What subject are you currently studying/did you most recently study at university? What persuaded you to choose this option?

I am currently studying the BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching course. I chose to study this because I worked as a sports coach for Active Schools whilst I was still in school, and wanted to pursue a career in Sport Development.

What course did you study at college, and which college did you attend?

I studied HND Coaching and Developing Sport at North East Scotland College.

What did you find easy and what did you find difficult about making the transition from college to university?

The workload at university was relatively easy to transition to – I didn’t feel like there was a vastly greater number of classes or work in comparison to college. The level of academic writing required and the way in which pieces of coursework had to be presented was slightly more challenging to adjust to as much more was expected of us, than had previously been whilst at college.

WHY RGU? WHAT WAS IT THAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE UNIVERSITY?

The option to do a 2+2 to study BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching was what initially attracted me to RGU. Throughout the application and interview process, the support offered by the university and course leaders confirmed that RGU was the best choice for me.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT RGU?

My experience at RGU has been fantastic – the course content has been enjoyable and challenging, and the learning environment created by the course lecturers and the wider university has made it easy to seek support when needed, and to grow academically and professionally through both modular and non-modular classes.

HOW DID RGU SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY? DID YOU USE ANY OF THE SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE TO YOU?

I attended sessions during the welcome week upon entry into year 3 of the course, and I feel that these set me up well for understanding what was expected by the university, and to see the work I had to do in order to develop my academic writing to meet these expectations. I personally have not used any of the support services beyond this, but the course team have always ensured that these services were signposted, should anyone need the additional support.

would you recommend the route you chose and specifically the college to university pathway?

Yes, I would absolutely recommend this route from college to university. Going from school, to college, and then onto university was a gradual progression in terms of academic expectations and workload.

Going to college first also provided more opportunities to engage in practical learning and professional development through regular practical classes and work placements.

What are your future plans?

After graduating and completing my course, I am hoping to get full-time employment in the sports development industry.

How has RGU helped you achieve your goals?

We undertook modules surrounding sports development which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the industry I want to work in. The placement modules on offer also allowed me to gain hands on experience within a role that I would to work in sometime in the future after graduation.