Joanne Preston

Why did you choose Teesside?

I considered many universities, but as I love the North East, and Teesside was voted the number one university for physiotherapy, it was an easy decision to make.

What was your course like?

The School of Health & Social Care had a brand new extension with corresponding new physio equipment in our therapy gym so the facilities were industry-standard. I really enjoyed that most of our lectures were practical sessions, with a bit of hydro and rebound sessions thrown in. It was also great to work with ‘sim man’ too for different modules. The practicality of the course was the best thing. We were not always in a lecture theatre. Most of the time we were in the lab where we were able to try out what we had been taught before going back to the whiteboards.

My time at Teesside helped me achieve my goal.

Did you have a favourite module?

Yes, Care of the Critically Ill Patient. We used sim man on campus, and were able to observe specialists in the critical care environment. We were required to undertake 1,000 hours of placement experience which was organised by the University. I really enjoyed this and have since found it beneficial in my current position working with respiratory patients in the community.

What was life as a student like?

There were plenty of things to do around the uni. I joined the badminton club and had an amazing time with them. The SU was in the heart of the campus (right next to the library – very handy). I lived in private student accommodation, which was a ten minute walk from the campus. There are plenty of affordable bars, pubs and clubs very near to the campus. I enjoyed one of the organised nature walks, visited Durham on placement and nights out, and Newcastle is only an hour away – so there are plenty of fabulous places to get out and about to see.