time table

hi there. i am currently a childrens physio but have allways wanted to be a midwife so have decided to investigate the possibility! My main concern is childcare as i have a 2 yr old and 4 yr old. iwould like to get a general idea of time table at uni i.e %of time you need to be there! thanks

Oooh, this is a tricky one!
I think it may vary from uni to uni but I'll tell you about worcester if you like! lol!

Well, our uni days start at 10 and finish around 3, which is good for those who need to get children to and from school. Our uni stipulates that we must attend 80% of uni timetabled sessions, but they have a "challenge" system if you miss 80% or more, where you have to prove that you've caught up on all you have missed in lectures.

In our first year we were told that in the first year we would have more uni time than placements. We had 9 weeks community placement in semester 1, then 10 weeks hospital in semester 2. We also had study weeks and elective learning weeks, where we could catch up on placement hours missed or just read up on anything.

We were also told that in year two, the uni-placement balance would be 50-50, then in year three we would have more placement time than uni, if you know what i mean.

Placements are a little more tricky - we only get our student off duty 2 weeks in advance, which can be really difficult for those with little ones. (but I'm not sure whether that's just organisational dysfunction from our trust! lol!)
Our hospital placement shifts are Earlies (07:20 - 15:30), Lates (13:20 - 21:30), Long days (07:20 - 21:30) and nights (21:00 - 08:00). Community is easier, with more 9-5 work days, but on calls for births at night etc...

Hope that helps and is the info you were after. Hope I haven't put you off at all - it's really not so bad when you get into it although it does sound rough the way I've written it!

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Student die Hebamme und ich liebe es!
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Thanks that helps. are you in uni everyday in the first term? i am so not sure what to do. idont know that ican gothrough uni again, esp with kids!

Don't mean to sound negative, but if you're already at the point of saying that you don't know that you can go through Uni again, it's probably not going to be the course for you. It's an arduous course and really does require 110% commitment , as well as sacrificing your personal and social life for several years. I'd really have a good think about it before you make any major decision.

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yes i agree. thats why i want to research it thouroughly first. I have felt midwifery was always what i wanted to do but took the wrong course. i dont want to be unhappy in my job for the next 40 yrs! in the other hand i want to be realistic so i dont waste anyones time. i just want to know vaguely what the course is like. before i embark on a big change, starting from scratch again

All Universities have a slightly different structure to their course. Which University are you thinking of applying to and then someone who is there may be able to be a bit more specific.

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Coffeebean xx


Student Midwife

it would be uwe and cardiff. I feel awful, just had a long chat with hubbie- he doesnt want me to do it- guilt trips about not being with the kids on xmas day etc!

lol, one step at a time!! you need to get a place first, survive the course AND get a job before you can even begin to have those kind of worries!! I do understand what he is saying, but there is a lot to go through first.

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STMW 2nd year - no, really!

hi Baberella
Your DH sounds like mine! Before I even submitted my application let alone went for an interview he wanted to know all the nitty gritty so to speak... I just didnt have the answers, as partly it does vary from uni to uni and partly I just didnt know how I would get on. Its good to be thinking ahead but as scallywag says its a very demanding course not to mention very competitive even to get a place. In the end I didnt tell DH anything - just went ahead, put it in the hands of the gods as it were and once I had a place we sat and had our 'arguments' but by then it was too darn late and I was going to do it with or without his support. I always get my way in the end.....!
BTW I was an OT for 5 yrs (before having 7 yrs off to have my own children) and lots of others on here have other degrees and we do know what you mean by going to uni all over again. BUT it is fab - sooooooo much to learn.... and time whizzes by!!!
Good luck.

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Second year

I'm pretty sure you would not work xmas while at uni, in fact at Cardiff you get 2 weeks off over xmas. As for when you qualify, well xmas is just an arbitrary day, the church made up which day we should celebrate the birth of christ, so unless you are quite religious and want to go to church on xmas day, you can easily celebrate it another day that week!! That's what I plan to do when I qualify if I have to work it!

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