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Working as an intern at Scope
You finish university for summer, all assignments are handed in and you feel free. You may have holiday’s planned, a list of exciting adventures and can’t wait to catch up with friends you haven’t seen in a long time. I very fortunately can say I did all of that over summer, I also embarked on a 3- month internship at Scope. Finding employment when you have a disability can be incredibly difficult. Aside from employers being less inclined to hire us in the first place, we need to find something that we would be able to do. I know there are jobs out there that I would be very capable…
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Work placement with RNIB
Part of my university degree is to complete a six-week placement at the end of your second year. With my degree being in psychology and child development, it will come as no surprise that most of the cohort end up in schools or nurseries. However, after thinki§ng about the career I would like after university, and looking at the experience I already had, I felt something a little different would be more appropriate. This is where RNIB came in. The charity support blind and partially sighted people in many ways and I had worked on campaigns with them in the past. I felt doing a placement with RNIB would allow…
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What is it like to have a PA?
Since coming to university two years ago I have had a Personal Assistant (PA) to help me with various daily tasks which has allowed me to live independently away from home, attend university and socialise with friends. It feels very odd to think they have been in my life for only two years as I cannot imagine life without their support as it has allowed me to do so much. It definitely is not part of the normal university experience, but it has been fundamental in my experience. But what is it actually like to have a PA? Over the years I have adjusted, and it is probably more of an adjustment then…
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Employment is round the corner
Employment is closer than I think, and that in itself is terrifying! The uncertainties about employment are what make it seem daunting, when in actual fact I’m also excited for what the next chapter has in store. However, before I even starting thinking about a job, I still need to find a suitable work placement for the end of this academic year! At the grand age of 19, I’ve never had a job. I’ve babysat for some friends and volunteered in a charity shop for a few months, but nothing more then that. This doesn’t mean I don’t want a job, or that I would be incapable of getting any…
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Just a Typical Cerebral Palsy Day
I feel like a typical day for me would allow many people to have a greater understanding about the daily experiences that someone with Cerebral Palsy goes through – unfortunately this is extremely difficult. There are many factors that can contribute to us having a good or bad day with our CP, and even then there isn’t always a particular reason for it to play up! A typical day? Just like everyone else, I wake up. I probably have woken up because my alarm has gone off, but like any normal teenager – I will press snooze. You see, the day before I might have walked a little further than…
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When your mum becomes your PA…
In order for me to complete university away from home, and get to lectures in one piece- a PA (Personal Assistant) has been vital in me being able to be as independent as possible. I have actually enjoyed the process of hiring PA’s despite it being a little stressful to find one in time. Yet, when looking for a PA, it had to be someone who could drive as well as being capable to suit all of my needs. By having a car it would mean that I could get to hospital appointments easily. However, when advertising it was often extremely hard to find someone who was fairly young (not…
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Chapter 2 in the World of University
How has first year even finished? The second year of university is when assignments count towards your final degree classification, which is terrifying! Even more strange then that, seeing freshers around campus and in the flat I once classed as my second home. Chapter 2 of university, I am sure you will keep me busy! The biggest change about second year is moving out of halls. You loose the conveniency of rolling out of bed for a 9am and being able to go back to your flat in between lectures, but you gain a house! Living in a house with your friends has it’s perks, and means it just generally feels…
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Placement as an SEN Assistant
Completing a placement is an amazing opportunity to gain experience, it can let you know whether that would be the right job for you. Equally, completing a placement can let you know which job you definitely do not want to do! At the end of the day, a textbook can only teach you so much- and trust me when I say I have had my fair share of psychology textbooks over the last academic year! Right from the start I knew I wanted my placement to be in a high school setting, working with SEN students or mentoring students. I have had previous experience in a primary school and wanted to…
