As dietetics students around the country are either starting or returning to uni at the moment, we thought it would be a great time to ask around for tips on how to make it successfully through the year. We were lucky enough to hear back from 3 dietetics students and a dietitian!

Clare Jones is a Dietitian Connection Student Representative and a 4th year Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics Student at The University of Newcastle. Her top tip is to surround yourself with inspiring, supportive people. Clare says:

“University life is full of choices and a whole new degree of freedom, and with freedom comes the need for self-determination. Being a dietetic student, it is fair to assume you have an interest in health. Immerse yourself in university, it’s a fantastic place to learn, make lifelong friends and fantastic memories. However, you will need to learn how to balance your life. Resisting the peer pressure to drink every night of the week and participate in ‘maccas runs’ will take some strength. As will maintaining your hobbies, exercise and regular sleeping patterns. Surrounding yourself with people who share your passion for maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle, will greatly aid in this balance. These people can include your friends, mentors and other inspiring people on Instagram, television and other networks. Follow Dietitian Connection (www.dietitianconnection.com) to be immersed in a world of inspiration in your field. Enjoy it!”

Courtney Pharoah is also a Dietitian Connection Student Representative. She is a Master of Dietetics student at Deakin University and has a website nogreensmoothies.com. Courtney says it’s all about getting connected to get ahead.

“Starting Dietetics can be overwhelming- there’s so much information to take in and books to buy but you are only at uni for a short period of time so now is the time to start thinking about networking and growing your connections. There’s a good chance that you will be taught by a range of dietitians who are leaders in their fields so think of these times in the classroom as an opportunity to learn from the experts and if you like what they have to say, connect with them online.

Set up professional profiles on one or two social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter and start making connections. Including a short personalised message with your invite will go a long way in making sure your connection remembers you-it can be as simple as thanking them from their time. Being remembered is key as you never know how your connections might help you in the future.”

Danica Warren is a Dietitian Connection student representative from the University of the Sunshine Coast. She says it’s all about engaging with the entire university experience:

“So you’re about to embark on the crazy journey that is studying Nutrition and/or Dietetics at University?! Firstly, congratulations! You are about to enter into some unfamiliar territory but I promise you that you will enjoy it – you learn some great things about yourself and topics that you’re actually interested in. These years will develop you into the professional you will soon become, as long as you make the most of your time there. My big tip for what’s about to come is to make sure that you’re engaged throughout the whole uni experience. Make friends with fellow students, develop study groups to help each through and make sure you start perfecting the art of good time management. Most of all, enjoy yourself! Studying at University is certainly a life changing experience and one that will give you endless opportunities, depending on how much you put into it.”

Jane O’Shea, APD and Licensee for Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs (www.dieteffects.com.au) says that transitioning from one environment to another creates an ideal environment for people to lose track of their own health.

“Whether it is going to University, moving out of home, changing jobs, getting married, or just coming home at night, it is a time of change and that can create situations where eating habits become reactions rather than considered responses.

It is not always about the food, other factors must also be taken into account. Some of reasons which can alter our eating habits include: change in access to food, freedom to make different food choices, inexperience in making healthy choices or inabilities to create healthy meals, access to kitchen facilities, lack of time to devote to creating healthy meals, shortage of funds, peer pressure, stress, emotional upsets etc.

At these times, it is easy to forget about self-care and weight gain, lack of energy and digestive discomfort slowly become the norm. This is because there is a change of focus and we start eating in a different way.

To avoid these things happening here are some strategies that can easily be implemented to help.

1.   If you are not sure how to create a healthy, balanced diet, seek help.
2.   Maintain a regular eating/sleeping/physical activity routine.
3.   Plan ahead – always have the makings of a nutritious meal/snack on hand.
4.   Maintain good hydration.
5.   Listen to the signals your body will be sending you i.e. hunger/fullness/thirst/tiredness/digestive comfort etc and respond appropriately.
6.   If you find your eating habits have got out of hand, introduce some mindfulness into your daily living. Take a moment to observe your environment and examine how it impacts on your eating habits (i.e. stress, peer pressure, habits, feelings etc.). This will enable you to become your own problem solver, discover your options and work out possible solutions so you can make changes that can fit in with your own individual lifestyle.”

My Health Career would like to thank Danica, Courtney, Jane and Clare for their contribution to this article.

More articles on My Health Career:

• 9 things I have learnt in the job search – by dietetics recent graduate Emma Stubbs
• Is a degree no longer enough? An experience in international nutrition and dietetics
• Dietitians in the UK head towards prescribing rights
• The top 5 things I (didn’t) know about online business – by Dr Rebecca Ray, founder of Happi Habits
• GradStats from the turn of the century…. What are health graduates getting paid? What’s the employment rate?

Image: omelette – Apolonia – freedigitalphotos.net