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Thread of advice for new first year #studentparamedics from my own experience 
1) Make an effort to get to know everyone on your cohort early on. They'll all be in the same boat as you in one way or another and you'll settle in much quicker if you keep your door open!
1) Make an effort to get to know everyone on your cohort early on. They'll all be in the same boat as you in one way or another and you'll settle in much quicker if you keep your door open!
2) Plan ahead. Know what you're doing and when. It's intense from the start, time management and organisation are two very important skills, especially when you go on placement. Buying a whiteboard and planning my week really helped me at the start.
3) Know what you're doing in a lecture before you go in. I don't mean memorise and understand it all. Just have a rough idea. Read the relevant chapters in textbooks in the days before and make notes of any questions you have.
4) Familiarise yourself with the professional standards expected of healthcare professionals and students. You're expected to behave in the way a registered professional would, this includes on social media too.
Don't do anything that may affect your ability to register.
Don't do anything that may affect your ability to register.
5) Start revising early and continuously, not just as you're coming up to the exam. Read your lecture notes again the same day when you get home and use days when you're not in uni wisely. If you don't revise from the start, it will be much more difficult.
6) Ask Questions. Always ask questions. No question is stupid and if you want to ask something, someone else probably has the same question too. That applies to lectures and placement. You learn from questioning.
7) Don't beat yourself up if you don't get a result you wanted or find something difficult - take it as a learning experience. It's ok to make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes, nobody can be perfect all the time.
8) Manage your expectations, personally and professionally. Be realistic. Uni is a big step up from school/college so you need to be prepared for that but don't expect too much too soon
9) Know your limits. As intense as it is, pushing yourself too far won't do you any good. Take breaks, have days off and enjoy yourself. You won't learn much if you burn out!
10) If you need help or support, of any kind speak up. There's no shame in seeking help, weather it's academically or for mental/physical health. Your university or placement trust may have a counselling or occupational health service you can access. Don't be afraid to use them.
11) Looking after yourself is as important as looking after your patients and you need to look after yourself in order to provide the best possible care to your patients. Eat well, try to maintain a regular sleeping pattern, get regular exercise and seek help when you need it!
12) Get registered with a local GP as soon as you move into your accommodation, particularly important if like me you're on regular medication. Know where your key local services are (GP, dentist, A&E, UCC/MIU), don't wait until you need one in an emergency to find out!
13) Budget. I can't stress this enough, looking after your money is so important. Make a budget and stick to it, get help doing that if you need to and again, stick to it! The last thing you need is the added stress of financial worries.
14) Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Explore your new town/city if you've moved away from home, be open to experiencing so many new things and people from all walks of life. Yes it's hard work but you can really enjoy and get the most from life at uni and the freedom that comes with it!
If anyone has anything they'd like to add feel free! Those are just a few things I've thought of but I'm sure there are others. Do what's right for you!
