We caught up with first year Physiotherapy student, Ben Hanson, about his time at St Mary’s so far.
Alongside his degree, Ben is a Sport Scholar at St Mary’s having played hockey at an international level since he was 16.
Ben told us what the course has been like so far, as well as how he’s balancing his studies with sport.
What are you enjoying most about your degree so far?
I've really enjoyed the practical side of things. A lot of the course has been really hands on and we get to see the medical equipment in the room in use during the lectures. We have model bones, skeletons, and virtual reality headsets which really help demonstrate what we’re learning.
My dad is a sport physiotherapist, so I find it really interesting watching what he does and then comparing it to what we’re learning in a medical setting. There processes involved are quite similar and transferable between sport and medical, which is really cool. I've also really enjoyed the anatomy side of things so far.
Physiotherapy is something that I've been interested in for a while, as I come from quite a high level sport background. When I was playing with England the physios that have really helped me.
What is your sporting background?
I started playing hockey internationally when I was 16. I was in the under-16 junior squad for England and I stayed in that for a couple of years. I was captain at a few of the tournaments as well, which was really cool.
I trialled for the under-18 team but didn't get in first year. I then trialled again and got in, but dropped out as I’d gone back up into the under-21s which is a much bigger squad. With the under-21s they select a set group from the wider squad. It’s like a big training group which they shorten down to a playing group. I'm just trying to work my way up into that playing group now.
What does it mean to be a Sport Scholar?
To be a Sport Scholar here is really beneficial to your progression in sport. They give you a lot of help within strength and conditioning, sports psychology, and nutrition from the master's students.
St Mary’s also has a lot of great facilities, such as the running track and the gym. These have been really beneficial for my progression in my sport while I've been here.
What’s it like balancing your studies with your sport?
I’ve found it easy enough but it’s all about managing your time well. You get set times for training and for matches on Wednesdays, and then you can allocate your own slots in the day for any gym and personal training work. Likewise, you can allocate time for studying and you already have your timetable for lectures and classes.
When I was at school I didn't manage my time as well as I should have done, but at university I've sort of drilled myself into it. It's quite a big change, so I thought it was time to knuckle down a bit.
What’s it like playing sport at university?
I'd say it's very different to any setting that I've been in before. You get to meet a load of new people through university sport that you've never played with them before. Most of the time anyway. But we’ve really gelled as a team, and getting to make that new team bond and then going to different universities to play matches together is really fun.
There's always something going on as well before your matches. Last week we watched the rugby before we went and played on our game, which was really cool. All the sports teams will help each other out, and it’s like you’ve got your own little community which is within the big St Mary's community. I think it’s really cool.
How have you found life at St Mary’s in general?
I’ve found it really welcoming. All the lecturers and support staff have been very helpful.
It’s been nice getting to meet new students too, and the social side of St Mary’s is really fun. The people you meet here are always going to be great.