“The University’s link with Medway Park in the Medway Masters Programme is excellent. It allows for Kent students to gain access to top-class facilities free during certain times”
What attracted you to study at Kent?
Sports Management is not offered at that many universities and Kent appeared to be the best ranked university with modules that appealed to me.
How is your course going?
The course is going well. The second year was a big step up from the first year in terms of workload but I felt well prepared to tackle the assignments we were given. The lecturers are all friendly. In fact, all the staff I have encountered at Kent have been very approachable. I am never afraid to ask questions.
What is the level of support like in your studies?
The level of support and resources available at Kent, such as books and journals is extensive; I have never had too much difficulty finding articles relevant to my assignments. In terms of staff support, I would say that the support mostly came when I have requested it from the lecturers – and within my School once notified the staff will clear up any grey areas and help until the problem is resolved.
Which modules have you enjoyed the most, and why?
As a Sport Management student, two main areas are studied: Sport and Management. In terms of sport, my favourite module was Principles of Training, which we covered in the first year. The module content was high, but the facts learnt are essential to any sport. The seminars were particularly fun. Sport and Exercise Psychology is also very interesting because I enjoy applying the relevant theory to a practical example, for instance, an elite level tennis player – it gives a good understanding of what is going on in the heads of athletes while watching them perform. I also enjoyed the Marketing Module in the second year – it was interesting analysing relevant sports marketing campaigns and trying to “read” the underlying messages and target demographics. It makes looking at advertisements a lot more interesting.
How would you describe your fellow students?
My fellow students are very friendly. The unions formed at university is unlike any other, because once you have chosen to go to the same university you are thrown into the same situations together. Most of the students I have met had left home for the first time and so we all had to tackle the same issues at the same time. So a lot of support during my time at university has come from my friends and through relationships I have formed here. You find that everybody at university has something in common.
What are the facilities like on campus?
On campus, the library facilities are good, all relevant resources are in abundance and the computer availability is never too much of an issue. Sportswise, although it isn’t on campus, the University’s link with Medway Park in the Medway Masters Programme is excellent. It allows for Kent students to gain access to top-class facilities free during certain times. This is excellent, and I take advantage of it as much as possible. Socially, the Medway campus has Cooper’s, a small bar, which always has a good ambience and the prices are reasonable.
What sort of things do you do in your spare time?
A lot of my spare time is spent playing badminton, as I am captain of the men’s 1st team. But there are plenty of opportunities to play a variety of sports at the Medway campus, and I believe it is good to do so as it widens your social circles at university and increases your friendship base. Some of my spare time is spent on voluntary projects. For example; I am involved in the Iron Gym project, which seeks to create a public piece of exercise equipment that doubles as a piece of installation art that links in with local culture and heritage. It is a joint course project – a collaboration between sports students and Fine Art students – where we are given a chance to work together. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
What kind of career do you hope to follow when you leave, and why?
I am attracted towards a career in the sports marketing industry when I graduate because I believe that enjoyment and participation in sports activities is declining, so by producing new sports products and services or by re-marketing existing ones, I can help to increase the interest, enjoyment and participation levels among people in various sports.
Any advice to other students coming to Kent?
You get out of university what you put into it. If you only put the minimum amount of effort into your time here it will be reflected in your grades and your CV. So get involved, participate in as many extra curricular activities and projects as possible. Not only will it increase your knowledge, but it will also help you to make more friends and make your CV look more impressive, which will increase your employment prospects. If you put a more effort into your time here, your job application will hopefully stand out from those of other graduates.