Student Testimonial - Allyssa

Name: Allyssa
Program: Hearing Instrument Specialist
What semester are you in: Semester 3

Why did you choose Humber College? and/or this program?

There were many reasons why I decided on Humber, one of the main reasons was the friends and family that I know that previously went here and have spoken highly of the college. Especially seeing the amazing things they are doing in their different fields such as in healthcare, community and justice services, accounting, and tech, I knew I had to accept my offer! In addition, commuting to Humber is so much more convenient to me and closer to my home, making it an ideal location.

Did you attend an Open House at Humber College or an Information Session? How was it helpful?

I didn’t attend an open house or go to an information session before choosing this program, however, I did have the opportunity to volunteer at a Humber Open House as a first-year student representative for the Hearing Instrument Specialist program. I answered questions from prospective students and helped showcase our lab. Volunteering at Humber’s Open House helped me realize how important open houses and information sessions are, especially as a prospective student, as they are opportunities to ask questions about the program, learn more about the campus and to meet your potential future professors!

What has your experience been like so far at Humber College? Within your program? The faculty? The labs? Student life?

I’ve had a great time at Humber so far! I was amazed at all the equipment accessible to us during our open labs and the class labs. Here in the lab, we have access to many things such as different audiometers to practice hearing tests on, a wide range of hearing aid styles across different manufacturers and hearing aid verification machines making the lab almost like an educational trove! Thanks to the lab, I constantly learn something new every day. Within the H.I.S. program, I always feel encouraged by the faculty and my classmates, no matter how busy my school week is. Whether we are working together on a lab assignment or conducting hearing tests on each other during open lab times, the community that I have created with my classmates is so motivating and inviting, that we keep each other going.

What is your favorite memory so far in the program? or favorite class?

My favourite memory in the program so far is our class visit to Phonak, a hearing aid manufacturer. Where we had an opportunity to see all the steps it takes to create hearing aids, simulate hearing aid use in noisy settings and how assistive hearing devices help, and learn more about the company overall! I thought this was a really cool experience as we learn about the different types of manufacturers of hearing aids in the lecture, but it’s so much more interesting to actually see it in person!

Have you had a Work-Integrated Learning experience yet? (otherwise known as a field placement, an internship, a practicum). What was your biggest take-away from that? Or, What are you looking forward to?

I haven’t had my placement experience just yet, but I am very excited to get experience in the field! Having two placements (one on campus at the Humber Hearing Clinic and another placement within the community) was also a reason why I chose this program. Having the experience of working within the field before graduating is something important to me and I feel will help me feel more confident in my abilities when I enter the hearing healthcare field in the future.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your first-semester self?

Looking back at myself in first semester, I would tell myself that practice really does make perfect! As I am still a H.I.S. student and new to the hearing healthcare field as a whole, I found myself frustrated and discouraged when I still didn’t perform a hearing test/assessment perfectly or didn’t automatically understand a concept taught in a lecture. When in reality, it’s okay that I don’t fully grasp concepts just yet, all it takes is some practice and the use of open lab times to really perfect those skills taught in lectures, and one day these skills will become second nature.