Master of Speech and Language Pathology
Having discovered her passion helping others communicate through speech-language therapy, Tiffany encourages others to consider this rewarding career path.
"If you like language, helping people and communication and you are a caring, patient and friendly person, do not hesitate to apply. The experience studying in this programme is exceptional," she says.
Tiffany had completed Linguistics studies and worked for a few years at her home country Hong Kong, before finding she "wanted inspiration" in a career directly helping others.
Having studied with the University of Otago on an exchange during her Linguistics degree, Tiffany decided to come back to New Zealand for postgraduate studies in Speech and Language Pathology.
"That was the first time I was in New Zealand and I was attracted by the peace and the beautiful scenery here. I was always thinking about coming back to NZ because as a girl from a hustle and bustle big city, I wanted to enjoy my study in a peaceful, slow-paced place. Therefore, New Zealand was the perfect destination for me.
"I really enjoy the environment here at UC and New Zealand. Schools can be quite busy especially for the MSLP programme, but when I get to see the beautiful sky, the stunning sunset after a busy day and the beautiful flowers around instead of seeing the concrete walls in Hong Kong, I just feel so calm and relaxed. I just love it here."
Living in Ilam Apartments nearby campus was also a welcome change of scenery that helped her to settle into the kiwi atmosphere.
"I find it a great place to stay as it is so close to Uni and it is well furnished so it is great for international students," she says. "Once I settled here, I didn’t need to think about paying rent, electricity, etc anymore so I can focus on my study."
UC was her first choice for her master’s due to its international reputation in Communication Disorders research. Her master’s studies focuses on speech-language and swallowing disorders across the lifespan, allowing her to work with patients of all ages through clinical treatments.
"The lecturers are so supportive and the clinical educators in my programme are great! They really hope to help us to become better clinicians so whenever I struggle, they have good suggestions for me so that I can improve.
"This programme provides me a lot of different opportunities to learn about this country including cultures and education curriculum through placements. I get to meet different people and experience so much. This semester I have my placement in a school providing therapy for young children who have speech and language difficulties. These all help to broaden my horizons. The most enjoyable part of this degree is seeing my client’s improvement after therapy."
As such, Tiffany looks forward to helping more young patients in her future career.
"I want to become an internationally qualified Speech and Language Pathologist, and work with children who require support in speech and language to communicate with others," she says.
