Soyini Nkhosi
Soyini is a MSc Speech and Language Therapy student. Before beginning her postgraduate degree, she took a gap year and worked in a clinic to gain experience in her field.
What were you doing before you came to study at City?
Before City, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield in Speech and Language Sciences. I was set to graduate in July 2020 however, due to the pandemic I returned home to finish the last few months of my degree online.
Once that was completed, I made the decision to defer postgraduate studies for a year due to the uncertainty with the pandemic and remote learning structure for the 2020/21 academic year.
During this gap year, I worked in a clinic that offered psychoeducational assessments and interventions as well as reading assessments and interventions.
How did you develop an interest in your course and why did you choose to study this course?
I knew I always wanted to do a job that helped people in some way, but I was not interested in pursuing medicine. I researched various allied healthcare professions and found speech and language therapy.
After extensive research, and volunteering in clinics with persons with speech and language disorders as well as shadowing a speech and language therapist, I felt like it was a good fit for me.
Why did you choose to study at City?
I have always wanted to study in London because of the diversity and the endless things to do. I spoke with a few City alumni, and they raved about their time at the university and City’s Speech and Language Therapy programme is one of the best in the country, so it was a no-brainer.
What has been your favourite thing about studying this course?
Learning how vast the field of speech and language therapy is and thinking about all the opportunities that will be available to me and that I can create for myself when I graduate.
What is your favourite thing about studying at City?
So far, my favourite thing has been the friends I’ve made on my course. Everyone is extremely helpful and supportive and there is a lot of camaraderie among the cohort, which I think is very comforting.
How have you found the teaching on your course?
Overall, I think the teaching is good. The lecturers are extremely helpful and always willing to answer our questions and provide feedback. Also, my personal tutor has been very supportive and available when I need her.
However, having experienced both online and face-to-face lectures, I can say that I definitely prefer face-to-face teaching as it is more engaging and interactive.
Where have you been on your clinical placements, and what have you enjoyed most about these experiences?
We are starting our first placements at the end of January. I was assigned to a primary school and early years setting in East London.
I am keen to get started as going on placement will help to break the monotony of classroom learning and help put all the theory we have learned into practice.
Have you overcome any challenges during your studies?
Adjusting to university life after taking a year off to work has been difficult, especially getting back into the groove of academic writing and sitting through lectures.
While this was initially frustrating, I was patient with myself, practiced my writing, and read journal articles to help me get back into an academic frame of mind.
What kind of things are you involved in outside of your course?
I enjoy going to the gym, going out with friends, and exploring different places in London that I hear about on social media. I also work as a student Brand Ambassador and Voice Ambassador for the university.
I would love to get involved in a society, but I don’t think I have enough time as this master’s programme is a bit intense and my other commitments keep me quite busy.
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
After graduation, I hope to get a job in my field of study working with adults. I want to gain as much experience as I can before moving back home.
What would be your advice to anyone considering studying this course?
If you are considering this course that’s amazing, but I would say one of the first things to do is research the course and profession. Also, if possible, do some volunteering with persons with speech, language, and communication disorders or in any special education setting.
You can also shadow a speech and language therapist to get a feel for what the day-to-day life is like, the kind of clients you may be working with, and the work environment. Lastly, talk to people currently doing the course.
This would really help you determine if this course and profession is something you want to do.