The Aspiring Midwife

Things you can do !

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 13:33:00 +0000

Hi everyone...yep i know i'm crap at updating my blog - i'm hoping that once i start university i'll have sooo much to tell you all that daily blog post WILL be written. To be honest - i'm struggling with things to talk about, although i have loadss of idea in my head it's hard to write it down if that makes sense!. Maybe i'm just weird, or maybe i am losing inspiration because my post 'omg i'm going to be a student midwife' glow has gone..and now i'm left waiting...and waiting...and waiting to start!.

Anyway, today i thought i'd give you a few ideas of the things you can do to improve your knowledge of all things midwifery, which in turn will improve your chances of getting a place!. The thing is..even if i told you exactly how to get a place, this doesn't mean you WILL get a place. My top top top top tip is....make sure it's exactly what you want to do! Lots of people are like 'oo i wanna cuddle lots of babies.....i'll become a midwife' NO just no. Look it up, research, read, see, explore! Really have a realistic idea of what it's about..otherwise become a nanny or something..

Also, do NOT listen to all those who keep saying 'you have to have kids' 'you have to be older than 30' 'don't apply if your young' etc etc. That is all a load of s**t. Sorry but it annoys me so much when people try and make you question what you want to do..if it's what you really truly aspire to be..then do it! and you will succeed. Those who don't get places are the ones who don't come across like they really want it.

Here are a few things you can do to get a better understanding of the role of a midwife:

1. Watch youtube videos - know this is weird, but i once watched a Natural Geographic 'in the womb' video on youtube..and all of sudden i felt like i knew exactly what happens when a women is in labour. It also gave me an insight to what the baby goes through too, which didn't really occur to be before. Watch it here!

You can also watch videos of student midwifes at university. This allows you to see the kinds of things you'll be doing once at university and what kind of teaching you will receive, as well as the support you will have etc. Watch it here!

2. Talk to midwives - i know you can't just swan in to a delivery suite and be like 'o hey, can i watch?', but if you know any midwives, or are at work experience at a hospital etc. Talk to them, even if they only have five minutes. Find out their experiences and if the job has lived up to their expectations. Ask them anything your concerned about. If you feel nervous or worried that they won't talk to you, put yourself in the shoes of a midwife, would you help a curious midwife to be? i would, knowing what i've been through already just to get a place.

3. Read read read - i know i've said this before, but i can't stress enough how important it is to read up about EVERYTHING; the role of a midwife, the issues midwives could face, current issues related to midwifery, what you will be doing as a student midwife, what are the day to day task of a midwife. Etc. Please just read as much as you can, ideas of websites etc. can be found in previous posts.

I've already spoke about work experience etc. but i thought i'd give a few more ideas of the simple things you can do. I hope this has been helpful in anyway. Please share my blog!

Thanksss

Top 5 interview outfits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Hi everyone! - sorry for the late post, as i said yesterday i've really so busy the past fews days. Yesterday evening was spent in my boyfriend's nan and grandad's garden digging out the baby leeks and weeding! (normal day to day tasks...) - Ross's granddad has a huge fruit and vegetable garden, literally anything you can think of - it's there. He asked me if i liked rhubarb, i said yes (politely..as you do), next thing i know he's chopping up the whole thing and gives them to me! - seriously..no one needs this much rhubarb. Now i have to make a crumble to use it up ugh!. You know when you really really really cannot be arsed to something - well that's how i feel now.

Anyway, for those who don't know me - i love clothes! i love shopping or anything to do with fashion. I think fashion is important because its a way of expressing yourself. Which is why i think its vital that you dress as YOU at interview, not how you think the interviewer wants you to dress. Heres a few ideas, and my five favourite outfits to wear for interview!

1. The midi dress - This is perfect for those who steer clear of bright colours, as it's understated but still gives a bit more oomph than a classic black dress. It's a perfect mix of smart and fun, as the neckline will show no glimpse of boob (no nipple flashes needed) but it's still a very sophisticated cut that's bound to get you noticed!. Adding a pair of tights smartens the overall look.

