Do the words routine and student fit in the same sentence?

My week is hardly routine, just when I think I’ve got it sussed, is when something else pops its head up to throw things around again. Perhaps it’s what being a student is all about; perhaps it’s because I enjoy it. From Society events, volunteering opportunities, to having an impromptu review with a peer.

The first regularity is my work life, which is related to what I am studying (hence why employers feel I am getting more educated and can load more work on me). But I keep reminding myself how valuable this is as this is what will guide me into the career of my dreams once I graduate, nothing gets a job better than having a job. Ironic I know.

Secondly, I daren’t miss lectures, seminars or even the workshops; I guarantee you that the ONE you miss will end up being the one that has THE most important piece of information just happening to crop up in conversation. I have missed some due to illness, and even when I couldn’t help it I wished I had been able to make it in. I also find that if I go to teaching hours then it gives me less to review in my research time as I have already been able to ask my questions and learn it well in class. NB: Your lecturers are likely to tolerate your incessant questions more when they know you've made the effort to come to their teaching. I mean, can you blame them from staring at you when they've already been over the same question with everyone else a hundred times already?!

Lastly I cannot go a week without going over my notes and reading up on what we have learned or dabbled in. I find this keeps my interest even after those few teaching hours when you’re struggling to stay interested (or at least trick yourself by pretending to be), something will ring in my ear and I’ll be like “Hmm…I wonder what that is all about.” And quite often it will be more than useful in the long run. I’ll end up watching a movie /documentary about it or researching online and finding that golden nugget - and commence the Hallelujah chorus!

TopRead of the Term!

goes to … (a drum role pulease!)

Gangs as Alternative Transitional Structures, a journal article in primary research by Jewelle Gibbs

Gibbs, J. T. (2000) 'Gangs as alternative transitional structures: Adaptations to racial and social marginality in Los Angeles and London' Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 8 (1-2), p. 71-99

I used this in my latest Research Approaches module assignment, and in my own mind it's the most interesting journal I've read so far. Not perfect (but as I am learning, no research every is) I still found it to explore fascinating themes as to why youth and individuals become enticed into gang membership, and what it really means to them. Not just dodgy gangs of unruly and disorganised youth, to some it represented a place to go and people that would accept you, not to mention the emotional and social needs of those maturing into adulthood and have no where else to find it without being labelled and excluded. A great read, but I realise I can only understand it now that I have some comprehension to academic jargon. Ah well, here's to writing some of my own interesting academic findings in plain English.

The Research Approaches Module of year 2 has not been to everyone's liking, I however have found it quite fun to play researcher for the last few months, especially with the approaching dissertation of my final year coming up. The module sees introductions into computer research programs like SSPS and NVivo, and how to analyse both qualitative and quantitative data. Assignment 2 (where I used this article extensively) had me writing a critics review of the article, analysing how one would do their own research - which incidentally the proposal of which is coming up in the final assignment of this module. Oh joy!

Child and Adolescent Studies, Year 1 Units

This afternoon I found myself clearing out and filing the contents of a drawer with all my year one material. I ended up looking at some of my notes, unit contents, my old schedule, and mostly my assignments and their grades. Not horrendous grades, but in looking at the notes, I realised how the things that were picked up on by lecturers aren't a problem any more, and how much better my grading has become now in my second year. Sure, I'm not your A+ student, but it's nice to realise how far I've come and actually improved academically from one year to the next, and I know I will develop more in my final year. Having said that, in realising where I was a year ago, during the beginning stages of university and working at the same time, I realise I've developed in my professional capacity as well, with much more confidence in practice, understanding why we do certain things in the human services.

Some of the units in my first year were:

• Introduction to Working with Children, Young People and Families

The foundational principles behind working with individuals and families, respecting their choices and working with a person centred approach, as well as abiding by professional ethics.

• Academic Skills for Higher Education

A great way to get your head around academic referencing, note-taking, and (the biggie) plagiarism. 

• Introduction to the Human Services

Mostly a historical background and the reasons why we have the human services in this country, as well as some of the roles that are out there.

• Foundations in the Social Sciences

Not everybody's cup of tea, but personally a favourite of mine. I never really understood politics or how governments work, but this unit really help me to understand current events and things that are happening in the UK and other countries, and how they effect us. 

I think if I had taken the time to understand the units before I took them, I might have had a better approach to them at the beginning, as it were I was quite blank and naive initially, but hopefully this will help you get the better grades in your first year as opposed to your second.