Life as a Sport and Exercise Science Student - Meet Gerard

What does a typical week look like for you—balancing placement and university life?

In the first two years, my week was mainly spent attending lectures and practical sessions on campus. The practical sessions involved a mixture of strength and conditioning practice, physiological sessions involving participant testing, and biomechanical testing in the Human Performance Lab. In the final year, my placement involved evening sessions as well as daytime sessions on campus.

How has the practical training helped you feel more confident in real settings?

There was a significant emphasis on the practical application of academic learning. Regular use of the strength and conditioning suite improved my confidence in using this as an appropriate training and coaching methodology. Use of testing equipment in the Physiology Lab—such as breath-by-breath gas analysis, and lactate, glucose, and cholesterol blood analysis—supported academic learning and gave me the confidence to use these tools in real sports situations.

What has been your most memorable moment on the course so far?

For my final-year dissertation, I undertook an independent research project involving youth cycling activity. This required developing research questions and methods from scratch. I found the process particularly rewarding, and it confirmed my interest in pursuing further postgraduate independent research.

What kind of placements have you undertaken, and how have they shaped your learning?

I undertook two placements. The first was with the Cardiac Rehabilitation programme based at the campus sports centre. This involved working one-to-one with participants who had experienced serious cardiac incidents and were using controlled cardio exercise to rehabilitate. I found this particularly useful, as I was able to observe the progress made through interventions over a period of three months. It was valuable to work with real people in recovery, and I learned a great deal about how motivation and support can generate positive outcomes both physiologically and psychologically.

My second placement was with a master’s student undertaking a significant piece of work around shoulder injury and testing to assess both performance and injury risk. I was involved from an early stage and contributed to the development of testing methodologies and processes. As part of this placement, I used a range of testing equipment, particularly isokinetic dynamometry and force plate power testing, in a novel set of bespoke situations. I continued to support the testing process throughout the summer, even after my placement had formally ended. This experience has confirmed both my interest in and desire to undertake further postgraduate research study.

How do you look after your wellbeing and make time for yourself while studying and being on placement?

I planned my time each day based on what I needed to do, which helped me mostly avoid panics around deadlines and feel in control of my studies. I had a couple of ‘social’ times each week that were non-negotiable, ensuring I did things unrelated to my studies.

Travelling by public transport was always a good opportunity for quiet reflection.

What do you think the future entails for you – what are your plans after graduation?

I want to pursue a research pathway, as that is the area I have found most interesting and rewarding. I am currently investigating suitable research opportunities and areas of interest to develop my next research proposal—hopefully at the University of Salford!

What advice would you give to someone considering applying to this programme?

Have a go at everything, even if it’s not what you’re mainly interested in, as it may turn out to be useful in the future. Don’t be afraid to ask questions—it will help you understand what you’re doing better. Have fun.