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My experience – Speech and Language Therapy at City

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Reflecting on BSc 3

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Maryam Anis
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In the next academic year, I will be expected to write my dissertation project. That, in itself will truly test me, considering I have amended one sentence in this blog a mere 6 times. In order to embody this dissertation driven persona early on, I have decided to visit a local café to steal their wi-fi, write this post and find inspiration as I stare out the rain glazed windows. The next stage involves excessive latte drinking, furious typing and donning a cap to conceal the sleep deprivation and reported delirium.

Before I further tempt this dissertation related anxiety, I thought I would re-visit the high and lowlights of my third year at university.

In September, I begrudgingly walked off a plane bronzed from a holiday in Morocco with some of my university friends, then I found myself 12 hours later promoting the Speech and Language Therapy Society at the Freshers Fair.

As October was just around the corner, lectures re-commenced and I gradually fell back in to the routine of university. I purchased my monthly oyster card, started obsessing over the different ways I could prepare cous cous for lunch and reduced my leisurely morning routine to prioritise sleep.

I continued volunteering at Aphasia Re-connect throughout November, where I was involved with supporting conversations for people with Aphasia following a stroke. Aphasia can affect a person’s ability to understand speech, speak, read, write and use numbers and occurs after brain damage. Find out more information here: https://aphasiareconnect.org/

December housed countless hours at my part-time retail job, exposing my cousin to the wonderful city of London and completing coursework due in the upcoming year. I celebrated my birthday then welcomed January 2019 with open arms and resolutions that I have shockingly adhered to!

Some of my presents

The Speech and Language Therapy Society tasks really kicked off in February, we started a series of lectures relating to Speech and Language Therapy for anyone to attend. The image below is from a lecture by Richard Cave about Voice Banking for people with Motor Neurone Disease.

In March the society continued on with our efforts, and we participated in the Swallow Awareness day to bring to light difficulties that can be experienced by people on a modified diet. I also received an Academic Achievement Award, and a nomination for the hard work I put in writing these blogs (thanks for this)!

April was jam packed with countless weddings, days grieving on Twitter after Tony Stark died (if you have not watched it by now, you deserve this spoiler) and dusting off my notes from the year in preparation for dreaded exams.

There is not much to say about May; it was definitely challenging to balance fasting for Ramadan whilst revising. Days after our fourth exam we entered June and my summer placement in an Adult Community setting commenced. I refined my clinical skills, and one of my proudest moments during placement was presenting for an hour on the relevancy and need of Speech and Language Therapy in the acute mental health client group.

A doodle drawn during peak revision hours

On the second of July I beamed with joy as I skipped out of my final exam for the year. Next week I welcome a new experience as a helper on an Intensive Stammering course for children and teenagers.

Reflecting has highlighted just how much happens in one academic year, as when you are in it time flies by so fast that there is barely any time to relish in the successes. Writing this blog post has also uncovered some changes I would like to implement in the next academic year – such as increasing my productivity by following soft deadlines and reducing the amount of time I spend completing BuzzFeed quizzes. What would you do differently next year?

Finding love at university – not a guaranteed method

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Maryam Anis
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When exploring my potential university options, I would visit campuses in hope of experiencing a connection and knowing which university was ‘The One’ as soon I stepped through the doors. That did not happen. What did happen, was me increasing my step count on countless university tours, and realising how many Tescos there are in the UK. During the campus tours I found myself consistently hearing this word  – ‘society’.

There seemed to be this mystical thing called a ‘society’. This thing apparently guaranteed friends, fun and free food (occasionally). I kept hearing things like: “Join a society… you can even make your own society… societies are where I made my friends… join this society!”

Having not known many people who went to university growing up, I really was unsure what a society was. Now, three years in to my degree and with one year spent as the finance manager of the Speech and Language Therapy Society I am quite clued up. For this blog I have enlisted the help of Aadam, a recent graduate who has dabbled in a few societies during his time at City.

Thank you for joining me Aadam, I know you’ve been involved in many societies during your time at university. In your words what would you say a society is?

