Jessica Hyland

My favourite part about Swansea is the outdoors! As someone who grew up exploring the vastness and bush of Australia, it’s nice that Swansea also has some spots and views to take in around the greater Swansea area. Whilst I find it doesn’t compare, it’s nice to have that element and to explore with your friends. As someone who is super busy with athletics training, work, and university, it can be difficult to find some time to de-stress. I find a great way to incorporate both productivity and some fun is to first go to the library with a friend and spend some time doing some work and then as a treat, we’ll go to a cafe/restaurant and have some yummy food! One of my favourite places is called Hoogah and it’s close to the main student boroughs. Day trips to Cardiff are also super fun and if you can’t go by car, you can always take the train. Whilst the weather (mainly the rain) can get you down sometimes, when it is sunny, the beachfront is beautiful and with so many people on walks, runs and spending time on the beach, the atmosphere is nice to be a part of. Moving to a completely new place can be daunting and it may take a while to adjust but it’s all about trying to take it in your stride and the independence you gain as a result is incredible!

What is your favourite thing about your course?

My favourite thing about my course is how multi-disciplinary it is! I never knew that there were so many different avenues to explore. I thought that Sport and Exercise Science was just a bit of biomechanics, physiology, and sport psychology with the aim to improve an athlete's performance and while that is a lot of it, there’s also so much more you can explore. I’m currently super interested in the public health side of Sport and Exercise Science but also love anything to do with physiology. There are modules such as the Ethics of Anti-Doping, Paediatric Exercise Science, Sport Sociology and so much more!

Do you participate in a Swansea University sports team/club?

Yes, I’m involved in Athletics and have also been a part of the triathlon team. With athletics, I’ve been to BUCS both in Sheffield and Manchester to compete alongside the team. Both trips were so fun and even though I often don’t train alongside the team during the week, (I compete under another Welsh club and have a coach there) they were always welcoming, and I made some great memories and friends through both trips. I joined triathlon just for fun as I love watching triathlon and I also wanted an opportunity to do some cross training to supplement my running. Even though I wanted to just come along and train recreationally, they were more than happy to have me. No matter if you’re performing at the top level or just joining a team for fun, everybody has always been welcoming and it’s a great way to get to know more people!

Did you apply through Clearing?

Yes, after firming to another university for a completely different subject (Paramedic Science) they decided to revoke my place, even though I met the conditions as they had overbooked the course. I was super stressed as it was already August, and I was meant to be moving to university in just over a month! I decided to apply to Swansea through clearing and for a completely different subject (Sport and Exercise Science) to the one I had firmed at the other university. I applied online and if I remember correctly, I got confirmation that I had received a place in about a week! I then quickly applied for accommodation and got my first choice for that which was good! I went to a clearing open day hoping that I would like the university as I had already firmed it after getting my place through clearing. I met a few of my lecturers and got a good insight as to what it would be like to live and learn at Bay Campus and Swansea University.