Lauren - Week at a glance

My typical week can vary dependent on the time of year, but I am always busy in some respect.

About half your time is spent at the University learning or recapping crucial content for us to becoming brilliant radiographers. Before COVID-19 I will have been in at least two, two-hour lectures a day, which fits my personality perfectly because I like to keep super occupied! Once I get back, I review the lectures, write any extra notes, and do any recommended wider reading. It may be to help review and expand my knowledge from the lectures that day or to help prepare me for my lectures for the rest of the week. I just repeat this cycle for much of the week. However, having online lectures now has been such an advantage as I can plan to have days of learning updated content and the next day to revisit and relax a little more.

There are two areas in the academic part of a radiotherapy student’s studies which can get even busier! This is the assessment seasons around Christmas and Easter. Assessments come in all forms such as essays, exams, and presentations. I find if I knuckle down and get work done but make sure I am available to chat with all my friends and speak to lecturers when I need help/advice this helps me get through!

The other half of the radiotherapy course is spent on placement, in hospitals all over the country. Personally, I have visited two departments, Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. While on placement you are working a four-day week (so you have one day off for study). Again, keeping myself busy! You are learning all the time and applying the theories you learn in the classroom to your practice. I sleep a lot which is needed when you are like a sponge absorbing so much new information and developing lots of your skills.

In my downtime, I am chatting with friends and family on zoom. Playing video games, reading, join and go to events ran by societies, I help run a youth group online and many more activities. All these things help me to relax and make sure I have a bit of ‘me time’ as well as all the hard work I am putting in to be successful. Alongside this, I work as a Student Ambassador, a really rewarding role and brilliant to put onto my CV. Time management and organisation are most certainly the key to be the best you can be!