Dissertation, Dissertation, Dissertation

Yes it's that time of year when final year students give up all of the fun stuff to write their dissertations.  This year I am one of those students and every spare moment is taken up with thoughts about my dissertation, reading for it or actually writing it. Simple pleasures of baking, taking the children to the park, or spending time sewing, leave me feeling guilty because I know I should be working on my dissertation.  Since last summer the subject of my research has become my latest obsession.  Being a bit of a perfectionist I will not start writing anything until I know I have fully explored the topic, delving into textbooks and reading many, many journal articles. 

With only four weeks until hand in day and trying to write the discussion part of my extended proposal I am more than a little distracted.  There are some days I wonder if I should be actually driving, using the commute home from placement to consider various options for the trial I am creating.  How many arms,? What will the control arm involve? Will I use mixed methods? Does case study really fit for the qualitative part? These are some of the many questions spinning around my head right now. 

So alongside normal family life and being on clinical placement I will endeavor to complete my dissertation, especially as it is already helping to shape a future clinical study.  Nobody said retraining would be easy and the next four weeks are going to be the hardest, but thankfully I have a very understanding family, who know they will get me back very soon, no longer distracted by endless thoughts about my dissertation.  

And to all the other final year radiography and nursing students currently stuck down the dissertation rabbit hole, good luck.  We will be allowed out very soon, to see daylight again!

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

Retraining - In My Final Year

I know I have been a bit quiet here and on my social media accounts, but life went from slow summer days to demanding workloads very quickly.  Heading back to uni at the start of the month, no long summer hols for health students, it finally felt real....I am in my final year.  Suddenly I had to start thinking about job applications, updating my cv and Linked In page, nevermind writing my dissertation and completing competencies in clinical practice.  So I dropped a few balls, got my head out of the sand and am trying to get super organised, to make my final year manageable.  

Returning to study when you have children is hard.  I am not going to pretend, if you take the leap, which I encourage everyone who wants to to do, be prepared for days when you actually wonder if you can do everything.  The workload in my second year was huge, stress levels were high and I actually wondered if I would reach this stage several times.  But I did it, I got through the workload, my children and husband are still talking to me and I have made it to my final year.  

So as I head off for my first meeting with my dissertation supervisor, I feel a sense of relief that I have got this far, that getting to the end of my degree is now in sight and very soon I will be qualified.  This of course is scary but really exciting too.  And if I can do it anyone can. Make the changes you want to make, find a way, don't delay it, as it is better to have tried than to regret not trying.

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo