Student Profile - Anne Preston

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

What I particularly enjoy about the course at Bradford is the small cohort, which means that we get to work closely, know each other well and receive good support from the tutors.

I chose to study Occupational Therapy after working as a support worker and care assistant and seeing how important it was for people to be able to engage in daily activities and the negative effects of being unable to participate. I wanted to work in an area where I could address this and make a real difference to enable people to function and improve quality of life.

We get to go on more placements than students on other Occupational Therapy courses, which gives us the chance to experience more areas of practice.

In the future I hope to be able to work in an area of practice where I can continue to develop and utilise as much of my knowledge as possible. I would like to help promote the profession, take part in research and develop new areas of practice where the varied and valuable skills of Occupational Therapy can make a real difference to people's lives.

Student Profile - Shanaz Begum

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

I was working as a housing advisor before deciding I wanted to have more power to help people and make a real difference to individuals. I initially thought of counselling, having never heard of Occupational Therapy.

Whilst I was studying my Access Course I did an online job match questionnaire which revealed Occupational Therapy as one of the jobs that suited my personality and what I wanted from my long term career amongst a few other jobs such as Social Work. I went onto research the role of an Occupational Therapist and was inspired by what they do to support individuals with both physical and mental illness.

Since graduating in December 2010 I have worked for six months in Supported Employment helping people with learning disabilities into work which I found thoroughly rewarding. I am currently working as a Patient Advice and Liaison Officer (PALS) which although is not Occupational Therapy I still utilise my OT skills within my role, for example, I work with staff members to ensure individuals can participate in meaningful activities and sometimes have the privilege to facilitate this. I am able to use a lot of my OT skills and have the added advantage of being able to influence staff in improving services for services users.

On the course I got a lot of peer support. We were a small and supportive group of students and I have made some lifelong friends who I meet up with on a regular basis. From this I went onto recommend the Occupational Therapy course here at Bradford to my younger sister who will be graduating in 2011 and also to my daughter Elina who is in her first year.

Student Profile - Imtiaz Bibi

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

My sister Shanaz Begum recommended the course to me. I initially wanted to do Mental Health Nursing, but was inspired to do Occupational Therapy. I am graduating in December 2011 and I am looking forward to celebrating my achievements.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and made some great friends and I am now looking forward to finding a job so I can put into prospective what I have learnt.

Student Profile - Elina Hussain

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

My Mum Shanaz Begum recently gratuated from the University of Bradford and is now a qualified Occupational Therapist. When my Mum embarked on her degree I was in Year 10 at school and I did not know what an Occupational Therapist was or did until my Mum undertook the course.

I have always been passionate about helping others and I obtain a great satisfaction through this. Whilst my Mum was studying on the course I received a lot of knowledge about the structure and what it involved. My Mum used to practice doing her presentations to the family and from this I obtained a large amount of information and also by reading through the resources that she had.

My Mum was very passionate and enthusiastic about the course and this aspiration has rubbed off on me. My personality is a lot like my mothers, we are both creative, caring and see the best through every situation and help others to also think positively. I realised Occupational Therapy was for me from doing voluntary work with young children who suffer from some form of disability.

I made myself a goal in Sixth Form and that was to get the highest grades possible so I had enough UCAS points to get in Occupational Therapy and I also joined a volunteering organisation. Throughout the two years of doing my A Levels I had a vision of me becoming an Occupational Therapist and the day I received the unconditional offer was like a dream come true.

Student Profile - Elodie Ng

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

There is a huge emphasis on practical skills which is very unique to the university. Since I have been here, I have really enjoyed working within a small cohort; students are able to get one-to-one attention with maximum guidance from the lecturers, which is really important for an international student like me.

After a few months of engaging in the Occupational Therapy course, I believe that the University of Bradford has the effective teaching methods and wide range of academic facilities that will enable my dream of becoming an accomplished Occupational Therapist into reality.

The reason why I chose to study at the University of Bradford is because the route offered to success here is outstandingly different from other universities. There is a huge emphasis on practical skills which is very unique to the university. Since I have been here, I have really enjoyed working within a small cohort; students are able to get one-to-one attention with maximum guidance from the lecturers, which is really important for an international student like me.

This course allows students to experience and explore creative therapies such as practical 'Arts and Crafts' workshop, which has significantly enhanced the positive atmosphere in the class, besides making the teaching more interesting.

Any student aspiring to become a qualified Occupational Therapist would hope that their capabilities are coherent with the standards established by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. This is something I am confident in achieving at Bradford as the course is well-equipped with therapeutic teaching tools and academic assessment required to help students achieve to a high standard.

From all I have gained here so far, I feel confident that I will be able to contribute extensively to the community and improve quality of life to individuals.