Sunday 24 February 2013

Interview Anxiety

"I'll just pretend I'm not here". This is how I'm currently feeling...

Stardate: 90756.77

So, the final realisation that I have my admissions interview at  the University of Derby tomorrow morning has arrived. And I'm incredibly nervous. But, I always do get nervous before interviews.

People have been giving my pointers all week, like:
  • Keep calm
  • Don't be overbearing (I couldn't even if I tried!)
  • Try to ask questions
  • Be confident
These are all well and good (I mean, I myself have been saying this advice on my blog and to others going for interviews), but now my interviews are coming closer, I've turned on my heel and hidden!

Well... hopefully my interview will go well. I even have a nice new suit... They always say dress to impress...

Friday 8 February 2013

The First X-Ray

It's amazing to see how far imaging technology has come since 1895.

Stardate: 90710.75

Despite my best efforts of trawling the news and the SoR website, I couldn't find anything of radiographic importance that I wanted to share with my readers today.

So I thought I would present you with the first-ever produced X-Ray print. As you may know, the first x-ray performed was by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, and was an image of his wife, Anna Bertha's hand. The image shows the finger bones and the ring she was wearing.

I find it fascinating to see how far x-rays have come, and their development over the years, to provide the best internal scans as possible.

I'm sorry today's post wasn't very interesting or inspiring, but tonight my brain is fried. Enjoy the image!

LLAP!

Thursday 7 February 2013

That Feeling...

Even Mr. Spock had his moments. I did exactly the same thing to my computer when I finished my assignment. Tears of joy and relief, of course.

Stardate: 90707.97

Captain's Log, Stardate 90707.97: the assignment from the Psychology department I received three weeks ago is almost complete. Progress with Biochemistry is going exceedingly well, with all-around enjoyment and mutual understanding. Reports have shown that my bridge officers are having difficulty in initiating an assignment from the Health Studies department, though Engineering have tried to enforce a reboot of the main power systems to get back on track. I hope our efforts do not become a waste of useful resources and time...

Yes, my assignments are being to pile up, but for once I'm grateful for the workload! You know your course is paying off when you begin to help someone else with an assignment you just handed in. Not only are my assignments piling up (and getting interesting), but my university interviews are looming closer, and some preparation is indeed in order. My "well-timed" excursion to Japan in March means I'll be taking a Biochemistry and a Psychology test earlier than the rest of my course, but thankfully, I feel completely prepared for both (Biochemistry is luckily one of my strengths).

In regards to Health News, as of late, (aside from the inquiry at Staffs Hospital), I was nosing about the usual websites and newspapers that I trawl, and I was reading a really interesting article about how the benefits of CT scans outweigh the cancer risk. Harvard Medical School carried out some research and analysed imaging records of 22,000 patients in the age group 18-35 who underwent CT scans in 2003-2007. They basically found that over an average follow-up of 5.5 years, 11% collectively had died, which is higher than the originally predicted 0.1%.

I won't spoil the whole article, but you can read it here:
http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/ct/content/article/113619/2126709

 This post is getting slightly long, and I've assignments and revision to be getting on with. Hope you enjoy the article (if you read it!), and I'll try to find something interesting to write about tomorrow (and in more detail).

LLAP!

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Interview Preparation!

Due to being a Trekkie, I will express my relief using Captain Jean-Luc Picard!

Hello all! 

The Nerd has returned to her blogging status, the only thing I won't be blogging now, is informative posts or my WOTD (until my dictionary is back to its former glory). Only because, I've ran out of things to write about, and as I've systematically only cited photographs and images used, I'd rather not put my foot in it, especially not before even getting into a university.

My excitement is due to being offered interviews at 4 out of the 5 UCAS choices I made to study Diagnostic Radiography. Win! So, being the over-eager person I am, I ran straight to my college's Careers office, and booked an interview preparation session.

It was in fact actually very helpful, giving me hints on how to keep a cool head during one-on-one and group interviews. The main one of course, is trying to relax. Looking professional, of course, is a no-brainer. You wouldn't want to turn up looking no less than perfect, would you?

Anyway, the main things I took away from my advisory session were:
  • appropriate eye contact - especially in the one-on-one interviews, as sometimes, there may be two interviewers. One will be asking questions, the other taking notes. Despite one being more vocal than the other, don't forget the note-taker! It shows that you are including them in the discussion. It also shows your communication skills.
  • remember your personal statement - it's no use writing it, if you don't know what you've written; you never know what you'll be asked! Not only this, but research the course and subject, as it is highly likely you will be asked questions about what drew you to them etc.
  • never use the words 'no', 'but' or 'wrong' - although it's difficult to not use these words, apparently these are a big no-no! Especially the word 'wrong', as it is quite direct. Re-word your phrase, to avoid these.
  • NVC (non verbal communication) - body language speaks loudly. If you have your arms folded, you'll look very closed and defensive. But if you're too relaxed, it sets a wrong impression. Sit up straight, but not like you've been electrocuted. Don't fidget too much, nerves aren't always your friend!
I could go on, but generally, most interview advice is common sense and goes without saying. Just remember to smile and keep calm. And when it comes to group discussions, make sure you give others the chance to talk, but don't become too quiet or too overbearing. Both are quite undesirable, and shows poor communication and teamwork.

Good luck to those with interviews in the near future! Here's hoping my own advice stays in my head for my own interview dates!

LLAP.