Starting University in 2020 - Your Time to Shine
Sep 11, 2020
Hi, I’m Susan Alexander, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Founder of the Funky Professor
Autumn 2020 signals the start of a new academic year and for some of you it may even be the start of a brand new course and if that is you then firstly I’d like to say a massive congratulations for getting onto your course. It is a fantastic achievement - you are about to start such an exciting phase of your life.
For me this year will be 30 years since I started medical school – 30 years – 3 decades – it sounds like such a long time ago and I may seem really ancient to a lot of you, but I do remember that starting university was a very exciting time, but I was also nervous and anxious as I did not know anyone and I was moving to a new City where everything was strange.
I know that a lot of you will be going through some of those thoughts right now as you prepare to leave home. Starting university at the best of times can cause anxiety and stress, but 2020 is of course a year like no other.
We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and here in the UK the government has just announced that there will be restrictions on gatherings of more than six people both indoors and outdoors.
I can not imagine how this will affect your first few weeks at university as some of you may not have the opportunity to socialise with new people face to face and may not have the chance to take part in normal Fresher’s Week. For those of you reading this who are not living in the UK, this is the week where older students from the universities put together a series of social events so that you can meet as many people as possible.
Unfortunately I do not think big social events can happen this year. This is not fair, but it is what it is. Somehow you will adapt, and you will get through it.
Many people who study anatomy are doing it as part of a course towards a career in which they will be helping other people in their times of need. This may be in physiotherapy, nursing, medicine or any other allied health professional career.
Dedicating your life to the service of others in their times of sickness and vulnerability, is a commendable goal and a fantastic vocation for you to have chosen.
This year in particular has shown us that the heroes of our time have been the health care workers. People around the world who have demonstrated courage on a daily basis to help those affected by coronavirus.
For anyone starting a course in healthcare this year and showing resolve to go into a profession like this when your own health may be at risk is indeed a brave one and I'm grateful and humbled by your dedication.
Studying at University is very different from school. In school you are told exactly what you need to learn and how to learn it whereas in University where there is a greater emphasis on self-motivation and self-learning. At first this can be daunting and difficult, but with some practise and some guidance I know that you will get there.
Many of you will be affected by not having access to normal methods of learning such as attending large lecture theatres in person and there will necessarily be an increased reliance upon distance learning.
If you happen to be learning anatomy then I hope you can find some encouragement in our course which includes lots of human anatomy video tutorials presented with graphics and cadaveric specimens. There are revision slides, worksheets and test questions to guide you through your learning. We have set up the course specifically to bridge the gap between learning in school and university.
At the Funky Professor we completely understand that anatomy can be perceived to be difficult as there's so much of it and it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the sheer volume that you have to learn.
Having been through this process myself several times on my journey towards becoming an orthopaedic surgeon I understand how lonely and frustrating this can be and we have designed our course specifically to make it as easy as possible but also to try and keep you motivated, engaged and present it in a such a way that it becomes an enjoyable experience.
Our 3-step learning process; Watch - Refresh - Test uses repetition and hundreds of images so that you quickly become familiar with the language of anatomy and the structures of anatomy.
Step 1 - Watch the Video tutorials
Step 2 - Click through the Revision Slides
Step 3 -Test yourself
We have also provided worksheets that you can download and fill in to help you remember things and also to get you started on how to make your own notes.
Our Ultimate Funky Anatomy lecture series is delivered by Professor Vishy Mahadevan who was the Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons for over 20 years and has taught anatomy to some of the world's leading surgeons. When I was training, my aim was to be the best that I could be and so I wanted to learn from the best and now you can too.
This course will literally save you hours. And at such an uncertain time when we do not know how Universities we will be allowed to deliver content – you can rely on The Funky Professor to have your anatomy curriculum covered.
Go to our website where you can sign up for our Free Trial and try it out yourself for free.
On another note, the whole reason we set The Funky Professor up 10 years ago, was to help you achieve your goals so that you can go on to help other people and live the life of your dreams.
I have learnt through personal experience that so much of the success you have in reaching your goals depends upon the attitude that you bring to the task in hand. Sadly, the incidence of mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression is high amongst university students and I strongly believe that prevention is the best strategy to avoid this.
Over the next few weeks as well as releasing lots more anatomy content, I will be delivering a series of videos and other content to give you tips and tricks on how to stay motivated, stay focussed and how to become successful in passing your exams. I’d like to share with you, ways to understand yourself better, so that you can use the power you already have within yourself to be best that you can be.
If we just focussed on anatomy – then we would not be providing you with the best service that we can to achieve your ambitions.
I want you to know that I am cheering you on and sending massive virtual hugs as you start this academic year. I am wishing you the best of luck as you start this exciting phase of your new life.
I want you to Dream Big and Think Bigger, because
This year is going to be awesome
This is the year you are going to learn
This is the year you going to grow
This is the year you are going to achieve
This is the year you are going to be excellent
This is the year you are going to do things that right now you think are impossible
So get ready, be prepared, be excited
Go out there, grab your opportunity, enjoy the ride
And don’t forget to Stay Funky!
Susan xx
