Mia Banks
- Course: Healthcare Science (Audiology) BSc
Studying audiology at the University of Leeds will be the best choice you’ve ever made. The lecturers are current in their field of practice, you get financial contributions to travel for placements, which no other university does. There are lots of placements you can go on, you don’t have to worry about having to find a placement space or having to take it in turns like you do at other universities. The Audiology course is also up to date with technology and the staff have contacts in audiology companies such as Oticon, Boots and Amplifon and are high up members in professional bodies such as BSA.
I am passionate about studying audiology as being deaf from a very young age, I have grown up around audiologists. I decided that I wanted to give back the excellent care I received from my local department and it provides me with the drive to learn and try my best.
Extending knowledge and helping students understand information is something that Leeds is very good at. Going from a BTEC to a degree has been a big step for me but the staff have been good at supporting my understanding of science subjects.
The teaching quality at the University of Leeds is excellent. Staff are up to date with current research and knowledge and regularly publish their own research, which is an inspiration when their work is being discussed in class. Lecturers are always excellent in responding to email queries whether it be a general question about the module, revision tips and support with assignments. I have always got sufficient feedback from the lecturers and felt that I didn’t need to ask twice.
Psychoacoustics was an interesting subject because it put why things happen the way they do into context, why sound behaves the way it does and how we each perceive the sound. Especially the speech section of the module, that was really fun!
The best aspects to the way placements are organised is that unlike other courses, placements aren’t when lectures take place. There’s dedicated time to go to your placement without having to worry about catching up with module work. I have been to Hull, Barnsley and Leeds on my placements. Each department was different yet the same. All the staff are really fun to be around and are passionate about getting involved in the appointments. They’re different because everyone department uses different software and the local department has their own small set of protocols but it’s something you pick up really quickly.
Audiology compromises of an array of assessments. There have been presentations, essays, reports, practical exams and written exams. As there is a mixture of coursework and exams I found it provided a good balance to the different styles so if you’re stronger at one style than another you’re not put down.
Facilities on campus are really up to date. I really enjoy going to the Edward Boyle Library which has just been refurbished as there’s plenty of space to work and it’s comfy to sit and work. The audio labs are fun to work in as you get to practice what you have learnt in lecturers and apply it to practice. Especially with the manikins and simulated patients on the computer. The union has been refurbished too and it has a cool supermarket underneath, so if you forget your lunch you can pick something up for a reasonable price. I love it when the union holds events like fashion shows as you get to see student work and have a really good time.
There’s so much to do at Leeds. There’s an array of nightclubs in the city, historical places to visit and good transport to places outside of the city. There’s loads of cafes to go out with friends and societies within the university to join. You will never ever be bored at Leeds, ever!