Why I Believe Everybody Should Do A Sociology Course At Least Once...

This post might seem a bit random considering I blog mainly about mental health, fitness and occasionally about my family. But it's time I put some more academics into my blog. I've never really spoken much about what I did before my degree, well, I have 12 GCSEs. My GCSEs didn't come out the best but I was never going to give up on my dream of going to university to study marine biology and since I couldn't do my Biology A level straight away, I went on to study my second passion. Sociology, alongside Geography and Philosophy and Ethics. This may not look like the CV of a marine biology student but I can tell you, my sociology A level has been of more use to me than Chemistry and Physics ever would, because they just weren't my strengths at the time.

So, I've compiled a list of reasons has to why my Sociology A level has helped me so much even in my degree! I bet you've missed a good list, haven't you?

1) It helped me understand more of the world around me
Or at least, I understood how other people saw the world around me. In sociology you will predominantly look at 4 main areas; Crime, Religion, Education and the family unit. And my goodness, did it help me understand all the underlying mechanisms of the features listed above. I saw every point of view as well, from feminists, from fundamentalists, functionalists, marxists. I learnt about politics too, all the things that you aren't taught in "conventional" education.

2) You learn how to formulate your own opinion

I know in my class definitely, debates would happen frequently, We learnt to fight our opinion, no matter how wrong it might have seemed (provided you weren't being racist or sexist of course. That's just crude and wrong.) You could be given a marxist point of view, and you will learn to formulate your own opinion on things. You don't have to follow a textbook opinion, you are more highly rewarded for bringing your own opinion in!

3) You can analyse any study put it in front of you

Speaking from a scientific point of view, I can pull apart a scientific study article very quickly, I could tell you whether the study sample would make it a reliable study. I can tell you whether they have followed the correct ethical protocols of consent, predominantly I learnt way too many completely unethical early-sociological studies. This skill has been indispensable within the first few months of university. It also provides you with "filter" to many so-called "scientific" studies used by newpapers like the Sun. They could tell you they've found a miracle skinny pill, they tested it on 20 people. And only 75% of which noticed a change in weight. But they will publicize it to you as "75% of people have lost weight using PillX. Boom. There goes your money up in flames."

4) You learn how to construct a good essay
Well, some of my essays weren't that fantastic but towards the end of 2 years on this course, and writing many essays worth 40 marks. My writing style and even my common vocabulary improved by 10 fold. This too, has helped me immensely at uni. Even though I've only done probably about 3 essays since I've been here, my latest one scored me 98%, although, I'm still to this day waiting to find out what I dropped 2% over. Probably some kind of silly spelling mistake... Anyway. Onward to my last point.

5) It makes you more well-rounded as a person

What do I mean by well-roundedness? It means having a personality which is fully developed in all-aspects, I have a deeper understanding of the people I talk too, of how their background has probably led to who they are in that moment that I am speaking too them,. and due to this understanding, I can completely change my demeanor towards someone and as consequence of this, they trust me that little bit more. This has probably helped me more in my job role as a cashier, I can start a conversation with someone and within about 30 seconds, I can learn more about them in 7 minutes, I have learnt so much about their lives, because I can identify, in some ways with most of what they are saying, and also understand their opinions a little bit more.

So, if you're 16 and about to choose your A-levels, please consider sociology, even if it's just at AS level, because I can assure you, you will learn more about society in that one year, than you probably would in your whole life. Of course, I can put a lot of this down to having an absolutely phenomenal sociology teacher, so, Conor McGloin, if this post ever reaches you. I want to say thank you., you taught in such a way, that sociology wasn't just a subject, it was a whole life lesson.

Mirtazapine And Me: 1 Month Down and A Rant...

It seems like yesterday I was sat in the Doctor's offices hearing him talk me through what Mirtazapine will do, and how it will help me get over the restlessness caused by depression. It's been a rough month of mid-semester exams, coursework, trying to balance a social life and all whilst being knocked out and asleep by 9 in the evening. Yes, my dear readers, you read that correctly, I was asleep by 9pm most evenings during this first month. Although, I'm not complaining I wake up naturally at around 7-8am nowadays and I feel like I've actually had a decent nights sleep. Woo!

I'm finding the only problem with Mirtazapine is that it gives me the WORST munchies! I can't even begin to describe how hungry I was the first day I took it, although this part of it is dying off I've put on a ridiculous 13lbs in a month and a half, luckily I have been going to the gym a lot more since I've been feeling better and I know a little bit of that is muscle but not all of it. So right now I'm on a mission to lose this weight and a little bit more by the time I fly out to Canada in June. At current, I've lost 3lbs and I've got 10 more to go but since I go back to university tomorrow I'll have better access to the gym and I'll be gritting my teeth and upping the cardio that's for sure.

Now it's time for my rant. The other day someone said "you can't be depressed, you're always smiling!" I'm sorry


WHAT....

Yes, somebody actually said to me "you can't be depressed, you're always smiling!" At that moment in time, I laughed it off, if I'm honest, I can't actually remember how I reacted but in the moments following I felt A plethora of different emotions. First it was guilt, what if I'm not actually depressed? What if I'm just completely incompetent at dealing with negative emotions? But I answered myself with the fact that my doctor wouldn't of diagnosed me if he thought I was just an over emotional pms'ing female. Secondly, there was anger at this person's lack of education on the subject and the comment they just made!

See, the thing is, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, or MDD for short. A unipolar depressive disorder, in other words, when it hits, it hits hard and takes me down with it. Unlike with bipolar where you feel both euphoria and depression and before none says it, I'm not trying to say one is worse than the other, they're both awful. But I just wanted to highlight the differences for you beautiful readers. But what people still are struggling to realise is that depression isn't just feeling sad! Although that's a defining trait there are so many other characteristics. For me, it manifests itself with lack of sleep, lack of appetite, a complete disinterest in just about everything, my anxiety gets absolutely unbearable to such an extent I'm get terrified to leave my own room or my own home. It means waking up with a weight in your chest that can even make your own breathing feel taxing. Anyway, rant over but in summary - stop assuming depression is just feeling sad, it's just literal hell, especially when you're like me - a normally active, happy and busy person. 

But since I've been on Mirtazapine everything's just been getting better, slowly but surely, I'm sleeping better at night, I'm not napping in the day and I'm getting a lot more work done. I can't deny that my grades took a hit at the end of lasts semester and I came out with predominantly 2:1s but actually, I'm okay with that, I'm actually really proud of that! Because I'm giving everything all I possibly can without running myself completely into the ground. I'm finding balance for the first time ever. And that's the update really, I'm getting better but I'm not quite out of the woods yet!