A society is a place for people to make friends and meet new people. In my experience, a lot of the people that turn up to a society don’t have an interest in what that particular society does. It’s mainly about socialising for them.

Which societies did you join?

I joined the Gaming Society in first and second year. During my third year I went to the Pakistani Society and ISOC (Islamic Society).

Aadam on a recent trip to Scaffel Pike with the Islamic Society

How did being in a society impact your university experience?

Being in a society changed my whole university experience. I met one of my now closest friends, and my best university memories are with her. Through her, I was even able to find a part-time job to fit around my studies. The best part is that I fell in love at a society!

That’s adorable, a true university romance! Now to finish off, would you recommend societies to other students?

I would recommend getting involved in as many societies as you can handle because you can never have too many friends. Societies will usually host at least one major event or outing every year, and these do not disappoint. I’d also recommend trying to get involved in the committee of a society if you have the time. That’s another way to get to know the people of your society more, but can also help you to develop transferable skills.

Wonderful, thank you Aadam for your time!

Fun fact: a member of the mountaineering society (I have been told) placed a rubber duck on top of the gazebo in Northampton Square. After being removed one day it reappeared the next and has not been taken down since, and neither has the culprit (or hero) been found! Go see if you can spot it!

If you want to find out more about societies at City, University of London then check out this link:: https://www.citystudents.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/

Come to the Welcome Fair to speak to society members and grab some freebies…

19-20th September 2019
Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Angel, N1 0QH 4SP

Independent Study

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Maryam Anis
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Independent study is a new concept for many students when they enter the realm of university. Personally, I was unsure of, and anxious about independent study when I started. Who would be there to remind me of when my assignments were due, which books should I read and how could I cramp the content of two massive textbooks into my brain a week university starts? These are only some of the frightening questions that cluttered my mind.

 

Perhaps I should start with a brief introduction to independent study at university; it simply involves you taking responsibility for your education. As cliché as it sounds, you are expected to explore work that is relevant to your course, so you actually know what you are talking about (winging it only gets you so far, believe me). You will need to develop effective learning strategies in an environment where you are guided briefly on various topics. When I say ‘briefly’ I refer to the lectures, and the abundance of lecturers on hand to answer any queries you have about the work. So, do not worry, you are not all alone! Independent study can range from asking questions in lectures to writing an entire dissertation on a subject of personal interest. The quantity of independent study expected from you typically increases as you progress further in your course.

 

It can all sound rather daunting, but there are (believe it or not) positive benefits to independent study. You can tailor your learning to your learning style, whether that be watching YouTube videos, reading books or making posters. Often essay questions and exam dates are published months in advance so there is space for those who cram minutes before the deadline (not advised), those who create Gantt charts from the get go, or for those sensible people who do something in the middle. All this is important because independent study prepares you for the working world, as you are required to take responsibility for your own learning and manage your time effectively by balancing your social, work and university life.

 

To help you start thinking about independent study, here are a select few tips that I have found helpful:

 

  1. “Break it down.”
    When approaching that massive textbook, break it down like 90’s hip-hop. Take it chapter by chapter or even page by page – you are more likely to digest the information if it is in manageable chunks.

 

  1. “Practice makes perfect.”
    A bit of an obvious but important idiom. This can mean practicing exam questions or going over your lecture notes to test your knowledge. Revise topics repetitively could help reduce those ‘you know nothing Jon Snow’ panic attacks.
  2. “When will my reflection show who I am inside.”
    Learn from the words of a wise Disney princess and reflect on your feedback. What could you do more of next time? What would you add, or do less of? This can help you get higher grades for next time and make your independent study more specific (and more importantly, bring honour to us all).

 

  1. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Life does not have to be as glum as The Shinning. While being prepared and organised is critical, make sure you set yourself rewards to keep you motivated. A piece of candy a chapter works well for me but a healthier approach is always advisable.

 

  1. “We’re all in this together.”

Seek comfort in the mutual panic of independent study you and your fellow classmates endure.  You are not the only one trying to figure this all out. For most students, finding the balance between basketball and music is very challenging but if Troy Bolton can do it, so can you.

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