Overall experience as a counselling student for me has been something that I wouldn’t have been able to capture back home. The structure of the classes, the international students, the knowledge insight is impeccable. Their goal as a counselling faculty is for the students to start knowing themselves before they go into the field and help and guide other individuals. That’s something lacking in our Indian universities.
Course Curriculum :
The course that I chose touched upon the basics of what counselling is. They covered almost everything required to begin counselling. But of course that’s not enough to begin our own counselling practice. We are expected to further study and build more practical experience after this course. Counselling is a subject which can never be fully covered, the counsellors who are the most experienced even they are still learning and exploring different approaches. So to answer the question how updated and relevant the course syllabus is, it does cover a lot of it but there’s much more to learn and discover.
Exams :
I had to submit 2 LORs, the university had a certain criteria points that they mentioned in their website that they would require in a particular LOR. Apart from that they required a personalized SOP, every university mentions the set points and format that they would want your SOP to be in, so I would suggest just looking at their particular university’s criteria and then filling it up. They also require your CV which is expected to be simple UK format CV, with just the important pointers. I had one round of interview but that was to decide which course would be beneficial for me. So I had applied for two courses and after giving the interview they decided which course would suit me better.
Placement :
The university provides with a variety of placements and there are companies that visit the university on a daily basis, it just depends on the students what opportunity would they further like to use. The median salary is comparatively less if you apply elsewhere. But its a great opportunity to start if the student feels stuck.
Internship :
I am currently working part time with Autism initiatives and they pay hourly, so per hour its around 1100 INR. So depending on your timings, you get paid on a monthly basis.
Faculty :
There is a wide range of faculty and staff and they are all available via our own university portal. The ratio of faculty to student is around 1:10. Every student is provided with a personal tutor that they can contact via email. They are as I have previously mentioned pretty busy, but they always make sure to reply if you have any problem that you’ve addressed. I have had a lot of professors that left an incredible impact on me, to name one would be professor Jonathan, he has always encouraged us to question and know more.
Campus Life :
The University of Edinburgh has a wide campus, with their multiple library access. They have their own pubs, reading areas, rooms that can be booked for events, presentations and a lot more. Every campus provides with a study room, computer systems, individual cafeterias and a lot more. The wifi system is universal, so one system connects you with every campus, as long as it’s university of Edinburgh’s campus. They also have their own gym, which is Edinburgh’s biggest gym, at a very reasonable student price.
Hostel :
There are multiple university accommodations throughout the town. They provide students with maximum safety and comfort. Every accommodation has its own perks and cons. Students need to decide what they are comfortable with before choosing the accommodation. The rent is comparatively higher, but it includes all the bills and cleaning once in a while.