Dress - £32 Asos. Find it here!

Work it with:

Shoes - £29.99 Zara. Find it here!

Necklace - £15 topshop. Find it here!

2. The printed trouser - not for the faint hearted! By keeping the rest of the look plain, the trousers become the centre of attention. Choosing a smart cut and style keeps it looking interview-worthy. This outfit is perfect for those who ooze confidence and like to stand out from the crowd!.

Trousers - £40 Asos. Find it here!

Work it with:

Blazer - £40 Topshop. Find it here!

Vest - £14 Asos. Find it here!

3. The colour pop - If you don't feel confident wearing anything too 'out there' or 'look at me', a smart black trouser can still look amazing. Adding a bright shoe and accessorises take it from being boring to something interviewers will remember.

Trousers - £19.99 mango. Find it here!

Work it with:

Shoes - £69.99 Zara. Find it here!

Shirt - £39.99 Zara. Find it here!

Necklace - £18.50 Topshop. Find it here!

4. The vintage tea dress - this dress ticks all the boxes; it's fun, it's understated, the material makes it smart and business-like. It's 'please look at me with my cute little daisies and pick me, i'm the best one here'!. too far? Pair it with some black tights and your good to go. Perfect for those who prefer to wear black.

Dress - £52 Urban Outfitters. Find it here!

Work it with:

Boots - £42 Asos. Find it here!

Tights - £12 (pack of 3) Asos. Find it here!

5. The graphic pencil skirt - I would have loved to have worn this at interview! ..I think it's amazing, so flattering and pretty. It definitely gives the popular pencil skirt an edge. Keep it interview friendly with a structured shirt and low heel.

Skirt - £32.00 Asos. Find it here!

Work it with:

Peplum shirt - £26 Next. Find it here!

Heels - £29.99 Zara. Find it here!

What I wore:

Dress - £38 Topshop (no longer in store)

I worked it with:

Boots - £75 Topshop. Find it here!

Ring - £12 Topshop (no longer availble)

I hope you've enjoyed this post! - I don't want my blog to be just like the rest. I want it to stand out from the rest. Which is why i wanted to give you some ideas of the outfits you could wear. Of course i'm not telling you what to wear!. Just giving you some ideas, because i've seen on SMNET soo many times people's concerns with what they are going to wear, a lot of people see that the majority are going to wear trousers and shirt, and so they wear trousers and a shirt also. God forbid we stand out at all!, us brits hate that (as well as our huffs, sighs & sarcasm). Standing out is what you need to do though! - so forget about what everyone else is doing, dress as you, make it fun & make sure your get remembered.

Hopefully i will post tomorrow!

keep sharing people. Much Love

Quick message!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:11:00 +0000

Hi everyone! just a quick message to say that i WILL definitely post tomorrow! - i have been so so busy at the moment and have literally just got in!. Sorry!

Hope your all well! check my blog tomorrow please

Remember to keep sharing! - i need people to see how amazing i am ha ha

University interview tips!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Hi everyone - sorry i didn't update my blog yesterday, I completely forgot it was fathers day (awks). I woke up ridiculously early and made a cake for my stepdad, and had to nurse my hungover boyfriend who spent most of the night being sick and swearing at everybody, the best part is that in front of his mum and dad he thought it would be a good idea to take his pants off and show his willy! ha ha ha. It was hilarious. To be honest I was so angry at him for drinking so much, I did tell him half way through the night to stop drinking. Did he listen? NO, will he listen next time? probably not lol.

Anyway, rant over. I thought i'd share some interview tips with everyone! If you've managed to even get an interview then congrats!! Honestly, no one really understands how hard it is to even get that far. So now all you need to do is amaze them at interview, which again is difficult.

