Rithvik Tanniru

What were you doing before you came to study at City?

Before studying at City, I was doing A-levels at sixth form and working lots of part-time jobs. I worked as a Teaching Assistant, Tennis Coaching Assistant, and Cleaner.

How did you develop an interest in your course and why did you choose to study this course?

I was working as a Teaching Assistant at a primary school. This is where I was introduced to Speech and Language Therapy. I find Speech and Language Therapy to be a very fulfilling career.

Being able to communicate and express what we are thinking is something a lot of us take for granted.

However, for many this is not the case. Another reason is how varied the course is. The course includes a lot of interesting topics and modules.

Every module is completely different! Some of the modules I’ve studied this year include lifespan studies, phonetics, and biomedical sciences.

Why did you choose to study at City?

One of the reasons I chose to study at City is because one of my colleagues who was a Speech and Language Therapist also had studied here  and recommended the course at City.

Also, City is in Central London and is well connected to lots of London attractions. Plus, there are a lot of societies that I was interested in.

What has been your favourite thing about studying this course?

My favourite part of studying my course is the mixture of assessments. Not every assessment is a simple written examination.

I get assessed in different ways including multiple-choice tests, essays, and self-appraisals.

What is your favourite thing about studying at City?

The student life at City is also really engaging. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the university and meet others. Some of the societies I’ve really enjoyed are the debate and drama societies.

Plus, there are regular events that are run at City Bar.

How have you found the teaching and facilities on your course?

My favourite thing about studying my course is that my lecturers are absolutely brilliant. They are really fun and engaging and always answer questions students have, even if the lecture should have ended five minutes ago!

I really enjoy the way the course is taught at City.

Where have you been on your clinical placements, and what have you enjoyed most about these experiences?

To help your first placement seem not as daunting, the first two terms of your first year are spent doing pre-clinical tasks.

For example, observing a typical nursery setting, online training on safeguarding and data protection. I am very excited to be starting placements as I really like learning in a practical way.

I look forward to practicing building a rapport with my clients as it is a very important skill.

Have you overcome any challenges during your studies?

One module I found very challenging was the biomedical sciences module as the anatomy is a really extensive topic.

However, my lecturer sent the cohort a revision document of which parts to focus on and after two sessions of group revision with my course mates, I felt a lot more confident about the assessment.

What kind of things are you involved in outside of your course?

I am a programme representative for my cohort. This is a student leadership opportunity. I regularly collect feedback from my course mates and relay it to my lecturers during our meetings every couple of weeks.

Also, I organise study sessions before a big assessment along with the two other programme representatives in my year. My favourite part so far has been running Kahoot competitions for biomedical sciences revision.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I want to study the optional fourth year for an integrated master’s. After I graduate, I want to work as a Speech and Language Therapist for the NHS.

What would be your advice to anyone considering studying this course?

It is true that lots of people who apply for the course already have experience in relevant fields such as teaching, social care or healthcare.

But don’t feel worried about applying for the course if you don’t because the course at City is taught starting with basics.