 Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whatever you are in the world, whatever you're doing, hello and welcome back to my channel. My name is Claire Carmichael and I am a newly qualified nurse but I am waiting my NMC pin registration. And in today's vlog I'm going to be talking all about extracurricular activities or even extracurricular activities that you can do around nursing to keep you motivated, on track and actually make you feel good about yourself because it can be stressful being a nurse, it can be really re-tough and you do need that motivation and extra thing to keep you going. So firstly I wanted to get into the research side of this, just a quick brief research, don't worry I'm not gonna bang on too much about research but just having a quick scroll through research on the effects of extracurricular activities on studies is actually it has been found that it's positive and that it does keep you motivated as a student if you take part in extracurricular activities and it can keep you motivated on the course and keep you focused. However many students don't actually like taking part in extracurricular activities, actually I think likes the wrong word to use there. I think a lot of people feel like they haven't got time to do this or they would much rather be resting and so I wanted to go out and have a look at some research that backed this up. I wanted to see okay is there any research out there that's been done that actually says this is why students don't take part in extracurricular activities and I actually found something I found something really useful I'm gonna post all of the links below to all of these articles you can have a read for yourself but it says that people would rather rest on their days off and they also think that taking part in these extracurricular activities is gonna have a negative effect on their studies because they obviously want to pass the course and being distracted from that might have a negative effect. However overall does have a positive impact it keeps you motivated it keeps you on track and it keeps you wanting to go back to university and do more and it sort of lifts your mood as well I think. Not only that but it gives you a sense of satisfaction it can bring out your confidence and it can really help I think with things like that if you do struggle things like that like I did when I went into university. As some of you may know from my channel I do everything I threw myself into university I got involved with as many things as I could as many volunteering things that I could I did 101 things and it did keep me motivated it kept me on track and it made me feel good and I've met so many people and so many friends from it it's a huge satisfaction knowing that I've done that university and I can come out after three years with no regrets and just my own personal opinion you have to make the most of these three years you have to make these three years count because if you don't it's going to be a very long three years that might drag a little bit for you so you have to do what you love and it doesn't have to be extracurricular activities but go out enjoy yourself with friends family and just make the most of your three years and it's just going to make a massive difference I think whilst you're doing this degree and as always I'm just going to throw in this little disclaimer before I say anything else but obviously all of you are individual you've all got your own circumstances your own different family life your own different abilities your own different skills your own different interests in what you do and don't like doing it's up to you to see what's out there what you physically can and can't do and don't do too much that you burn out so just use all of this information wisely and adjust it adapt it and just do whatever you can do and whatever you can't do obviously don't do if all of this makes sense I don't know but what I'm trying to say is make the right choices for yourself because just because I've done so much over these three years doesn't mean that you physically can I'm I don't have a family to sort of depend on me at home or anything like that I have had sort of the time and the opportunities to do all of this so it's about minding what's right for you and your family and your life that's around you and just adapting and changing and just in things if you can if you can't that's okay as well if you are happy just resting at home and having those days off to recharge please do that as well because that's really important and you do need that as well but I just wanted to show the extra activities can also lift your mood and motivate you why should you get involved with extra curricula activities when you already have so much going on that's a really good question and trust me I've been there and I've asked that why should I be getting involved in this because I've already got all this work to do haven't got time to do it but you know what it's been amazing if you get involved in just one little thing like a volunteering position or if you just help out a uni for just one event or something like that not only does it look good on your CV because you're doing more on your CV you're gonna you're gonna add those bits to help you stand out when everyone's got the same degree everyone's got the same experience you are just using that little bit extra to throw into your CV or your application job application whatever you're applying for it'll just help boost that up but also you do get a real satisfaction from doing these things I genuinely genuinely go home and I sleep well at night because I know that I've done all of these different things I've helped out where I can and I've made friends along the way so not only is it gonna help get you that job but it will also boost your confidence you're gonna make friends you're gonna get motivated you're gonna feel good at the end of the day and you're gonna be sleeping well at the end of the night because you know you've done amazing and you've done all that you can to make this journey amazing and it's so nice to get involved with other departments at university as well so I didn't just do nursing related things which is another important point that actually I have to make so that last point that I made actually takes me on nicely to my next point which is if you're asking and wondering the question what activities should I get involved in I mean only you know the answer you know what your interests are and what sort of things you're gonna find fun and enjoyable so that is my main tip find something fun and enjoyable that you are going to like as a person individually because you're gonna get so much more from it than something that you really don't like but you're just doing it so it looks good on the CV if that makes sense do something fun do something enjoyable you know if you've got in your CV okay I helped out in a choir I was playing the spoons at the front that's gonna help