Manisha, Dental Therapy and Hygiene

As part of life, you’ll often come across situations where you need to make a big decision and with big decisions comes pressure, stress and anxiety but i'm about to give you tips on how you can make your experience slightly less overwhelming.

Growing up, I didn't always know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life such as whether I wanted to go to University, what University I wanted to go to and what course I wanted to study but as time went on, I stopped putting so much pressure on myself and just let things work out the way they were supposed to work out. This way of thinking made me fall in love with the quote, “Everything happens for a reason”. After finishing my GCSE’s, I knew I wanted to go into the Dental Industry and I had my heart set on it. When it came to applying to university when I was in year 12, I knew exactly which universities I wanted to apply to as I was so passionate and I had done my research early. After months of stressing about my Interviews and preparation, unfortunately I didn't get accepted to any of my choices and was quite disappointed as I felt like I let myself down. I then decided rather than reminisce over the past, what could I do to strengthen my application for next year which is when I decided to go into Dental nursing.

After applying again the following year, I finally got accepted into the University of Plymouth and honestly I have not been happier because having done dental nursing has made me understand the content more and has put me at an advantage compared to other students. The reason why I shared my story is because I knew what I was passionate about and this experience made me more resilient and made me understand that all I needed to do was just be myself and if you’re passionate about something, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. 

As part of the MMI interview process, I felt like this worked out better for me as I was given multiple chances to impress different people which meant if I felt I hadn’t done so well with one interviewer, I was able to make up for it with other interviewers. This made me feel more comfortable throughout the process as it almost felt like I was given a chance to start over and learn from my mistakes before moving on to the next station within a couple of minutes. My advice for students who are preparing for interviews is to firstly ensure you are prepared. The more prepared you are, the less likely you are to stress about unnecessary things that can easily be avoided. This includes turning up to your interview on time and having all documents ready if needed. I would also recommend practicing having an interview with friends and family where they ask you questions about yourself and the course in order to prepare you for what the atmosphere will be like in the real thing.

It’s easy to get stressed over these things but just remember you were chosen for an interview which means your application stood out compared to others so just enjoy it and make the most of your experience.

My university experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions where some days I feel on top of the world and other days not so good. It’s important to surround yourself with people you love and find hobbies you’re interested in. For example, I enjoyed cooking cuisines from my hometown which reminded me of being back home and going to the seafront with my friends as I felt I was able to unwind and just enjoy the moment.

When you first move into your accommodation at university, you’ll feel excited that you’ve finally got your freedom; however, as time passes, you begin to miss home and that is completely normal but you just have to remember you’re in the same boat as everyone else and you’re not alone. Make sure you have the support for when you need it. For example, your university will have members of staff which will support you and ensure you’re safe and happy, finding a GP and dentist nearby as you’ll never know when you need them.

Good luck and I hope it all goes well!