Olivia Bailey

I would definitely recommend that you come and study audiology here at Leeds. Out of all the universities I visited around the country, Leeds made the best impression on me! One of the reasons I chose to become a student at Leeds was because of how friendly all the staff and current students were when I attended an open day. The University had a great atmosphere and was very welcoming, which made me feel at ease when looking around. The buildings were also aesthetically pleasing and I liked it being in a campus setting.

There are many things I enjoyed about the University of Leeds; one of the main things is how forthcoming and pleasant people are. I liked the social side of the university and meeting new people from different places and backgrounds. I also enjoy learning about the subject of audiology and the science behind it.

I am passionate about audiology because I feel the profession we are working towards is extremely respected. An audiologist’s role is to help and care for people, which I find exceptionally rewarding and enjoyable. I am also passionate about meeting new people from different backgrounds and different age groups.

I enjoyed many different aspects to studying at Leeds, in particularly the interactions I had with other students and staff. A number of our lectures included students from other courses, which gave us the opportunity to meet and chat to other students within healthcare. I also enjoyed the interaction we had with patients, both in placement and with guest speakers. I loved making new friends from other years of the audiology course. 

The teaching quality at the University of Leeds was excellent due to it being so diverse. This was due to some content being taught in lectures, tutorials, online or within a practical setting. This kept the content interesting and easy to follow. The facilities at the University are up to date and very accessible as the computers and library are available all day. You can also use the computers within the audiology labs; these are only available to audiology students which are an additional benefit.

I found the facilities useful during group projects we completed, the university provides many areas which you can book as a group to use any time throughout the semester. The library is open late during exam period which is a big advantage when revising. Being on a campus setting also helped aid my learning drastically due to having all the facilities in one place and easily accessible.

On your first day you are assigned a personal tutor who is there if you struggle with anything on the course. Lecturers also provided us with support throughout the whole academic year with our assessments and upcoming examinations. This is done through academic supervision via email or face-to-face meetings. If you are struggling with any other aspects of university life Leeds University Union also runs a service called ‘Nightline’, this is an anonymous telephone listening service, so you know you’ll never be alone.

I attended regular placements within the NHS throughout the full degree programme. The placements are allocated to you at the start of each semester so you never have to apply or attempt to find your own, which is a real bonus. Placements are allocated within the Yorkshire region, covering many different hospitals so you don’t have to travel far.

I completed placements in Pinderfields Hospital (Wakefield), Barnsley Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary and York Hospital; and I did my final placement at Leeds General Infirmary. I enjoyed using hands on skills learnt at University with real patients whilst on placement. I learnt throughout my placements how to communicate successfully with different patients and staff and how important it is to work as a team member within a busy department.

At Pinderfields there is a clear need for teamwork due to the need to work closely with newborn hearing screening and ENT consultants and nurses; and the whole department is very friendly. . I saw a range of patients including those with balance conditions and paediatrics.

I loved the ability to see a wide range of things, meet a range of people, to see students from other year groups/universities and the chance to put skills into practice which developed my confidence.

I secured a job in a West Yorkshire hospital before I even finished the course which shows that the employability rate for graduates is extremely high. In the future I would like to complete a postgraduate degree in advanced practice to enhance my career. I believe the skills and knowledge learnt during my undergraduate course at Leeds has prepared me well for this.

The best thing about the social life at university is the amount of students living within the city. The nightlife in Leeds is student based, so there is somewhere to go every night!

Within university, I also volunteered to help with open days and interview days. This involved answering questions about the university life and the audiology course at Leeds. I love showing future students around the campus and letting them see our different facilities.