RGU student Barbora shares her journey returning to university to change career path and train in Physiotherapy at RGU.
A lot has happened in my life over the past five years, going from a language and literature graduate working in quality assurance and translation to moving my life from Glasgow to Aberdeen to pursue physiotherapy. That’s a lot of change in a short period of time and, if I’m honest, I’m still a bit taken aback by it. But how did it all happen? What was it like going from knowing little about physiology or anatomy to being in my final year at RGU and working part-time in a hospital?
Choosing Physiotherapy at RGU
Back in 2019, I had recently graduated, and I felt a bit lost. I chose my previous degree because I felt that I had to go to university even though I was not sure what I wanted to do. It helped that I liked books, travelling and talking to people, but I felt that I should be doing something more practical, or contribute to society in a way which would help others.
Then the pandemic came, giving me time to reflect on where my life was and where I wanted it to go. I decided that it was the right time to make changes happen, but I needed to figure out how. Physiotherapy as a discipline always stood out to me, not only because family members have worked as physiotherapists, but because it seemed like a way to help people practically, a way to help people help themselves.
I emailed RGU and GCU to ask what qualifications they would consider for entry into physiotherapy. Glasgow Clyde College let me crash the Highers that I needed, and by February 2021 I had an interview for RGU. Initially, I thought that I would stay in Glasgow if I could, but RGU stood out to me because it had better employment prospects and the admission staff that I reached out to before applying were encouraging and helpful. I also really liked the idea of attending a campus on the edge of a forest on a river.
My experience of the course
The course has an emphasis on practical learning and provides a variety of placements in different specialities all over Scotland. Studying and managing deadlines and placements at the same time can be intense, so it’s good to have a break and unwind sometimes. Luckily there is plenty to do on campus, and it’s easy to meet new people or use the free gym available to all students. Aberdeen itself can sometimes feel a bit grey, but it’s the perfect place to be if you like spending your weekends hiking and exploring.
Studying physiotherapy at RGU has been a great experience, so my advice to anyone thinking of changing their career is that it’s never too late to start over and that, while it is scary, sometimes the scariest things turn out to be the most rewarding.
Barbora Drnkova
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