Studying abroad had always been a dream of mine, however, having played basketball for four years during my undergraduate studies, I was unable to go abroad due to academic and athletic commitments. Fortunately, I heard about Bournemouth University through a friend and quickly learned that I could get my master’s degree and play another year of basketball while attending BU. Thus, during the 2017-18 academic year, I attended Bournemouth University to complete my MSc Sports Management degree. It was one of the best years of my life.
I was fortunate enough to visit campus in the Spring of 2018 prior to starting classes in September. I really fell in love with the town of Bournemouth. The seaside location, great weather and size really appealed to me. Although not a large city, it had everything I needed to make my experience there a great one. It was close enough to London to visit and with Heathrow and Bournemouth airports available, I was able to travel to some great UK and European cities during my breaks.
Once on campus, I felt very welcomed as an international student. I especially liked the diversity of the student body, as there were students from all over the world studying at BU. Class sizes were small which allowed plenty of one-on-one interaction with the teaching staff and time to interact and learn from classmates as well. The class load was challenging, but manageable and although some of the writing, researching criteria and formatting was different than what I learned at my American university, the faculty was always available to assist, and resources were plentiful. I liked the variety of classes offered in my program. I felt they gave me a solid foundation and knowledge base for future jobs. In addition, the various field trips we took gave me a real-life experience at what my future might look like in the sports industry.
Another aspect that international students should know is that you can play sports while earning your masters at BU. That was another aspect that drew me to BU. I loved being able to play basketball at the university level while in England. This gave me the ability to bond with teammates and other athletes involved in sports at BU. This, with the large number of social activities offered by BU, allowed me to truly experience what Uni was like in England. It also provided a great balance to my life while working towards my academic pursuits.
Bournemouth University is a first-class educational institution. Since graduating in 2018, I have spoken to many other Americans who got their masters at other institutions in England. Although they too enjoyed their time studying in England, I can tell that my time at BU was a far superior one regarding the academic, social and cultural experiences.
Bournemouth University offers a wide array of programs for international students. The beautiful city, the excellent academic curriculum and the outstanding social and cultural experiences will be ones that I will cherish forever. I highly recommend BU. I know that you won’t be disappointed.
