I chose to study Adult Nursing, much to the surprise of my friends and family as my A-Levels had been in Fine Art and essay subjects, rather than Sciences and Social Care. However, the Nursing Department at Sheffield saw my potential, despite not having a traditional academic background for a Nursing student. It seemed to me that they put a lot of time and effort into supporting people they believed would be good nurses in person, rather than just those who looked good on paper. Nursing attracts people from all sorts of backgrounds, and it was evident that the Nursing department valued this; rewarding each applicant on their merits rather than holding us all to the same standards.
The thing that sets the Sheffield Nursing department apart from others is that their undergraduate course is almost brand new. In fact, they graduate their first cohort in 2020! This has many benefits for us as students, as their staff are very keen to hear and act upon opinions that would make things easier for their students. Not every student is always 100% happy with the course as nursing is a demanding subject, but I know that the department is always trying to find ways to please us wherever they can.
Nursing has a lot more contact hours compared to other University courses and attendance is registered so you won’t be able to get away with missing your lectures! However, there is still plenty of time to socialise. I built a social life outside of the Nursing course by joining a University sports team which has added more vibrancy to my student experience. I would really recommend joining student teams and groups, as it really makes you feel like a part of the University community and allows you to make brilliant friends that are not on your course. If this is not your kind of thing though, there is still plenty of opportunity to be sociable just within the course. There are less than 60 people in my year group, meaning we all know each other’s names and have all had the chance to make good friendships.
Originally, I come from the North East of England so needed to move in order to study in Sheffield. I was offered a flat with fellow Student Nurses within the Student Village. This was the best decision I could have made as my flatmates are brilliant, supportive and a bit mad! It might be argued that we spend a little bit too much time together and if you entered our flat you might think we had all gone a little bit insane, but they are the most important part of my Sheffield experience so far. If you do not want to live in a Nursing flat but with students from other courses, this is also possible. The main reason a Nursing flat was ideal for me was that I could guarantee that my flat mates all equally understood the demands of our course, especially whilst on placement.
If you are considering studying Adult Nursing at Sheffield, don’t be afraid to contact the nursing department. I found they were very forthcoming with information and advice during my application. Also, do your research on the course and the city as a whole and see if this gives you a better picture of what to expect. Choosing a university and a course is a big decision and trusting your gut can be very important. If it feels right, it probably is!
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