Background
Lewis is currently studying for his Foundation Degree with the view to moving onto a top up degree at New College Durham. He has always been interested in sport, exercise and health. Lewis has the goal of opening his own gym in the future and plans with the support of the David Lloyd Health Club to study for his Level 2 personal trainer qualification this year.
Lewis left school achieving good GCSE grades and moved onto the Level 3 Sport Diploma. He was a quiet, studious and polite student in his first year however built confidence through coaching sport sessions and being part of the football development centre.
‘‘Being on the level 3 sport course and speaking to lecturers reaffirmed that I wanted to work in the sport industry in the future’’ – Lewis
Higher Education Impact
Throughout all Level 3 programmes FutureMe support all departments to promote higher education in college through activities internally and with external providers. Lewis experienced the following activities to help him make an informed decision for his future.
Tyneside Higher Education Exhibition
‘’This allowed me to speak to hundreds of universities and find out what courses they offered’’ – Lewis
The aim of the event was for students to learn about the variety of HE options available to them and to increase their knowledge on the subjects they were interested in. They could access inspirational talks, topical seminars, application process advice and interactive stands to gather as much information as they required.
“This was a great opportunity for students to see the higher-level courses available. It is fantastic to have FutureMe to help fund these events.” – Barry, Sport Curriculum Manager
FutureMe Sports Day
This day was designed to encourage, and support students transition into higher education. The students attended 2 workshops which were 1) HE Sport session: understanding physical performance measurements used to improve an athlete’s performance. 2) The College’s Podiatry department: an insight into a career in podiatry and how they could work in a specialist area of healthcare, allied to medicine. The workshops provided knowledge to underpin the students’ studies as well as practical experience of advanced clinical equipment.
“I enjoyed finding out about different degree programmes available. The higher education students from New College Durham inspired me to progress to higher education.” – Lewis
“This is a great event for students to find out about higher education courses here at the college. Students found the session with the New College Durham students very informative, and they enjoyed learning about podiatry at New College Durham.” – John, Lecturer in Sport and NEUCP Officer
FutureMe Student Life Carousel
This event encouraged students to learn more about higher education and the opportunities available. The event involved five student life-themed talks and activities. The sessions touched on a range of subjects, including student finance, clubs and societies, student accommodation, budget cooking and student life.
“The event was informative and showed me different courses and institutions.” – Lewis
“It’s always a pleasure to help students achieve their dreams. Good luck in the future.” – Emma, FutureMe Manager at New College Durham
