Kane Sayer
I chose UTS because I’d heard that it had a particularly good reputation within the sport and...
Major: Exercise Science
What made you want to study this degree?
Unlike much of my cohort, I had relatively limited exposure to sport as a kid. During the later years of high school I started to engage in regular exercise and I became interested in the way the human body moves. I’ve always loved science, so exercise science – the science of human movement – seemed a good way to go. PDHPE was also my best subject in high school, so sport and exercise science felt like a natural continuation from there.
I chose UTS because I’d heard that the university had a particularly good reputation within the sport and exercise discipline. I also enjoyed my time at the open day, which cemented UTS as a my preferred organisation for study.
The most rewarding aspect of the course was gaining the ability to synthesize new information from what I already know. I experienced a particularly gratifying moment during one of my major assessments. We had to record a sport-related movement and analyse it. I was lamenting being unable to capture a particular type of variable when I realised I had enough contextual data to estimate it myself. That was awesome, because no one spelt it out for me. I had a problem - a missing piece - but I realised that I had the know-how to fill in the blank myself.
I feel a lot more confident in my strengths now compared to when I started. I’m more likely to say ‘yeah, I’m good at that’ and nominate myself for a task. I also feel that I took a lot of initiative during a number of group assignments, so I think I fare better in a leadership role because of that experience.
Currently, I’m doing a placement at a program run by Spinal Cord Injuries Australia. The program is primarily based around provided a supportive, specialised and accessible gym environment for people living with a variety of neurological conditions. Aside from that, I feel like I’m at a crossroads similar to the end of high school but with a lot more options. There are many exciting directions I would like to go in; I just need to decide what to do first.
There are a range of options for the future - The most compelling option is the possibility of doing an honours year. I have an interest in academia so the idea of conducting my own research appeals to me. Alternatively, I would like to travel. I have never been overseas before and never took a gap year. It may be time for me to go experience more of the world.
The advice I would give to students is to co-operate! Make connections, find groups to study in and take on university as a collective. The people you meet could become very valuable to you, personally and professionally - and it’s just more fun with your peers by your side. My time would have been much less enjoyable and less successful if not for the time I spent befriending, working, and procrastinating with my cohort.