Now I can't really tell you what i was asked (although i'd like to) BUT, I can tell you what you should definitely make sure you know...

The role of a midwife - the thing is, until you are actually a midwife, you can't really know or understand what it's life to BE a midwife. What you can do though, is make sure that you regularly read anything to do with midwifery (NHS careers, Midwifery 2020 - if you don't know what this is; research it NOW, Midwife: job prospects, NMC etc)
Current issues - this is SO important, i can't even tell you how important it is!, most people think that just knowing about the current issues is enough, but the university doesn't just want to hear what you know, they want to know your opinion. As long as it's honest, you could say that you don't agree with something, it doesn't matter. Current issues can be found on SMNET,BBC news, Midwifery 2020 & the practising midwife magazine. Obviously there are many more resources to look at, these are just the ones that i found most useful.
Qualities and skills of a midwife
Your qualities and skills (always always always relate them to the role of a midwife, otherwise there no point in saying anything!)
The university itself - it's like in a job interview, you'd need to know about the company, what they expect from you & what you expect from the company. It's the same thing at a university interview.
The dark sides to midwifery - your not going to be smiling constantly and catching babies left, right & centre! like with any job, their are dark areas. Make sure you have a realistic knowledge of the job, including the problems you may face, or the situation you may be put in.

FINALLY - don't forget the small things

-Smile - no one wants to interview someone with a face like a slapped arse, it won't be a pleasant experience for either of you.

-Body language - often this goes out the window when i'm nervous, I start to do all sorts like excessively shaking my leg or completely over the top hand gestures. Try mock interviews with friends or family and make a conscious effort to have positive and open body language. Hopefully your genuine interest and passion for midwifery will come across at interview anyway, the important thing is to act natural.

-Wear something interesting - interviewers probably see hundreds of people coming in wearing black trousers and a shirt. Of course this is perfectly acceptable and smart, however there probably not going to remember you, unless you have really impressed them with your answers (sorry if this sounds harsh lol), remember to dress like YOU, then the interviews will have a good idea of who you are. Make it fun too, I wore a red polka dot dress and cracked a few bad jokes - this took the attention away from my shaky voice and ridiculous amount of pauses I made between sentences LOL. Of course i'm not trying to tell you how to dress, i'm just giving my opinion! please don't take any offence. Even if you are the type of person to wear trousers and a shirt, make a statement with a fun necklace or try a bright colour (it's proven that people remember bright colours over muted ones. just sayin')

Okay that's enough about clothes ha ha ! It worked for me anyway :)

One more thing - check out SMENT's interview question download, it's around £5.95 to download 164 real interview questions. I used this and found it so so helpful. It makes you feel less panicky about being asked something your not expecting, and obviously gives you an idea of the sorts of things you could be asked.

Hope you've enjoyed this post. Please subscribe or share (or both!) if you find it interesting.

My must have midwifery essentials!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Hi Everyone, i'm so tired today - me and my boyfriend decided it would be a good idea to go for a walk and then stop for lunch. Yea this seems like a lovely idea, until we got lost and ended up walking for 4 long hours in the woods, climbing up hills and 365 steps!. I wasn't really that bothered about the crappy rainy weather or the fact that my legs, bum & feet felt like they we're going to drop off at any moment, it's just that i was STARVING! I thought i was going to die (slight exaggeration). Luckily i had a hugeee pork,stuffing and onion baguette with BBQ sauce which tasted amazing.

Anyway..(waffle waffle wafle), today i've decided to talk about my must have midwifery essentials. now these are the things that i couldn't of managed without (apart from the planner which won't be used until september.. )

Practising midwife magazine subscription - omg this is truly amazing for so many reasons.

-It gives you an in sight to the role of a midwife

-It gives you an idea of the sorts of the things you could be involved in as a midwife

-It gave me loads of current issues to talk about at my interview!!!

-There are articles from current students about their experiences

-Each month focuses on a different topic so that you have knowledge of a wide range of things

-Just subscribing to the magazine itself can be put into personal statements/mentioned at interview to impress universities

-Its not full of adverts

-Its easy to understand and not full or technical language

-it's amazing

Please, if you are currently trying to get a university place or just want more of an in sight before you apply, subscribe here!! It's around £35 for a yearly subscription.

2. Studentmidwife.net - another 'omg this is truly amazing for so many reasons.' but it has some bad points. It's a forum website for virtually anybody related to midwifery; students, aspiring midwives, lecturers, midwives, those who just have an interest in it.

-Anything that you are concerned about/not sure of/have no idea about WILL be on there somewhere

-It offers a great interview preparation service, where you can pay around £5 for loads and loads of possible interview questions

-They have loads of up and coming midwifery based events advertised on there

-It's a great way to talk to your future midwifery buddies

-Everyone on their supports each other and can put you at ease to here other people's experiences

-It's completely free and easy to sign up

Bad points

-It extremely addictive! like seriously on par with facebook addictive

-It can get you down to see others post that they have offers when you don't yet

-Some get a bit funny with certain posting (i know this is understandable and all but its annoying!)

Just get on their site now please and take a look!

3. Midwifery planner - okay so i know i haven't used this yet, but i just know that it's going to be my life saver at university!. First off it looks cute (i choose the baby one not stripy one), it has space for everything you need to remember; revision timetables, catch chart (haha), expenses, exam timetable, placements, lectures, food charts & childcare!! It's amazing and i'm sure it will be put to good use come september. There £15 to buy which is a good price for everything that's in there, it's not really a standard planner (obviously, midwifery is the best job in the world of course, student midwives deserve special planners).

I can't say anymore because i'm going out tonight, blossom hill rose is a must! - i better start getting ready because i take about 3 hours haha!

Check my blog tomorrow for interview tips!!!

My Journey so far

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Okay I know I said that I would be talking about my dreaded personal statement, but I decided that was a bit boring! Instead i'll be telling you about how I got to this point and what I had to do along the way.

So firstly i'll tell you about the access course I studied - I started in september of 2012 at RFDC college in the forest of dean, gloucestershire. I studied biology, chemistry, sociology, psychology & study skills. I have to say it was probably the hardest time of my life to date. I know this seems ridiculous, but I just wasn't prepared for the amount of assignments that would be thrown at me, on top of working all day sundays and half shifts thursdays at a care home, PLUS the university application/preparation etc. I really don't know how people with kids manage all of that! I really hand it to them. Luckily I stopped working in january so I could focus on college and applying to university.

I would strongly recommend the access course if you don't have enough UCAS points to apply for university, even if it is really tough and throws you in the deep end, it's probably the only course that comes close to what university will be like and will really help with self-study, and get you used to a heavy work load. Also it's specifically designed for those who want a career in health.

Here is a good website to search access course near you - http://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx

It wasn't long into the access course that the preparation began for university - I first made 100% sure i wanted to study midwifery, then looked into the best universities (try using university league tables)

The universities I applied for:

-1st choice Cardiff

-2nd choice UWE

-3rd choice Glamorgan

-4th choice Swansea

-5th choice Birmingham city

Obviously your uni choices should be based on what works best for you, and what course will suit you the best, also take into account the distance and far long it will take you to travel there if your commuting.

I will warn you the wait kills! - it literally feel like years and endless checking of emails and UCAS until you get some news. I got myself so panicked when I received an email and to be honest I was expecting good news, so when it was an unsuccessful from birmingham city I was so disappointed! I requested feedback straight away and in return received really generic basic feedback, So this made me feel totally disheartened, but I focused on the fact that it wasn't my top choices!

Not long after this I received another unsuccessful from swansea! as you can imagine I felt so down at this point because i'd received straight unsuccessful's - at the time I didn't realise how unlikely it is to receive interview invites from all your choices, and now I realise I was so so lucky to have had an offer from my top choice first time applying!

