Could you study for a degree with your partner? First year students Alfa and Karon Isah are married and studying together on the BSc in Acupuncture course, we found out what it’s really been like for them so far….
Karon: Alfa and I decided that we wanted to learn Acupuncture, but it took us a few years to make the commitment and choose where to study.
I was excited at the possibility of learning together and eventually working together. The learning together has not, up until now, been quite as I anticipated!
We both learn differently. Alfa has already been to university, he’s used to the academic side of studying. I on the other hand struggle with the academic side of learning. I much prefer the watch-then-do method. So, we decided that it would be more beneficial to study separately. We now have our own study rooms. I think I benefit more from this as I’m disruptive and easily distracted!
Covid has made a huge difference to Alfa, he has worked from home all the way through. I still go to work but have reduced my hours to part time, this is the main reason I am doing the course over 3 years and Alfa will be doing it over 4 years.
It was one of the main reasons we chose NCA. The learning flexibility, the proximity to home and the length of time the college has been practicing were also some of the reasons for our choice.
Since we started at the college we have not practised on each other as much as I thought we would. We bought a portable massage table set to do this but found out we are a lot busier and need to learn how to organise our spare time to coincide with one another. We have both signed up for the bodywork massage course in the summer, so it will definitely get some use then! Once we get our degrees our plan is to start a mobile acupuncture business.
Alfa: Acupuncture has been on the radar of both Karon and I for a number of years. Deciding to study Acupuncture was however a painstaking decision. We were confronted with difficult questions such as:
- Finding the right institution
- Finding the dedication to combine our current jobs with studies for a duration of 3-4 years
- Transitioning from our current careers to Acupuncture practitioners
- The financial commitment required for this endeavour
- Studying together as a couple
The first key question to answer was finding the right institution to study. For a highly specialised medical practice such as acupuncture, we were looking for an institution that offers quality training experience with industry-recognised qualification.
After exhaustive research of several institutions across the UK, we found that the NCA met our requirements and was conveniently situated not too far away in York.
On the issue of funding, we found out that we would be eligible for some part of the Student Loans Company (SLC) Tuition fee loan. We were comfortable with funding the rest ourselves.
We got the admissions process underway and completed before we finally started the course in September 2021.
So how have we found the course so far? For me personally, I have been quite surprised at how detailed the course really is. My perception of acupuncture as the central point of this course has been pleasantly challenged.
One of the major surprises is how acupuncture itself happens to be just a subset of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which is one of the world’s oldest existing forms of a well organised and structured medical practice.
There are four modules in the first year alone such as elements of Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Bodywork for Acupuncturist, Foundations of Clinical Practice and Being & Becoming. While the course title echoes acupuncture, my experience so far is that you are taken through so many other healing skills sets.
For example, in the Foundations of Chinese Medicine module, you learn other healing techniques such as Moxa, Moxibustion, acupressure etc. The Bodywork for Acupuncturist takes you through several muscles and bones in the body and you learn several massage techniques for healing many types of ailments.
The Foundations of Clinical Practice module teaches the necessary skills for effective clinical practice such as practitioner-patient management and clinic management from a business and a medical practitioner perspective.
In the Being & Becoming module, you acquire academic skill set in research techniques.
These are all just in the first year. There are many more to come and you have a sense that the course is really detailed and thorough.
Do we study together at home or in separate spaces? We have separate study spaces for individual studies as we haven’t yet managed to work out how to study together without distracting each other.
However, we do have a common office space fully kitted out with a massage table to practice massage techniques and points on each other. We also kitted out the office with big screen television to watch the massage and points videos while we work on each other.
How do you find the logistics of travelling to the college and how you are fitting everything in with your other commitments? We drive to York and back together every Saturday and Sunday as its only an hour drive to York from Hull, so the travelling is enjoyable especially when the traffic is not too stressful.
What are our plans for the future after we finish our studies studying? When I graduate, I am hoping to go on and do post graduate studies with a view to specialising in a specific area of acupuncture, and Karon and I do hope to run a clinic together.