I’ve been anxiously awaiting our summer exam results date since the moment I left the exam hall.
I thought I’d done enough to pass, and hoped that the revision I did complete (although I definitely struggled a little to stay focused and not get distracted) was on the right stuff.
The retakes were pencilled into my diary, just incase.
Logging into my uni site at 10.35pm was nerve-racking, I have set my own academic bar high, and I’m not always able to achieve the result I want.
But there on the laptop were the results I had been dreaming of…
I passed, and with a first 70+ average for the first year!
This year I’ve definitely struggled with the hard core science aspects of the degree – I thought I had left the organic chemistry behind me on my Chemistry access course but sadly it featured prominently in our Biochemistry module. Not only that but we had to learn the name and molecular breakdown of all of the amino acids. I think I knew them for about 2 days in May and they’ve since been erased from my short term memory, whoops.
Human Nutrition – my favourite component of our course so far. In our first term the focus was on diet through the years, a balanced plate and social aspects of food choice. This term we focused more on macro and micronutrients (fat, protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals),and learnt about common deficiencies and diseases associated with malnutrition. This tied in a lot with a Geographies of Health module that I did at uni first time round and I loved it. This is where I feel I excel, not only do I find it most interesting, but the essay style of exam suits my skill set.
Sociology and Psychology – This is a rather strange module in my opinion, it’s all about ticking the learning criteria, regardless of whether the info is actually relevant or necessary to our future learning and career. Nevertheless, there are some aspects that I feel will directly translate into skills were can take onwards, like patient presentations. I enjoyed learning about the social factors contributing to poor diet and health, as well as the services that are available to patients and dieticians. I also found the theories behind behaviour and willingness to change were fascinating.
Anatomy and Physiology – As I detailed three components of the male reproductive system and questioned whether penis really was the anatomical name for said organ, I wondered what on earth this had to do with becoming a dietitian…hopefully nothing. It seems as if our particular anatomy and physiology class is a one size fits all module, with everyone that needs a basic understanding of the subject taking the same course. Other areas have been more relevant, in particular the digestive and cardiovascular systems. I find the immune system and endocrines system very tricky to get my head around, it seems there are so many components to learn. This is an interesting module although but with very dull tutorials given immediately after we cover a topic – rather than giving us time to learn the system – I feel it’s not the easiest to understand.
Cell Biology & Biochemistry – my most dreaded module of the week, and the one I spent the most time focusing on during my revision. I quite enjoy the lab practicals as part of this class but the minute scientific detail, understanding and memory required when it come to organic chemistry and molecular biology is just too much for me. I have a lot more Biochemistry on the timetable next year so it’s not something that’s going away anytime soon. Annoyingly I can see how this is directly relevant to our learnings in future years, although if we study photosynthesis one more time I may throw my text book at someone!
Our course load increases significantly next year, with our days in uni going up from two to four. Combined with a longer commute and I think I’m going to have to drop a few of my extra activities in favour of more study to ensure my grades don’t slip next year!
Congratulations on your results Charlie! Awesome news x
Well done!
Well done!
Well done.
Well done! Hope second goes well for you
congrats on completing your first year!!
Congratulation on passing 1st year! I came across your blog a few weeks ago and have been enjoying catching up on it! I’m doing the opposite journey to you already a dietitian and now trying to improve my running and fitness!
Congrats, chicky! I can’t wait to start my own journey in dietetics soon!
Huge congrats!! I knew you could do it!
super job!
Congrats! I went back to school for nutrition. I studied more in my two years of dietetics undergrad than I did in my first 4 years of college + my 2 years of grad school.
Well done Charlie! You are going to ace next year. As you have said, be careful not to overcommit, because you will also have wedding planning to do 🙂
Nice job! That is an amazing average!
Thank you!