Finally some good news arrived when I was invited to attend a numeracy assessment at cardiff university (I will write a blogpost on the preparation you should do for numeracy assessments) - I was so so excited and nervous as I knew that I had to get 50% on all sections to even be considered for the interview selection process!! Thank god I passed it (some how??) and two weeks later received an invitation to interview.

This is where the nerves reallly kicked in - to be honest I was pooing myself. I felt like I had 1 million things to think about. (Keep checking my blog for interview tips and useful resources) Luckily they somehow saw something in my and 2 agonising weeks later I received a UCAS notification that i had received an offer!!! I could not believe it, i felt so lucky and blessed to have been accepted, I still can't believe it now a few months on.

Now I have finished college with 39 credits at distinctions and 9 credits at merit - i'm over the mood to have achieved this and to know that all the hard work has paid off! - now the REAL hard work begins come september....

So sorry that this post is missing so much information - it's so hard to try to include everything that i've done since september and not bore people! Loads more post are to come don't worry!

Tomorrow I will post about interviews!!

The dreaded personal statement....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:10:00 +0000

Hi Everyone! I know that writing a personal statement is probably the hardest thing about the application process. Not only have you got to impress the university without them actually meeting you, there's also a feeling of dread that if you don't succeed = no invitation to interview! :(

The first hurdle is being able to talk about yourself positively, we have a habit of criticising ourself and trying to pick holes. Try writing 10 things about yourself that you like as a starting point. They do not have to be midwifery related, for example you are able to get along with anybody, or you often put others before yourself. Doing this will not only get you used to selling yourself, but it will also give you a confidence boost. Here are the ten things I like about myself

I have the confidence to voice my opinion
I'm a good listening and give advice to rival agony aunt !
I take pride in my appearance
I try not to judge people on the decisions they make in life
I have a wicked sense of humour
I know how to make people laugh and put them at ease
I can't help but mother people
I am comfortable in my own skin
I'm happy to take on the role of a leader
I worry about people

Now you try!!

Next get thinking about how you can relate these ten things to your past experiences, whether thats your current job, or an achievement of yours.Then you can apply these things to the role of a midwife.

Here are some hints of the things to include in your PS

-Your skills

-Your achievements

-Your past experiences

-Your insight to the role of a midwife

-Your reasons for wanting to be a midwife

-Your inspirations

-The reasons why you should to be given a place

-What you could bring to the university

Now, including all these things in just 4000 characters is such a hard thing to do. What i will say is that the demands of each university is different. Some may prefer to hear about your skills and qualities, other may wanted to hear more of what you know about midwifery. My TOPTIP is to take a look at your first university choice and reading about what they are looking for. Then you can choose what you think are the most important things to talk about.

Another tip is to look for buzzwords on the university website and include these in your personal statement. Not only will this show that you have an insight to what they are looking for, but it also shows that you taken the time to find out what students that specific university wants.

A Great personal statement will:

-Have an opening sentence that catches the readers attention

-Have a personal touch (remember the university has never met you, the aim is for them to feel they know you a little by the end and are impressed)

-Are different from the rest (think of something that makes you stand out, anything at all that you can link to the career you want)

-Link skills to the role of a midwife

-Are not cheesy or over the top (trust me some are!)

-Have a strong end sentence that sums up all you have said

-Have no spelling mistakes (check, check & check again!)

-Flow well and have a logical layout

REMEMBER - your personal statement MUST be unique to you and your personality. Try not to make it boring, include something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It has to be your own words!