you stand up they're gonna laugh at that because that's a great that's a great skill to have something that not many people would probably put on their CV so they can bring it into the interview maybe and say oh so you play the spoons have your spoons ready give them a show I hope that you understand what I'm getting at there something that really stands out it's a little bit different is more of a bonus I think but my second tip towards this is do something different like I've just said because you are so focused on nursing this degree is full on nursing caring for others helping other people do something a little bit different that just distracts you from that that can you can shut off and it sounds like a really selfish thing to do but it's not you have to be focused like in my spare time I do my blogging okay I'm talking about nursing related things but sometimes I'm not sometimes I'm talking about other things I'm a day and things I do photography on the side as well purely for myself not for anything professional because I'm not that good and it just it really does make a massive difference but just find something that you're gonna love you're gonna enjoy and it's just gonna be a whole lot of fun for you where do you start with these extracurricular activities it's a really good question because people aren't gonna come to you and say do this do that do this I mean some people might at introductions at uni sometimes you have the different societies and things at open days you'll have the different societies and things but overall you don't find out about these things unless you go looking for them so pop into your SU pop into and have a look on social media at Facebook groups have a look at your SU pages online have a look on Twitter at your university sometimes they post things check your emails check your newsletters from the universities have a look at your university website as well at all the different societies just really explore the opportunities that are out there because you're not gonna get handed everything on a plate and you do have to really look for these things sometimes but just make use of all of the resources and if you are a nurse watching this you're qualified you're not a university anymore have a look at what's going on in your community have a look at different volunteering positions have a look at even paid positions something that you're gonna get enjoyment from something you really love doing so if you really love doing a particular activity have a Google for it see what's in your area that you can get involved in and that you can join like knitting for example a lot of people are doing knitting at the minute they're making the little baby hats for hospitals and blankets it's really really cute and lovely I love it but if you want to get involved in something like that but you haven't got a clue how to knit Google it Google knitting classes I don't know I haven't Google knitting classes but I'm sure there's knitting classes out there for you if that's what you want to do or sewing or photography or cooking and baking oh my god people make the most amazing case I think I'm gonna look into that when I move and when I've started my job and things that's gonna be my next thing I think is cake decorating because I just get involved have a look at Google ask your friends ask your workplace have a look at different charities and it doesn't have to be a nurse and related charity it could be absolutely anything so if you are that person that doesn't like doing things alone because your confidence isn't great and you would rather have a buddy with you but none of your friends want to do the activity that you want to do that's a tricky one you've got two options I think here maybe more if there's more comment below let me know but you've got two options one push yourself push through the fear and just go and you'll actually be surprised at how much fun you have this was me that was the that was the thing that I did I'm terrified I used to be so terrified of going into big crowds and I still get some anxiety about it but I push myself and the more you push myself the more you'll be confident because you'll get there and you realize actually wasn't that bad it was all right and the more you do that the more you get used to it the better you're gonna be at it and the confidence will come I promise you the second option is beg your friends to come with you you will find some family member or friend that will come with you bribe them if you want to maybe offer them some tea and cake or maybe say okay come to this with me and I'll come to that with you do it together in that sort of way the other thing you could do is also ask your Facebook groups actually this is the third option sorry I've just thought of a third option posting Facebook groups and Twitter pages because you might have like I've got a load of online friends that I speak to you on social media inboxing and things like that I don't personally know you but if I thought okay I'm in that person's area why don't we do something I would message you and I'll be like let's go do this so post on Facebook groups post on your cohorts Facebook group if you're a nurse posting your nursing group message your work colleagues someone I'm sure will want to come with you and if they don't we're gonna have to go back to number one push yourself you can do this can't and my last tip for this video is going to be all about what if you show up and you don't particularly like it so what you've tried you don't like it carry on it doesn't matter at least you've stepped outside the box and at least you've tried something new be proud that you've done that it doesn't mean that you've failed it doesn't mean that you're a bad person just try do something different try look out for new things to do you don't have to do something you don't enjoy please don't do that and don't feel guilty about it so if you didn't like it well done well done for trying well done for pushing yourself and well done for going and giving it a go because that is amazing I think and something out there is going to be good for you you just need to trial and error these things and you'll find something amazing hopefully and also if you have children get your children involved go to things that you can get your children involved in that would be a massive difference as well because obviously you don't have to sell childcare you have to worry about them it's stuff you can do in the school holidays as well when they're off school get them involved and have that really nice family time together that's I think that's brilliant so that's it from me thank you so much for tuning in and watching if you haven't already subscribed give myself a little subscribe I hope this video has been some sort of help to you I hope that I've inspired you to go out there and have a look what's around in your area and if not don't worry about it I hope you have a well-rested day see you later