What motivated you to enroll in Speech and Language Therapy?
From the moment I discovered what speech therapy was in high school, I knew it was the field I could see myself in. I am particularly attracted by its multidisciplinarity, because it is a combination of medical, psychological and linguistic knowledge. In addition, speech therapy is a profession that allows me to really help others with my work and effort.
I believe that many of us also have personal motivation from our immediate environment, and it is the same in my case. I have several members in my family with speech fluency disorder (stuttering), then difficulties in reading and writing, as well as hearing impairment. For me, such family circumstances are an additional incentive for quality work and continuous improvement.
How would you describe your journey through studies from the first days until this last year? What lessons did you learn that you might not have expected at the beginning?
A difficult question, especially since I'm just becoming aware that the end of my studies is approaching - everything went by too fast. I learned a lot, not only about myself, but also about friendships and the rhythm of life. I consider myself a great workaholic, which on the one hand I see as an advantage. Diligence and dedication led me to the college I dreamed of and enabled me to successfully pass all exams so far.
But, on the other hand, it is important to know and rest. That's maybe the biggest lesson I've learned. The world won't stop if I decide to finish work an hour earlier to do what fulfills me. That hour is an investment in my mental health and a better future. Because I like to get things done right away and be efficient, sometimes it's hard for me to set aside that "one hour", but I've learned to recognize its true value.
What are the biggest challenges you faced during your studies?
The biggest challenges are knowing when to recognize when I have "enough" and how to deal with burnout . Following on from the previous one, due to my workaholic mentality, I would often stress myself out even if I realized that I was missing just one note from my notes. This way of thinking often led me to exhaustion. Time would pass, the literature for the exam would be waiting for me, and I could only stare at it. In those moments, you feel as if that same literature is mocking you.
That's when it's most difficult to take time for yourself, because you feel like you don't deserve it - and in fact, that's when you need it the most. It may sound incredible, but sometimes even an episode of my favorite series would help me feel better and return to work with renewed energy.
What was the practical part of your education like?
At Speech and Language Therapy in Rijeka, they really nurture an excellent ratio of scientific approach and practical work, which I consider an extremely valuable aspect of our faculty. The practical part of the studies was initially focused on exercises from individual courses, where as students we had the opportunity to observe speech therapists during the assessment or therapy of specific disorders. Even then, we could see the learned theory in practice, which was extremely useful.
As we progressed and passed more courses, during certain exercises we were given the task of designing a therapy class ourselves. Our plans would be reviewed by the mentor, and then we would analyze together what was good and where there is room for improvement.
The most favorite, but also the most stressful part of the studies was the clinical practice. The dearest, because during 2-3 weeks we really do what awaits us in the future, and the most stressful, because for the first time you feel real responsibility. Although you are under the supervision of a mentor, you have to prepare several therapies for each day, which requires a lot of effort and organization.
All in all, our faculty provides us with an extremely high-quality theoretical basis, but also the opportunity for practical work through organized exercises and clinical practice, which I consider invaluable for future speech therapists.
What skills do you consider the most important for success in this profession?
I think it is extremely important to be approachable and open-minded. As in any profession that involves working with people, you can expect "anything". From concerned parents who will listen carefully, ask questions and cooperate, to elderly users who often don't even know why they are there - except that the doctor referred them.
Despite these differences, it is up to us to provide each user with quality therapy, motivate them to cooperate, and explain in a way they can understand why therapy is useful and what its advantages are. It is clear that this requires adaptability, but also a great deal of empathy.
In addition, a quality speech therapist must also be creative, especially when working with children. The therapy hour can change in a second, depending on the child's mood, and it is up to me to turn that hour into a game that will be attractive to the child and therapeutically useful at the same time.
Of course, all this should be supported by adequate education. I could list many more qualities that I consider important, but these seem to me to be crucial for the successful work of a speech therapist.
How do you see the future of speech therapy considering AI and the development of new technologies? Does it make the speech therapist's job easier?
I think the development of technology is extremely useful. I believe that it can help us in many aspects, from stimulating creativity when planning a therapy session to quickly accessing information that we can check and further research. I do not shy away from technology - in fact, I love it very much - but it is important to know how to use it properly and direct it to the right purposes.
Do you have plans or ideas for further education after graduation? Is there a direction in which you particularly want to improve and which is of particular interest to you?
Currently, I am still in the phase where my primary goal is to finish my studies and I try to be as present as possible and enjoy the process as much as possible. Of course, I have a desire to advance, such as participating in various educations, both in Croatia and abroad. However, at the moment it is a big priority for me to apply the knowledge I have acquired so far in practice.
I believe that it is important to first gain clinical experience so that I can expand my knowledge based on it, compare theory with practice and learn continuously. Those are my current plans, although I certainly have many more wishes. But about that later.
What advice would you give to future speech therapy students? What should they pay attention to, and is there anything you wish you had known before enrolling in this course?
My main advice is to get serious in the first year! You probably expected me to advise them to enjoy themselves, which I certainly will, but I don't want to start with corny advice right away. I really think it is important that in the first year of university they devote themselves to the university. The first year is demanding for everyone - a new way of assessment and education in general, a new environment and new people. It's a lot to process in a short period of time.
Of course, you don't need to lock yourself in a room and study all day long - far from it! However, with a good balance, in the first year I still think that academic obligations should come first. The other four years, when you are already slowly getting used to the system, it will be much easier to estimate how much time you have for what amount of material, what can "give up" due to one outing and the like.
But of course, enjoy. Five years go by very quickly. One moment you're a freshman who doesn't know where his college is and uses Google Maps for everything, and the next moment you're packing your things for the last time to move out of the dorm. In addition, don't forget to take with you some valuable friendships in addition to memories. They are for the soul after all.
Considering that you spend a lot of time with your fellow students, you probably come up with the topic of skin and hair care at some point, so we are interested in what exactly you are talking about. :)
I exchange recommendations most often with my roommate, and it was from her that I heard the most words of praise about Olival's products. For a good two years she told me about the Olival Professional line and how it changed her face for the better, before I tried a few products myself. All I will say is that I regret not trying them sooner! Olival Professional and the Routeen line have completely taken over my morning routine, but I'm not mad at all because my face has never looked better.
If you are interested in what I use specifically, my morning routine looks like this - gentle Routeen Cleanser ,then Olival Professional Hydro Toner , Hijaluron Hydrator 4H , Routeen deLIGHT Gel Cream and finally Professional Face Fluid SPF 30 .
