My name is Tia, I’m a physiotherapy student graduating in 2021. I grew up in the south-east of England having studied biology, Spanish and drama at A level (quite diverse subjects!). Most of my hobbies involve being active, running, cycling, walking, climbing. You name it, I probably love it!

• Course: BSc Physiotherapy

Tell us a bit about yourself and what drew you to Physiotherapy

There were quite a few things that drew me to Leeds Beckett. Firstly, the city itself is amazing. Having grown up near Brighton, I wanted to study somewhere with a similar city feel whilst not being as busy or hectic as London. Leeds is just that. Great food, great nightlife and great people. I really loved the fact that the campus I studied on was right in the middle of the city, which meant that everything was within walking distance.

I was drawn to physiotherapy initially because of my sport background, having competed at a national level in cross-country running. At first, I wanted to learn solely about sports injury rehabilitation and prevention, but over the years of studying I have grown passionate about all aspects of physiotherapy, especially neurological rehabilitation.

What made you choose Leeds Beckett?

I remember going to the LBU Open Day with my mum and brother. After listening to the physiotherapy talk, my brother turned to me and said: “They’ve made me wish I studied physiotherapy when I went to uni”. Everyone who spoke in that talk had so much passion and excitement that it was impossible not to feel it.

Leeds Beckett was my first choice of university to study physiotherapy because the whole application and interview process focused more on who everyone was as people rather than the grades that they got at GCSE or A level. Obviously, grades still played a part in the selection process, but I felt that they wanted to get to know me as an applicant and potential student. I didn’t feel like there were trick questions like I had in other interviews.

What has been your favourite thing about your time studying at Leeds Beckett?

I think it would be difficult to say what my favourite thing about studying at Leeds Beckett is because there is too much to choose from.

Firstly, the people are amazing. There were only 30 people in my cohort and it felt like we became a family. When you’re spending a lot of your time on campus writing assignments or doing 40-hour weeks on placement, having a group of people who know exactly how you are feeling is unlike any other. I’ve also made some friends that I honestly think will be friends for life. Because our cohorts are on the small side, it was easy for us to organise socials between years. Every year, we host a themed Otley Run (pretty infamous pub crawl if you didn’t know), and it meant that we could meet people who had gone through what we were going through and pass knowledge and experience on to one another.

What advice would you give someone thinking about studying this course?

Do it! What other course can you study and have a job months before you graduate?

If you’re a hands-on practical person, then this degree is perfect for you. Although at first there’s a lot to learn, placement is where the magic happens. On placement I got to see so many interesting conditions and treatments, I even watched brain surgery. I always came home with stories to tell and lessons learned.

Physiotherapy is such a diverse profession and one where you never stop learning. If one speciality isn’t for you, then there are so many others that you can experience.