My latest COVID-19 diary is with Tej Morjaria, a soon to be second year dental student at Peninsular Dental School...

My name is Tej Morjaria and I will be entering my second year at Peninsula Dental School in September. Even though the last term was far from what I imagined I can safely say, my first year is all complete and I can't wait for what's to come in year two. These are my top 5 tops for freshers:

It's important to be organised as you will have a lot of things to balance during your time at dental school. Getting into a routine and setting targets for completing your notes is a great place to start, also making a checklist of all the topics you need to revise can definitely help you know where you stand with your revision and monitor your progress. Organisation becomes more important as you progress through dental school as you will have more to manage, including seeing patients. 

I'll be honest, dental school is a bit of a jump from A-levels but that's exciting! You get to be independent and explore new things. The structure of your days will change and your day to day life will be different so please don't be afraid to ask for help. I recommend reaching out to students in older years or staff members who can support you. Whether it's to do with settling into university or with academic work, staff members and students are always happy to help. 

Don't worry if you find yourself a little overwhelmed at times, dentistry can be intense. Especially as your contact hours are likely to be higher than other courses. Therefore, down time is essential and it's important to take time away from working. Some of the best ways to do this are by building your interests by joining societies or spending time with friends; this is better for your mental health and is known to increase your productivity. If you like making timetables, schedule in downtime activities first and then add your academic work around it. 

More online teaching and a changed timetable can be expected due to COVID-19 and there are likely to be disruptions to your studies. Therefore, it is essential to make the most of the situation as there is still so much to be gained and learned despite these changes. This includes both academic and extracurricular opportunities including attending lectures from external speakers, getting involved in the dental society and more. 

This is the most important piece of advice. You are entering a new chapter of your life. As a fresher, there will be plenty of events and opportunities available so make sure to have fun, make the most of them and enjoy your time at dental school. It will be over before you know it, I can't believe I've already finished my first year so make the most of it!