Blogs

My experience – Speech and Language Therapy at City

Tag Archives: NHS

When you’re not making money moves…

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Maryam Anis
Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , .

gif of Cardi B saying "I make money moves."

University can be extremely taxing on your wallet, especially if you are moving out or have a lengthy commute. These financial demands are exacerbated when you are studying at a London based university, as London is not a ‘university town’ and many people flock to the capital city each year, so the demand on this geographically-minute area increases. In order to combat these financial woes, here are some of the things I do to save money at university:

via GIPHY

  1. Travel

As I commute to university by bus I purchase a bus pass on my Student Oyster Card. The Student Oyster card saves 30% on adult-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets. I manage to save around £25 per month by buying a bus pass, instead of using pay as you go.

I have also combined my 16-25 Railcard with my Oyster card, which means I save 34% on pay as you go and off-peak train fares and daily caps. Other tips include travelling at off-peak times and avoiding zone 1 on the train. If you are doing a health-related course it may be possible to be reimbursed for travel costs on placement.

via GIPHY

  1. Food

Food is definitely an area where savings can be made, from simply bringing a packed lunch to putting groceries in the freezer so food does not spoil quickly. I often purchase groceries from larger supermarkets instead of their smaller equivalents such as ‘Tesco Express’ where items of food are priced up.

Cooking your own food really helps, and when you’re in the mood for a take-away pizza just bung a frozen one in the oven. I admit I am not the finest of chefs, so I sometimes alternated cooking with my flatmate or split the costs of ingredients to avoid having spaghetti for 5 nights in a row.

via GIPHY

  1. Mentality

A lot of restraint is needed when your overdraft and savings are just a tap away. I have been there holding a flask of coffee enviously staring at barista made lattes, or standing in the microwave queue to heat up my lunch when the aroma from the canteen seeps up my nose. To avoid spending too much, I try not to buy when I am hungry or leave my card at home and take cash.

via GIPHY

There are countless things you can do to save money whilst at university, the key is to stick to your methods. What are some of the things you do to save money?

Here is an entire blog dedicated to finances and being a student: https://www.savethestudent.org/

Reflecting on BSc 3

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Maryam Anis
Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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?

The NHS – My Medical Saviour

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Maryam Anis
Uncategorized , , , , , .

The National Health Service (NHS) has been my medical saviour since the day I was born, and this is often the same case for a lot of us who have been privileged enough to receive free healthcare. I remember the countless visits to the GP throughout my childhood; sitting on my father’s lap with my little red book rearing to go, spending hours trying on different glasses in Specsavers and imitating characters to complement each look (all the while my mother stood there judging my sanity). I remember selecting questionable colour combinations for my braces track, to match the unnecessarily bright glasses my siblings convinced me was the most fashionable (they lied). I would attempt bribing the dentist with chocolate to let me off the hook for never wearing my braces, spoiler alert, it did not work and I still did not wear my braces (regret that now). Happy memories of eagerly waiting for the birth of my nieces and nephew in the busy hospital waiting rooms come to the forefront of my mind when I think of the NHS, and those corridors hold sad memories too.

 

I also have the NHS to thank for supporting me during my studies at university and providing placement opportunities for me to exhibit my theoretical knowledge. When I walk through the wards of my hospital placement I am exposed to the diverse workforce who are committed to providing each patient with high quality care. The vibrancy and optimism contained within the walls of the buildings, that hold an individual significance to each person within it, has always stuck with me. I am reminded constantly of the scope of people that the NHS caters for – it really is something to treasure and appreciate. Often, I think it is a blessing many of us take for granted. We allow the extensive waiting lists, the hustle and bustle of hospital to overwhelm us.

 

My experience of medical settings around the world however, has given me a new appreciation for the NHS. The stark contrast of walking in to labour rooms with steel beds and equipment lying around, to NHS settings, where everyone sanitises their hands at every turning, is admirable. The smiles and hospitality (pun intended) of the dedicated NHS staff make the queues and waiting rooms comfortable. The inherit sense of compassion and empathy that dominates the NHS make us grateful for its presence. Despite all that goes on in NHS settings, the NHS possess a sweet serenity and familiarity that lingers- giving us all something special to hold on to.

 

So as we approach the 70th anniversary of the NHS, I just want to say a massive thank you. For improving the lives of millions, including mine.

 

Contact us

+44 (0)20 7040 5060

Make an enquiry

Find us

City, University of London

Northampton Square

London EC1V 0HB

United Kingdom

Map showing location Campus & maps
Back to top

Terms & conditions Jobs Legal Charity information Press Accessibility Glossary Cookies Support City Store

Guardian University Guide 2017

City, University of London is an independent member institution of the University of London. Established by Royal Charter in 1836, the University of London consists of 18 independent member institutions with outstanding global reputations and several prestigious central academic bodies and activities.

© 2016 City, University of London

Skip to toolbar