A typical day in the life of a Sport and Exercise Sciences student

Hi, my name is Neave. I’m a second year Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES) student.

Starting my day as an SES student

My typical day starts at around 7:30am when I wake up and get ready for the day. I walk to the campus at around 8:30am to make my first lecture at 9am. The reason I love lectures here so much is because of the range of content and inclusion the lecturers provide. They always encourage class discussions and like people to get involved as much as possible.

I also love that most of the lectures help us prepare for practical sessions we have later in the week. An example of this could be learning about body composition in physiology and then measuring each other’s body composition in the lab. It gives us a way to apply our pre-learned knowledge to in-person situations which will help with experience when looking for jobs in the future. These lectures usually last around two hours.

Using the on-campus library

After my lecture, I like to head to the library for a few hours to get some work in before my second lecture of the day. This helps me to keep on top of my studies and any work/reading lecturers have requested we do prior to the next lecture.

Practical sessions in biomechanics and physiology labs

Occasionally we have practical sessions first thing in the morning. These often take place in one of the labs. Throughout the campus there are a wide range of different labs, all used for different things. In second year, we have so far mainly used the biomechanics and physiology labs. These labs have everything you need to develop new skills that can be used throughout the entirety of the course. All the equipment is up to date and all the lecturers have a wide range of knowledge and experience when coming to use them/demonstrate.

A break for lunch – time to unwind!

After my next lecture, I usually head home for lunch and have some downtime before I do some more work. I feel it's important to allow yourself some time to unwind from the busy morning and give yourself a small break before attempting to do more work.

Options for the afternoon – working on assignments; going to the gym; hockey training on campus

I often spend my afternoons working on my assignments or fitting in my weekly food shop if I have time. I’ll occasionally go to the campus gym to work on my strength away from my team sports. The campus gym has everything you need to improve strength and fitness. There are often gym classes as well as the option to book a personal trainer. I have hockey training three times a week, two of which are in the evenings. This helps me properly unwind from the day, allows me to get some exercise and fresh air and to also socialize with my teammates. The hockey AstroTurf pitch is within the Exton Park campus, so it is very easy to access. It comes with some sheltered stands – perfect for watching games under.

Evening food and chill time

After hockey, I head home and have some food before having some more chill time watching a show or a movie.

Sport and Exercise Sciences facilities at Chester

In terms of SES course facilities, the University of Chester has quite a lot. Here are a few of the main ones:

• A physiology lab where students are often allowed to practice using newly learnt lab skills and do different physiological tests on each other.
• A biomechanics analysis lab where students analyse biomechanical movements and learn to use new software which is used in professional settings.
• A biomechanics lab where measurements are taken using different tests. This lab contains specialised analysis cameras as well as force platforms.
• A physiology strength and conditioning lab where people can get professionally tested using different pieces of high-level technology and equipment.
• A sports hall used for practical sessions (mainly coaching and biomechanics).
• Two AstroTurf pitches are used, again for testing and videoing performance etc.

My favourite things about the course

Due to the small class sizes, you are guaranteed a hands-on experience in the labs and get so much personal support from each lecturer.

One of my favourite things about the course is the general content we are taught. There is a huge range of topics we are taught about and so much valuable information given in each lecture. The lecturers are very inclusive and love whole class involvement.

Another aspect of the course I love is the lab time, specifically physiology. We are taught so many new skills that would be so beneficial when looking for jobs in the future. Unlike larger universities, the Chester SES department is very small, so everyone gets a chance to both test students and also be tested which makes the overall experience so much better.

Lastly, similar to my last point, I love the range of tests we do. Some examples include VO2 max testing, O2 and CO2 consumption tests during incremental exercise, we have used a bod pod and a water tank to calculate fat mass and fat free mass within an individual.

The perfect SES course for an interactive experience

The University of Chester Sports and Exercise Sciences course is amazing, and I have loved every minute of it so far. It’s the perfect course if you’re looking for something smaller and more interactive.

Want to find out more?

Visit our webpage to find out more about our Sport and Exercise Sciences course, or come and have a look around our facilities and chat to staff at our next Open Day.