CLEARING THE RIGHT PATH From Literary Beginnings To Mental Health Nursing
Natalie Moore’s first degree was in English Literature and Film, but it was her experience after graduation of working in a support role looking after adults with learning disabilities that led her to consider nursing as a future career. The 23-year-old from Sutton made a last-minute decision in June 2011 to apply for the BSc in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey and was accepted through Clearing almost straight away.
Natalie’s experience of working in a support environment had given her the kind of insight she needed to make the decision to specialise in nursing, but she was immediately faced with the stark realisation that she had missed the UCAS application deadline by just one day.
Natalie admits she was nervous about what to expect from Clearing. “My teachers had always said that Clearing was a nightmare and to avoid it at all costs, but my experience through the University of Surrey wasn’t like that at all,” she said. “The day that Clearing opened, I had a telephone interview with a mental health tutor who then invited me to a face-to-face interview the following week. There I met tutors and had a numeracy and literacy test. I was offered a place at the University the next day and just had to post in proof of my qualifications before the course started. There was no hassle at all”.
Natalie had originally planned to study nearer to home but when she saw that studying at the University of Surrey, based in Guildford, was an option she jumped at the opportunity. “I had only thought
of applying to courses nearer to where I Iived - Surrey has a great reputation and I had heard good things about the nursing course,” she explained. “When I met the tutors at the interview they were really helpful and encouraging. As well as being able to gain practical experience I knew that the University of Surrey would be a great place to challenge myself academically, so I accepted their offer straight away.”
One year into her course, Natalie is thoroughly enjoying the experience. “I am absolutely loving going out on clinical placement and getting to experience what nursing is all about. I’ve also really enjoyed the theory elements and I’ve gained a lot from the lecturers who make it all as accessible as possible. In essence, I love being able to do something I feel passionate about whilst meeting like-minded people.”
“Students do not need to worry about the Clearing system, I had expected quite a difficult, stressful process but nothing could be further from the truth,” Natalie added.
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