Here are some useful websites that could help you

-http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/undergraduate/filling-your-application/your-personal-statement

-http://www.studential.com/personalstatements/getpscourse.asp?type=50 (these are examples of midwifery personal statements)

-http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Category:Midwifery_Personal_Statements

-http://www.midwiferyonline.co.uk/content/133-UCAS-PS-Guide

Hope this helps!! - check out my blog later for my experience of writing my personal statement. Please subscribe and share :)

Thinking of applying?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:28:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Today I am going to give you some top tips before you apply for a midwifery place at university

Get some experience - Now, i know this is easier said than done! a lot of hospitals etc. will not accept volunteers, and it can be so frustrating when your willing to work for free just to improve your chances of getting a place. What i will say is that it does not have to be midwifery related, and it certainly doesn't have to be in a hospital. I worked in a care home for a year before applying (this length of time is not necessary, i'm not saying that you need to work for an entire year!), however I also volunteered to teach dance to 4-6 years olds. The important thing to do is make sure you can link it some how to the role of a midwife. For example, i had to earn the trust from the parents, which is important when working as a midwife as both parents need to put their trust in you throughout the pregnancy and especially during labour. Here are some ideas of experience you can get (i will also create a post which explains each of these)

- Maternity buddy scheme

- Care homes

- Bank care assistant

- NCT volunteer (http://www.nct.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/nct-volunteering-roles)

- Hereford bank (ring hereford hospital and ask to be put through to nurse bank, explain you are looking for experience on the maternity ward as preparation for university)

- Breastfeeding support worker

- Nursery's

Weigh up the costs - if you have children or are going to be commuting to and from university, you need to seriously work out if it's going to cost too much. Obviously you will receive extra help if you have dependants and sometimes travel costs. However having roughly £9000-£10,000 a year as oppose to a full time job is going to put strain of your day to day life. Also bear in mind that if your children are young, you will be in lectures between 9.00-17.00 monday-friday, and 12 hour shifts will occur on placements. Here are some things to consider

- How much is it going to cost you to travel to university each day

- How much is childcare going to cost

-If you have a partner, how can they help?, will they be able pick the children up from school etc.

- Get a NHS bursary estimate

(http://www.ppa.org.uk/StudentBursariesCalculator/reset.do;jsessionid=5C6EB4A743093DEEF2E46982A368D9D3)

I don't want to put a damper on something that is actually very exciting - however i just want you to think about all these little things before you apply! - if you will manage then thats great, however you're not 100% that you will be finically supported enough then that is something to think about.

Research - I realise this seem totally obvious, however not everyone does this- and it's so so important. Not only should you have an insight to the role of a midwife, but you also need to understand what the demands of university are, what you will need and what you should do to prepare etc. Here are few useful websites

- http://www.studentmidwife.net (This is amazing for soo many reasons, please just take a look if you haven't already)

- http://studentmidwivessanctuary.com

- http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/midwifery/

- http://www.nmc-uk.org

- http://midwifethinking.com/about/

- university websites

- http://www.prospects.ac.uk/midwife_job_description.htm

I hope this helps somehow! - there is so much more I need to say but I don't have enough time

If there is anything that you would like me to blog about please email me - ellie20049@gmail.com

I will post tomorrow on personal statements!!

New to Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Hi everyone! so i'm completely knew to the blogging world, and quite frankly have no idea what i'm doing - regardless of this, i wanted to create a blog for those who like me have a dream of becoming midwife. I was lucky enough to be accepted at cardiff university to study midwifery, it was my first time applying and I had virtually no confidence that i would succeed, i think this was due to EVERYBODY'S reaction when I told them what I wanted to do, with comments such as 'oh it's so hard to get a place', 'it's so competitive, with all those applicants and only limited places' 'why don't you try nursing first and then do the short course' - not the most encouraging feedback!

What I lacked in self confidence I made up for in the determination to prove people wrong and the perseverance to follow my dream. Both of these things paid off, and I literally could not believe that I am going to be a student midwife come september!!!

Anyway.....(trying to keep this short) I will update this blog daily (hopefully) with everything from top tips to prepare for interview, what you can do to improve your chances of getting a place, to updates of what i'm doing to get ready for september - and everything in between!.