Year 2: Week 47 & 48 - One Assessment to Go!

Week 47 & 48: So very nearly there!!!

When mind mapping goes wrong....

Straight out of placement and straight into manic preparations for my last viva! Who needs sleep anyways! It was easy to establish that I can't study at home, its far to distracting! Everyone talks about having the right study area, a desk good lighting, and all your resources available to you! But for some reason this didn't put it for the last assignment and I needed to explore other options.

I am going to blog about the Occupational Role with Refugee and Asylum Seekers (which was my service area) when I get a moment so won't talk about it in this post!

Study venues considered & trailed over the process:

1. Debenhams Cafe Ocean Terminal - Free wifi, generally pleasant and mostly occupied by elderly couples enjoying lunch. This created a positive space to study as there was limited distractions. I could plug my headphones in and focus.

Taking over a bench in Ocean Terminal

2. Costa Coffee Ocean Terminal - Free wifi, good cake. Alternative to the Debehams cafe, wifi was much more usable however, coffee shop always busy and tables quite small, meaning harder to type and write at same time.

3. Costa Coffee George Street - Free Wifi, comfy seating and larger tables, worked well for a change of scenery.

4. Starbucks Ocean Terminal - Free wifi - lots of plug sockets so I often used this towards end of the day with laptop battery was low, only problem was the smell of coffee was often a distraction.

5. Gym - Primarily used when listening to recordings of information whilst doing a gentle 'wander' on the treadmill.

6. Ocean Terminal general seating - Last resort when everywhere was busy, and laptop battery had died, used seating to read over and highlight journals and notes.

Im thankful that although I did most of my prep in these two weeks, I had already started reading journals and articles on topic area whilst on placement to enable me to really focus on what my service idea was going to look like. It still help chaotic and on reflection I wish I had done more of the prep before finishing placement, but it just wasn't doable whilst on placement as I was so exhausted and focused on working on that.

I must mention the massive support my friends were in these two weeks, listening and asking questions about my service so that I could work out what I was actually 'selling' during the viva.

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Year 2: Week 21-25

Busy Busy Busy

So it's been over a month since my last update blog. I think this creates a realistic picture of the intensity of an accelerated masters in OT. 

It's been a really busy month in my little educational bubble with focus being split between my dissertation, occupational design and developing OT practice modules with little time for down time as deadlines are getting ever closer.

So where am I at with everything? 

Dissertation: I've been on a roller coaster with my data analysis over the last month... At one point even doubting I had chosen the right data analysis method... Its a world wind of emotions especially since I'm so passionate about my topic area. It can feel like a battle between choosing the right method of analysis or the easier option and as a novice researcher guidance is often needed. 

We also had our research portfolio review last week (which we are still waiting on feedback from), which added a little more stress to the mix of getting it done on time since the date was brought forward by 2 weeks. A good chance to show flexibility, but a little stressful if you are a forward planner like me. Thankfully I had enough on it at the deadline to get some constructive feedback (hopefully).

I've started the write up of the research article as well now, with my lit review almost complete and my findings data sitting ready to start. I'm hoping to get a little further with this in next few weeks but currently on hold whist I prepare for a group presentation next week for the Occupational Design module.

Occupational Design: As I've discussed before on here, as part of this module we work in groups to design and implement  an intervention with a particular client group. Our group chose to develop a group session for students and staff at one university that had been impacted by recent flooding. Its given us a chance to consider the evidence base for OTs working in communities post disaster which has been really interesting as it is still an emerging role particularly in the UK. 

Our intervention was on Thursday last week and it went really well, the participants were engaged and seem to have benefited from the session.  

We have an assessed presentation next week so have spent the last couple of weeks pulling the evidence together into a usable presentable form and have been using skype meetings to enable the group to meet regularly to make progress which has been really helpful as all group members  are commuters. 

#OTalk: I've managed to fit in a number of support chats over the last couple of months which is also keeping me busy. I am still finding #OTalk a great asset in increasing my knowledge and understanding of theory into practice. As well as helping my understanding of the bigger picture of OT within the UK and beyond.

More CPD: I also attended a BAOT regional CPD event a few weeks ago and you can see the blog about it here. Lots of opportunities to network and develop.  

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 45 & 46: Research, Research, Research everywhere!

Key Term: One more week of 1st year... One more week until research proposal is due...

This last fortnight has been a mix of research and some OTA shifts at work.

Week 45: In the mix of assignment stress, I remember why I want to be an OT

I'm thankful for the chance to do some shifts at work because even when everything feels so stressful with uni work I am reminded why I want to be an OT. I love to spend time with people and help them be as independent as they can when it comes to the things they want and need to do.

This week also involved me continuing to tackle my lit review as part of my proposal, I feel I'm still covering literature broadly instead of having depth, so it's a learning curve to try and do my best.

Week 46: Research and #OTalk support. 

And another week of research proposal, and OTA shifts... It must nearly be time for summer holidays surely...

On the plus side I have remembered to reference as I go with this assignment... this helps ALOT!

This week also see my support my first #OTalk as part of the #OTalk team, which was a great chance to get involved and help someone lead a chat. I'm going to blog separately about this experience after I have submitted my assignment, so keep your eyes peeled for that post.

Week 39: Focus on Interventions

Week 39

Key Term: Intervention

It feels strange having Applied OT twice a week just now, It is making me realise how much I rely on my routines for preparation, and currently feeling a little out of place with my days.  Our groups have changed condition groups for this second half of the module so my learning set now have 'Long term Conditions'.  

It has been really good to start focusing on interventions for different groups of clients and the type of things we might be doing in practice; it is now becoming really good to hear about each others placement experience and learn from each other.  

Our Research module focused on questionnaires this week which is the the method I'm hoping to use for my research so that was a good class, which helped my focus me on the wording of possible questions and the importance of piloting my questionnaire when the time comes. 

This week has felt really busy as we all being to get our heads down to prepare assignments and it certainly does feel like the end of 1st year is in sight...

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

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Week 19: PP1.4

Key Term: Trust Yourself. You know more than you think you do!

[PP1 Week 4]

Second last week of my placement in community paediatrics... And I'm actually starting to 'get it'. You know when things begin to click into place and you feel like you actually have a little bit more of an idea of what to do in situations. 

Being on placement is just like starting a new job but just when you start to get the hang of it, your placement is ending. 

Scissor Skills Templates

Week 4 has been a good and varied week for me including a couple of treatment sessions in mainstream schools, an early years treatment session and a couple of seating reviews. I'm glad to be able to get involved in the OT process and managing to help with the paperwork too, which is really helping to improve my confidence in my abilities to be able to become an OT. 

[Being a 'real' student]

Getting old in student halls this week equalled a birthday meal out with a few of the girls from uni that were around the same area for placement. I was a feeling a little homesick, having to spend my birthday away from home and my other half, but thankfully the wonderful ladies helped to cheer me up by eating Italian food and having a good old laugh. It has really amazed my the great friends I've made on the course so far. 

[And results are in...]

Celebrating with friends 

This week also included results from our first assignment and I'm very thankful to say I have passed... Its fair to say over the first term I questioned a few times if choosing the MSc was the right decision for me. Being able to pass this assignment has confirmed to me that I am capable of studying at masters level, and hopefully will help me to believe in my abilities more.

  

Now I just need to tackle assignment number two...

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks