New starter checklist for SLT students
- SALTSOC
- Aug 15
- 4 min read
If you’re reading this, then presumably you’ve accepted your place to study speech and language therapy at BCU.
First off, congratulations! We’re looking forward to welcoming you to BCU, and hopefully into SALTSoc.
It can be an equally exciting and daunting task to get yourself ready for university, especially if you’re moving to an unfamiliar city. Hopefully, this checklist can take a load off your mind and help you out a little.
Bear in mind that this checklist is specific to SLT students, so we haven’t included the run-of-the-mill uni essentials like stationery and bedsheets. You can view a packing list here.
Course admin
NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF)
SLT students on an undergraduate or postgraduate course are eligible to receive a minimum of £5,000/academic year, which is referred to as the Training Grant. If you’re on a part-time course, this is given as a pro-rata amount.
This amount will be given to you in three instalments roughly every term (November, March, and July).
The eligibility criteria are straightforward: if you’re studying an SLT course in England and you’re eligible for student finance, you’re in! That being said, you don’t need to have applied for student finance to be eligible for the Learning Support Fund. In this case, you will need to provide a written statement to explain why you have not applied for a student loan.
There are more elements to the NHS LSF, such as Parental Support, Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, and the Exceptional Support Fund. There's an overview below:
| Eligibility criteria |
Parental Support
£2,000/academic year | Applicant has at least one dependent child under 15-years-old OR Applicant has at least one dependent child under-17-years-old with special education needs |
Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) | Applicant must be eligible for AND be in receipt of the NHS LSF in the same academic year they are submitting a TDAE claim |
Exceptional Support Fund
Up to £3,000 | Applicant must be eligible for NHS LSF and:
|
For more detailed information about the Learning Support Fund and the additional funding options, check out the official website.
And don’t forget to confirm your enrolment every term, otherwise you won’t receive your instalment!
DBS certificate
This is a must for all courses that include placements working with adults and/or children. If you’ve accepted your conditional offer, you will receive an email from KnowYourPeople. This will involve filling out a form and verifying your ID in-person, the latter of which can be done at your local Post Office branch.
Even if you have a current DBS certificate and you’re on the Update Service, you will still need to complete this application.
Once you receive your hard copy DBS certificate, make sure you keep it safe and apply to the Update Service. You will need to present your original DBS certificate when you attend ward simulations and observation days during your first year. Applying for the Update Service is also recommended; it costs £16/year via Direct Debit and allows you to keep your DBS up-to-date.
RCSLT student membership
Did you know that the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) provides free membership for students?
A student membership grants you access to resources within the RCSLT student hub; online access to Bulletin (the RCSLT’s quarterly magazine); and useful eLearning courses — to name a few.
For lectures and studying
During lectures
There’s no right way to take notes, everyone has a different learning style. Lecturers will upload their PowerPoint slides a week before the lecture, so some students will use laptop or tablet to take notes alongside these slides. Others will take notes using pen and paper.
But even if you prefer using an electronic device to take notes, it’s advisable to bring a notepad and pen to lectures for phonetic transcription sessions during the first term. The summative exam will require you to phonetically transcribe spoken words and phrases, so it’s in your best interest to get familiar with writing these symbols!
Some other items that we’d recommend are:
Document wallets to organise loose sheets and handouts
Flash cards for exam prep
A personal glossary: you’re going to be learning a lot of new terms and concepts, so find a way to keep track of these
In-between lectures
Here are some other items that may come in handy in-between lectures:
Water bottle and reusable cup
There are water fountains scattered around campus, so it’s easy to stay hydrated throughout the day. And with a reuseable cup, you’ll save 15p on your hot drink at the on-campus cafes. Plus, Boston Tea Party — which is located between Seacole and Harborne — don’t provide single use cups. They provide loan cups for £2, which is refunded upon return, but you might as well get your own cup.
Lunch and snacks
There’s a breakout room in Harborne Road that provides a fridge, microwaves, cupboards, and a hot water tap. Just make sure you clear out your stuff by the end of the week.
You can rent a locker (i.e., personal snack storage) at Seacole or Harborne Road for £15/year.
Other things to consider
Sync and back-up electronic files to OneDrive or any cloud storage; you never know what can happen!
Insurance on electronic devices: you may never use it, but you’ll be happy to have it when you need it
Get a hefty, interest-free overdraft by signing up to a student bank account
Big gap between lectures? Sign up to Anytime Fitness opposite Harborne Road and save 20% on total bill at Boston Tea Party
There are two multifaith rooms on the first-floor in Seacole: SCT146 and SCT151. You can also take part in Friday Prayer in SCT024 (Drama Studio), which is through the corridor to the right of Starbucks
Portable chargers always come in handy. There aren’t many accessible charging points and plug sockets in lecture rooms, so it's best to come prepared
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