Catherine Clegg a Gap Year before stuying Audiology

I began the year after my A-Levels doing an Art and Design foundation course at Lancaster and Morecambe College. Art was not something I particularly wanted to do at university as I never thought I would be able to go far in it career wise, so I decided to do the foundation as I wanted to gain further qualifications in something I love. All the way through sixth form, I did not really want to go to university; I was more interested in careers that did not need a degree, such as training to be an anatomical pathology technician or a veterinary nurse. A few months into my foundation, I had a massive change in direction. I really did not enjoy the course as it was very much modern art focused and although some aspect were extremely enjoyable, most of it did not appeal to me. So I decided to quit the course and gain some work experience. While I was looking for a job, I decided to look at what options I had with the A-Level results I had. I applied to do Audiology at several universities, as I had the time to really read up on the subject and decide it was the course for me as well as read several books related to the course.
I have really appreciated having this year out. It was nice to try the Art and Design course and meet new people and learn new things. However the work experience I have gained after I quit the course has been extremely useful. At one point I was working five jobs: a waitress, a barmaid, a shop assistant, cleaner and bank clinical support worker at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. This has made me a very adaptable potential employee for any part time work I may want to have at university. Eventually, once I felt I had gained enough experience from these jobs, I decided to focus on my bank clinical support work. Bank work is basically filling in for when wards are short staffed and clinical support work is basic patient care. I recommend that anyone who wants to go into healthcare should take some time out before university and gain paid work experience doing front line NHS work, if the jobs are available. The bank is a superb way of gaining work experience as you are moved round from ward to ward and the hours are flexible. Some days I am working on a general long stay ward for the elderly and other times I am on a more specific ward such as pre-op and post-op vascular wards. You learn so much on the job and it gives a brilliant insight into the structure and the workings of healthcare. All you have to do is create and NHS jobs account and keep checking to see if anything you are qualified for comes up. Even if you are not thinking of going into health care and have only taken a year out to do some work experience, I thoroughly recommend this as I have found this work the most rewarding out of all the many jobs I tried and it is also the most flexible, as you decide your hours. I hope this has been useful for anyone who really was not sure what to do after their A-Levels. I am living proof that changing your mind and being unsure of what do is not always a negative thing, as I have had a great year after my A-Levels.