I’m fully settled now that I’ve been at the academy for a few months. I feel like I’ve created a routine and I am beginning to get into the swing of things. We have a practical exam coming up this month, so the nerves are starting to kick in, along with some excitement.  We have been having much more hands-on experience to help get us prepped and ready for this, so I am feeling quietly confident.

Unlike some of my classmates, I’ve not had any hands-on experience in the electrical industry, so I knew this month would be more exciting. In preparation for the month ahead, I took some cables and tools home to be able practice on. This helped a lot because I was able to get a bit more time to familiarise myself with the wires and the tools, just me and the tools, no distractions.

We have spent a lot of time in classes and practical lessons prepping and gaining knowledge on wiring, the right tools for the job and how to safely work on them or use them. When I first saw all these different cables and tools being showed to us, it was like being in another world. What the heck do these cables do and how am I going to be able to remember how to safely navigate them?

Now I have to say I am genuinely excited, excited to know that I now have the knowledge and understanding of how to safely handle the electrical tools and wires, to understand the way they worked and feel confident using them. I was learning how to strip cables, wire plugs and wiring basic lighting. These basic things will be the foundation to everything else, so having full understanding was key. And now I have these skills that I will be able to carry through with me my whole life.

I feel like retaining the information was much easier on practical work, but that was just down to my personal learning style. I prefer hands-on work, diving into how to use the tools rather than classroom-style learning. All the tutors were super understanding of everyone’s learning styles and were there to help at every step of the way.

This month we also had to present some of our work to the rest of the class. This made me a little bit nervous, but I knew that presenting in front of the class was an important part of the learning process and let’s face it, once I am a fully qualified electrician I am going to need to be able to speak to people about my work or proposed work.

Despite my anxieties and concerns, everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful with their experiences, their feedback, and bits of advice they would share with me. I am so grateful that I have such a great team of peers working alongside me. To be involved in a classroom environment where not only the tutors are there to help you but, all your classmates are there in the same situation, helping each other which makes a fantastic difference and an inclusive working environment. After all, we are all on this journey together.

Drum roll please….

After hard work and determination, I passed my practical exam! I am so pleased with myself to come out with this result, it gives me the motivation to keep trying harder to fulfil my goals. Having practiced in the same area where I took the exam, I already felt at ease within my environment. I think sometimes the typical exam environment can put even more pressure to pass, but luckily for me, I knew my surroundings and felt confident within myself. Having that pass mark is a feeling of relief, it makes my workload easier, as now I can focus on the next topic, instead of having to revise and re-take the exam. Having a clear fresh mind always helps me when learning new information, I like to put all my energy into one thing to really be able to succeed.

Next month should be a blast, with more in depth learning of the practical work I have recently been working on, I am ready to succeed. I have learned so much in a short amount of time and ready for the next lot of learning to come my way.

Again, thanks for tuning in. I hope that this blog somehow helps those who are considering studying to become an electrician to make up their mind if this is something for them or not. I know it has helped me reflect on my experiences and what I have gained so far.