“I’ve been able to spend time in hospital wards and private clinics treating real patients, it’s been an amazing experience to be able to help people and see them progress during rehabilitation.”

2022 Physiotherapy graduate Rachel Louise Mathers shares her insight into life at GCU and life after graduating from university.

I chose to study at GCU because…

I wanted to go to a University that offered a lot of practical learning as well as theoretical. The BSc Physiotherapy course is one of the best in the country and in the UK and offered a lot of experiences for its students. I loved the layout and look of the campus, and it was close to home which was a bonus for me.

The most important aspect of my university experience has been…

Going out on placements. I’ve been able to spend time in hospital wards and private clinics treating real patients, it’s been an amazing experience to be able to help people and see them progress during rehabilitation. Knowing that I was able to play even a small part in that journey further ignited my passion for Physiotherapy and made me more determined than ever to work hard so that I can hopefully graduate in summer and get back out there.

My biggest lesson learned so far is…

I can’t turn little things into big worries. I’ve been guilty of turning small hiccups into big stresses, and that doesn’t help me or the people around me. Sometimes you have to take a step back, look at the bigger picture and tackle things one step at a time. If I could do anything differently, I wouldn’t have taken everything so seriously. I would have lived in the moment more.

I get my inspiration from…

I get inspired by those around me, I see my friends, family, co-workers or even people I happen to see on social media working hard in so many different aspects of their life – whether it’s their job, studies, sport or a hobby. Everyone’s journey is different, and inspirations and achievements are subjective to the person – but when I see other people working hard and focusing on their passions, it’s inspires me to focus on mine.

My next steps look like…

I want to go into the NHS as a full time Physiotherapist, I firstly want to work on rotation to see as many departments as possible and gain as much experience and knowledge as I can. After that, I want to advance my career to a specialty, what that specialty will be – I don’t know yet! My partner Fergus and I are also hoping to buy our first home together, and I can’t wait to start that new chapter in my life.

You are most likely to bump into me…

Somewhere in the library, or in the ARC playing badminton with the GCU team.

Thank you to Rachel for sharing her GCU experience, if you would like to share your #GCUGradStory visit: https://bit.ly/3C4zNqY 

For more information on how to apply to GCU visit: Undergraduate | GCU