Is there a life outside a nursing degree?

As you may have seen the undergraduate nursing degree course is very full-on, with an equal divide between placement and theory hours. However it is important to have a work-life balance.

In this blog I’m going to share some of the things that I have undertaken, as well as opportunities and activities that you might want to explore.

Children’s Nurses ’14 fundraising

As second year started and we all got to know our field specifics e.g. adult/child, our group decided we wanted to do something fun over the next 2 years to raise money. Six months later and we have raised over £350 for 2 local charities (Martin House Children’s Hospice and PeterPan Nursery).

York Sport

The university has two gyms – one based on Heslington East which has lots of gym equipment, a swimming pool and leisure facilities as well as holding all kinds of classes. The other gym is based on Heslington West which also has lots of gym equipment. I have found going to the gym really beneficial in dealing with stresses as well as something to do in my spare time. Below is the link to the website where you can find out more information:
https://www.york-sport.com/

As well as having many sports facilities there is also the York Sport Union which is part of the main Students’ Union. There are 63 sports clubs at the York Sport Union so there are many sports to try whether you want to play competitively or just want to be part of a team. There are many opportunities to join the wide-range of clubs.

NurSoc

This is the university’s official Nursing Society which is run by nursing students for nursing students. Some of the activities include increasing educational opportunities through guest speakers and courses, planning social events, fundraising, and charity work. Each year there is an election to vote in new committee members so if you want to run for one of the roles or just be a member, the society welcomes you!

York University Student Union (YUSU)

The university has a big Students’ Union which has a very strong presence across the campus. The mission statement is ‘representation, provide opportunities and run services for all students’. To find out more information about the student union, including volunteering opportunities and events, please visit the website where there is lots of useful information:
http://www.yusu.org/

One amazing part of YUSU is that there are over 170 student societies, so whatever you may be interested in, you’re bound to find something! During the start of the first term, there are plenty of give-it-a-go events where you can go to taster sessions run by different societies. Also, there is a Freshers Fair where all the societies come together to promote their society which is a good way to sign up to lots of things that interest you and meet people. I signed myself up to lots of societies and tried lots of things which was really fun as I got to be involved with things that I never though existed!

In my next blog, I will be talking about college life and how amazing the college system here is at the University of York.