Anna
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
My lecturers have got a range of experiences. Some still work part-time and some still work full-time alongside their teaching. They’re more than happy to share their routes or give you contacts within hospitals and anywhere else if you wanted to apply for jobs or if you wanted some experience.
Using my knowledge
"I wanted to choose something related to healthcare and also something to do with teaching down the line. Most of my family work within healthcare so I’ve grown up with it. Both my parents are acupuncturists so work alongside therapists or physiotherapists in hospitals and privately, that’s what got me into it.
"I only decided on physiotherapy towards the end of Year 11. I looked around universities at different health courses and physiotherapy stood out to me because it’s very broad and you can go into specific areas and work with a range of people.
"With my course, they teach you the theory in the morning and then you use it straight after. In real-life it’s like this, you can read a book and you have to be able to use it on patients. What I like the most is that we practice it and that helps me remember it as well. Sometimes just sitting there memorising a textbook, I find it quite difficult. But by using it, I’m making sense of why I need to learn it and the purpose of learning it, not just because I need to pass a test."
The support I need
"Compared to some universities, Bradford is a smaller size. We’re a very small cohort so everyone gets the help and support they need. On my cohort, we more or less know each other and the lecturers know everyone on our course and you can’t just slack off; they’ll know because they’re always quite hands-on with you.
"You feel like they care about you individually and don't just say ‘oh, follow the course’, but try to adapt it to your individual needs. Of course, you need to pass exams but you’re also more than welcome to do additional things with them and you’re more than welcome to suggest additional lectures. They can give you that support or give you guidance to where you can find information on where the training you need is."
Learning something new
"I’m in the Archery team, which is brilliant. The culture is amazing and the facilities are great here as well; I think we have one of the biggest archery ranges. It’s very informal but they teach you professionally and you get to shoot properly and not just for fun. You can go to competitions and stuff like that if you want to go to that level and you can go to national competitions within university or privately which they help you fund, which is brilliant.
"They’ve got other students who’ve been there longer and they know how to shoot and they are happy to teach or coach you and give you some techniques.
"They’re very friendly and they’re more than happy to answer any questions or just talk to you generally about anything. I’ve made loads of friends - a lot of them are on different courses and are older."
I’d done a little bit of archery before but I’d never done it properly. Here, they give you a bow, they help you buy one if you want one and those kinds of things, so it’s brilliant.
This is where
... I step up
I came to a private visit first and then an open day and then I came to an Applicant Experience Day. I came to Summer School as well, for a week before we started.
The summer school gave an insight into what it’s like at university level and gave some tips in following timetables, following strict instructions, writing essays, working as a small group and listening to lecturers in a massive hall. It’s good insight because it’s different to college or sixth form.
University is very independent and they have loads of trust in you and just leaving you to it, but they’re also there for you if needed. I think that’s the main jump - they give you loads of independence and you need to use that to the best advantage and if you do need help you need to go for it, you can’t be too shy about it.
I feel like I’ve become more confident and that my learning style has changed. I’ve become more open minded to change and don't just stick to what I know, I’m more happy to adapt and try different things and not just to stick to what I’m comfortable with.
When I started, I thought ‘oh my god’, lecturers are set on this, they won't change, they’re set by the books. But lecturers are still people and they can still adapt to your needs. Both within your own study areas or the university, they’re more than happy to give you help and support with things like CV’s and applications. The support is there, you just need to find it and take it, that’s all.
