Figuring out your future following your time in further education can be very daunting. I know this first-hand and was admittedly stuck on what career path I wanted to take and what to do next. I wasn’t far off completing my Level 3 Uniformed Public Services course at Selby College, when my tutor told me about the BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and Exercise Science course available at Selby College.

Given that I was already familiar with the campus and that I had built great relationships with my tutors, this seemed like an obvious choice for me. The College is also near to my home, which meant that I would be able to study for a degree while saving money on travel and living costs. The overall course cost was also significantly cheaper than studying at a University, which made it a no-brainer for me. The ability to be assessed in sport and fitness also attracted me and was a way for me to build my skills as an aspiring fitness instructor.

I enrolled on the Sports Coaching and Exercise Science course at the College in 2016 and never looked back. Throughout my degree, I personally found the academic side of the course challenging. However, due to the different assessment methods of the course, I was able to excel in other areas and did really well in my practical assessments. My tutors were also exceptionally supportive and pushed me to achieve the very best standard of work. No problem was ever too big for them and they were always there to help in any way that they could.

Despite many hurdles, I continued to work to my strengths and graduated with a 2:1 classification. I personally could not have gotten through my degree without my tutors and it is thanks to their outstanding teaching and support which gave me the confidence to open my own business once I had graduated.

Today, I am now the proud owner of my very own successful fitness training and massage business, The Training Field. I would not be where I am today without taking that first step and jumping at the opportunity to build my skills and experience and expand my qualifications through higher education. It also helped me to realise how passionate I am about health and exercise, which made it clear what career path I should pursue.

Although it can be very daunting making choices about your future, I promise you won’t regret undertaking a degree at the College. It opened up so many doors for me personally and led to me receiving numerous job offers, all whilst helping me to build my confidence as a coach.

If you aspire to have a career in the Sport or Exercise industry, then carrying out a Higher Education course at Selby College is a must! Trust me, it is definitely worth it.

Find out more about Sophie Dale’s fitness training and massage business, The Training Field.