For Emily, FdSc (Hons) Sport (Sports Performance) was transformational.

It supported her education and development with different learning styles. The practical, applied structure of the course, alongside elite-level sport, replaced exam anxiety with confidence, opening the way to teaching and ambitious research goals.

Emily progressed to the BSc, graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Sport (Sport Performance).

We spoke to her about her journey through the course and what she’s gone on to do since graduating.

The right degree for me

Growing up, sport was a huge part of my life, and I threw myself into a bit of everything: rowing, swimming, hockey, and rugby. I would struggle with attention and focus, even in sport, so constant movement and burning off energy suited me. Rowing became my primary sport. I started when I was 12 and carried on racing competitively until my early twenties. It provided a structure I thrived under.

I knew after leaving school I wanted to study or work in something related to sport, partly because it felt like the one thing that consistently made sense to me. When I found the FdSc (Hons) Sport (Sports Performance) course at Bath, it just clicked. It sounded broad enough that I would not be boxed into one path but specialised enough to offer scope.

What I liked straight away about the course was its practicality – the labs, the hands-on sessions, the applied side of things really suited the way my brain works. There were still exams, but the primary focus of assignment writing meant I didn’t spend my whole degree panicking about upcoming tests.

From loving sport to loving academia

Once I got used to the pace and the structure, I found my feet — both academically and socially. Being surrounded by people who loved sport as much as I did was a massive boost. It felt like I fitted in.

Having access to high-performance environments and coaches meant I could keep training while studying, which helped me stay grounded.

Although I started out doing FdSc Sport (Sport Performance), having met the requirements to carry on, I converted to the BSc. My chosen dissertation ended up shaping a lot of what I have done since. I focused on sustained attention in children and how simple physical activity interventions could improve focus over time. Looking back, I was trying to understand my own experiences as much as anything else. The research process itself was hard but extremely rewarding and planted the seed for further study.

The course gave me confidence and showed me I could succeed academically in an environment that suited my strengths.

Being part of a community at Bath

Bath has opened so many doors, from the welcome day onwards. The facilities are outstanding, but the real difference is how connected everyone is. There was a strong sense of community, and my cohort would attend as many sporting fixtures as we could to support our peers.

Bath really is its own little world at the top of the hill. Everyone gets involved, and it creates a community unlike anything I have seen elsewhere. If I could do it all again, I genuinely would. I would repeat the degree in a heartbeat. I am even trying to work out how I could come back for a PhD — Bath still feels like a second home!

People often say they would go back to their university, and for me it is true. You never quite know what you will go on to do. Most students on my course set out determined to become elite athletes; almost everyone believed they would end up at the Olympic Games or in professional sport.

The danger of becoming so focused on that goal is that you miss other opportunities. Many of my peer group have stayed in elite sport, but not necessarily as athletes. Some have gone into sports performance analysis, while others have built their own companies that are, to this day, based in Bath. Likewise, others have gone into work within the public services, be it teaching, the armed forces, the police, or fire service. There are countless career paths if you keep an open mind.

My advice for anyone thinking about studying FdSc or BSc Sport (Sport Performance) at Bath

There are so many societies and opportunities that do not require full-time commitment. For people who have grown up in elite sport, it can feel unnatural to do anything by half, but it is worth learning that balance.

Decide what matters most to you and say ‘yes’ to as many experiences as you can. Bath, as a city, offers a huge range of options: working at the rugby club, trying new activities, and meeting people you’d never otherwise come across.

I always recommend Bath; it was transformational and has opened so many doors.