Ronald is a student from the BSc Speech & Language Pathology programme at the University of Strathclyde

Tell us a little bit about your background...

I obtained a degree bachelor’s straight out of high school however I felt like I wasn’t quite ready to look for a graduate job – to be frank, I had a lot more growing up to do.

I then spent the next 7 years working in hospitality, where I learned basically everything I know about professional life. I continued working as a duty manager throughout my first three years of the course – my job was luckily very flexible, and I made them aware upfront that I would gradually be going down in hours each year to focus more on university.

At present, I’m a healthcare support worker in Speech and Language Therapy. It’s ideal working in the field that I’m studying, and I feel very fortunate that things turned out the way they did!

What drew you towards undertaking this degree?

During the pandemic, I made the decision that I wanted to return to education. I knew I wanted to do something language-based, but also that I wanted to work with people in some therapeutic capacity. I was watching a programme in which someone had a stammer and which featured a Speech and Language Therapist, and it felt like a light-bulb turning on moment that combined a lot of interests. At 28 years old, it was an exciting but scary prospect.

It’d been a while since I was in education, so I contacted Strathclyde and they recommend I take their pre-entry course. Completion of this allows you to get enough credits to be considered for all UK universities – although I knew I’d be living in Glasgow and so I was set on Strathclyde.

My passion for the subject quickly took hold, and I became galvanised to make the most of my studies this time around. I’d also been a bit of a linguistics nerd which has definitely helped.

Tell us about the format of the programme. What is a typical week like?

In general, we get a morning lecture 10-12, a 2 hour lunch break, and then a 2-4 afternoon lecture. That’s pretty consistent throughout the years – it gives you an hour to grab lunch and decompress a little, and an hour to catch up on some reading or run some errands. I worked evenings and weekends in my first three years, so it was also ideal for finishing up on time to head to a shift.

The lectures cover a plethora of topics, and there’s genuinely something for everyone. Anatomy, linguistics, fluency / stammering, dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing) & neurodevelopmental conditions to name a few.

There’s a clinical and professional development module which is focused around skills you develop on placement. It’s often reflective and has open-forum type discussions, and let’s everyone share their experiences and ideas. From second year onwards, there are 2 days of placement per week, as well as teaching, for around 8 weeks. It sounds intense (it is), however it makes the week more dynamic and slowly exposes you to life as practicing clinician.

Tell us a little bit about your experience on placement...

My placement experiences have been amazing. I’ve been fortunate that every practice educator (PE) I’ve had has been warm and welcoming.

I’ve had both a mixture of paediatric and adult placements, and all my PEs really took on board my goals and reflections on each placement, and supported my learning style in a way that felt like I was being seen and listened to. The time passes much more quickly than you anticipate, so I was lucky to have PEs that utilised the time really well.

Placement is also when you’ll first be working with service users – for me, this ranged from children in educational settings to acute wards in a hospital. This admittedly felt overwhelming at first, but I was always well supported and my PEs did everything they could to address my worries.

Once the placements get longer, your able to build relationships with the people you encounter – these could be patients, caregivers, teachers, and other allied health professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team. I learned a lot from everyone I met, and it’s always hard saying goodbye at the end of the placement!

What is the academic support at Strathclyde like?

The lecturers are very approachable – it’s a small cohort so you have the opportunity to get to know them. They’re great at fostering your strengths and helping you with things you find more difficult, and they genuinely want you to succeed and thrive. In first year, there’s an entire module about research skills and academic writing which sets you up well for future assignments. First years can also access a peer tutor from the years above who can help make the transition to university a bit less overwhelming.

The admin staff are always quick to respond and help out. Placement information is always very prompt.

The lecturers value feedback and are constantly trying to update the course to suit people’s needs. Clinical examinations in particular are really well-supported with additional lectures and practice runs.

What are the facilities at Strathclyde like?

The library is top-class: the sheer amount of journals and books means you’ll never be stuck for something to read. A lot of these are available online, and those that aren’t usually have multiple copies.

SLT students can also make use of a media room, which contains copies of common assessments and intervention materials that you might come across on placement (although you can’t take these out).

There are more study spaces than I can count, and anytime I’m wandering about campus I feel like I spot another one that I’ve never seen before. A personal favourite of mine is the little terrace outside the Learning and Teaching Building’s 4^th floor – when it’s sunny it becomes a wee heat trap.

And of course, you’re never short of reasonably-priced coffees, drinks and food in the Union building and the cafés dotted about campus.

What are your hopes for the future?

I’d love to see more people become aware of what Speech and Language therapy does for people – I’ll tell anyone that will listen (as my long-suffering friends are aware). I think that in turn would help broaden the representation of the course, and get people from different walks of life into the profession. I think it’s important for people who access healthcare services to see themselves reflected in those services.

Beyond that – surviving fourth year. Getting to know the people on my course has been the greatest privilege of my life, and I’m excited to see where the future takes us all.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for this course?

Do it!

Contact the university and see what sort of things they’re looking for. Particularly for mature students: contact universities, contact SAAS, and see what avenues and funding are available. There’s a lot more support than I was aware of. You’re never to old to learn, and everyone has their own path to take. If you know someone who knows someone on the course, see if you can get in touch – we are unsurprisingly a chatty bunch.

Be prepared to put the work in – it can be academically and emotionally demanding. Be open to introspection and growth – I think it’s impossible to work so directly with people and not have reflective experiences.

And if you join the course – make the most of it. The time really flies by – especially on placements – and it’s good to get into the habit of taking on as many opportunities as you feel comfortable with. It’s been an enriching and challenging experience that I hope people aspire to.