Best: modern Worst: nothing

Best: get to work with real patients Worst: theory

Most: location Least: my flatmates

I really value how practical the teaching was. A lot of the work was tied to real-world scenarios, which helped me feel more prepared for employment. The worst aspect (which is uncontrollable) is being in a coastal city, the weather can be unpredictable, but you adapt to it.

The best part of my Dental Nursing Higher Education Diploma has been the mix of practical experience and academic teaching. The clinical placements really helped me connect the theory to real dental settings, and the lecturers are very supportive and experienced. I also liked the blended learning approach because it offered some flexibility while still giving plenty of hands-on practice. The more challenging side has been the amount of content we needed to cover in a short space of time. Some days could also feel long due to placement hours as well, but overall, these challenges helped me improve my time-management and made me feel more prepared for working in a real dental practice.

What I like most about Catherine House is the central location and how modern and comfortable the en-suite rooms are. It feels safe, and the social spaces make it easy to meet people. What I like least is that it’s a bit expensive and can get noisy at times because of the location, but overall it’s been a convenient place to live.