Sports Science BSc(Hons): After you graduate

"My family lives in Hamburg, Germany but I decided to study in England as sports science is more advanced here. As I had previously attended a Scottish boarding school for two years, I wasn't too apprehensive about coming to the UK, but of course it's always daunting to live in a new environment. Freshers' Week and events organised by the Students' Union really helped me settle in though.

"The content and structure of the course at Kingston was ideal for me as it covered the broad spectrum of my academic interests, plus allowed me to combine a science subject with business. Before I made my final decision I came to an applicant open day and just really liked the University and the surroundings.

"When I arrived I found the teaching staff were very enthusiastic, which motivated me to do well, and that there was a good balance between theoretical lectures and practical sessions. The highlight of my time here was achieving a first class degree and being awarded the UCB Pharma prize for the best joint honours student.

"After finishing my degree I volunteered in the Philippines, working with malnourished children and promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

"If you're thinking about coming to university, I'd recommend studying a subject that you enjoy. I would also strongly recommend visiting any universities you might want to come to and talking to current students."

After choosing a degree that didn't interest him, Luke Dunstan decided to study sports science. Since then, he has never looked back and is now building a career he loves in a new and innovate area of fitness training.

"I studied computer science at another university for two years, but I had no interest in the subject. I felt I was working towards the wrong career, which would ultimately mean a lack of success. After thought, I decided I wanted to work in either sport or the fitness industry and began obtaining information about careers in these areas. I then read prospectuses from a number of sports science departments and was impressed with what Kingston offered – a good syllabus and the opportunity to study abroad. 

"Once on the course, I found the tuition was excellent. The facilities were all very new. I was also impressed by the smaller study groups meaning I developed far better relationships with lecturers than I had at my previous university.

"The highlight of my study was spending five months at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  It had superb sporting facilities and the exchange was an excellent academic and cultural experience. My only regret is that I didn't opt to stay for the whole year.

"After graduating I worked in the US as a soccer coach for four months. This definitely helped me develop some of the skills that I had learnt during my degree. I then returned to the UK and worked as a personal trainer at Holmes Place for eight months. This also allowed me to use the skills and knowledge learnt on the degree. I worked there successfully until I left for my current position. 

"I am now an exercise specialist for Nuffield Proactive Health, working in the Wellness division of Goldman Sachs. Nuffield is a large private hospital, which believes there is a niche in the market for the link between GPs and fitness professionals. The company provides corporate wellness programmes, such as on-site fitness, medical physiotherapy, nutritionists and childcare.

"I am responsible for health screenings, fitness testing, exercise programming and teaching group exercise, as well as providing excellent customer service. I am also launching some private personal training with contacts made during my work at Holmes Place.

"I work with great people and have a huge amount of in-depth interaction with clients. I am enthusiastic about fitness and enjoy being actively involved with reshaping peoples' lives. It's very satisfying to see someone making health improvements and you can achieve some amazing results with people who have had all sorts of medical conditions.

"In hindsight I think one of the most useful elements of sports science is the team work skills you gain from group projects. The degree is very specific to my job, but I think for most careers working efficiently as part of a team is highly important and sports science can prepare you for many different career paths. I believe I have been lucky to have had some great opportunities to use the skills learnt during my degree. However, if you know your future lies in sport, this degree offers a broad skills base to build on."