to teach you some anatomy, basic clinical skills, professionalism that is somehow related to the biochemistry. So some context is provided, which I find REALLY helpful in getting me to actually...uh... learn things. I also love how we do so many things in either PBL or clinical skills in set groups, so there's a bunch of people you'll be going through (at least a term of) medical school with. I think I'm lucky that we all get along well and there's a good mix of backgrounds and personalities in my groups though; I'd imagine if it didn't work out it would be difficult to have to be with the same people for 15 weeks.
Well, you may ask, what is difficult about studying medicine? After all, I've just said a lot of nice things about how much I'm enjoying living on campus and my first proper two weeks of study. I would say that the hard thing about medicine is the sheer amount of content. Yes we have 15 weeks (I think we have a truncated Easter break, for instance) which is more raw TIME than most other uni courses at UoN, but the amount of stuff covered in each week is really something. I think you have to be quite dedicated in your study, but also strategic and (though it's cliché to say) really good at time management, or you'll definitely find it overwhelming. Another difficult thing to deal with is how much the timetable changes, and how short notice they give you before it changes (we had a lecture cancelled minutes after it was meant to start because the lecturer was not available).
One last thing: it is always recommended to get involved in things outside of medicine. So what did I do? I joined the medical society's futsal team ;D despite never really having played much sport before (I did run for 2 years though). It was initially a way for me to force myself to exercise at least once a week but I've really been enjoying it so far.