Callum Morin is in his final year of the Sports Therapy BSc at London Met. Alongside his studies, Callum is also the captain of the University’s rugby team. Here he tells us what drew him to London Met, what he loves most about his course and how the opportunities he has access to at the University are setting him up for a career in a subject he’s passionate about.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and why you chose to study at London Met?
I’m from Worthing, which is situated close to Brighton. From a young age I always loved participating in sport, so I knew I wanted to pursue a career in that industry. As the therapy route was very appealing to me, I chose to study the Sports Therapy BSc at London Met.
What made you choose London and London Met in particular?
Location was a big factor. Who wouldn’t want to study something they are really passionate about in the big city, where there is opportunity around every corner? When I researched sports therapy courses, London Met appealed to me as it had everything to offer, including great facilities and reputation for those interested in sports therapy.
Attending the open day was a real decider for me. There were various talks including one from one of the Sports Therapy lecturers. We were shown the gym, sports hall and sports injury clinic with all the equipment. It was really impressive and made me realise that this was the university I wanted to choose.
Can you tell us a bit more about where you are living whilst you study and what you like about it?
Originally in first year I lived in student halls as it is a great way to meet loads of people in the same situation as you – everyone wants to make friends and is open to that. So I’d really recommend to do this in first year. In my second and third years I have been living in a flat in Kent.
What are the facilities like at London Met?
The facilities are great across all campuses at London Met. My campus is Holloway and they have everything there to make studying as easy as possible. The University has really good sports facilities including the sports hall and gym. Obviously being interested in sports, this was something I wanted to get involved in. There’s a whole array of different sports classes, like yoga and boxing to participate in. There are so many things you can do to fill your free time.
Can you tell us more about your course?
In short, we are basically studying to assess and evaluate the human body (specifically sports athletes) as well as creating rehabilitation programmes for injured individuals in a safe and controlled environment. Alongside this, we’re learning about the physiological and biomechanical properties of the body.
The course is something I really enjoy and am really interested in. I wouldn’t change it for the world. If you’re interested in sports and helping people, it’s a really good course to do and I would really recommend it.
Do you get to do a work placement (s)/practical work as part of your course?
There’s a mixture of tutorials and practical work, which is great to get hands-on experience. In second year there was an opportunity to help charities as part of the London Marathon by providing massages to the runners who participated. It was a great experience to be part of that.
As part of your third year there is a requirement to fulfil at least 230/250 hours of work placement. We have the opportunity to practise in the sports injury clinic here at the University, which is great to help build your confidence. It’s really, really helpful, as you get to treat different injuries and perform different treatments – basically refreshing everything you’ve learnt over the past two years.
The people you get to meet and help is a hugely rewarding part of the work placement. It also helps in building your confidence as a therapist, which prepares you for after graduation.
What do you like best about your course?
I definitely prefer the practical side of my course. I find it all so interesting – the theory isn’t bad either, but there’s just something about getting hands on and seeing your patient progress that is really nice. I really enjoy meeting all sorts of different people and helping treat them.
Did anything surprise you about your course or London Met?
What did surprise me was how kind the lecturers and the staff are. They really help you in terms of work and revision and they always seem available to help whenever you ask them. Having that has been a huge help during my studies.
I understand you are the captain of the London Met rugby team. How did you get involved in this? Has being involved in sports helped you?
Since high school I have been playing rugby so it made sense to find out about the rugby team during freshers’ in my first year. It was there that I was introduced to the captain and other players. I was made to feel really welcome and accepted into the sporting community at London Met and a year later I now find myself as the captain of the rugby team. Being part of sports at university is a great way to make friends for life as well as fill any free time you may have. It’s better to be occupied and healthy than be bored in your room.
As well as being fit and active and enjoying the sport, there’s a huge social aspect to being part of a team. It’s really helpful to be part of something – being in that team environment, especially as a fresher – it’s so easy to grow your friend network from that.
Have you found it easy to make friends at London Met?
Moving in to student halls, you realise that everyone is in the same situation. Obviously you have your class mates who are lovely and once everyone gets past first-day vibes everyone is easy to talk to. But being part of a sports team has expanded my group of friends even further and I would recommend it to everyone.
What are your career plans? How do you think London Met is helping you achieve these?
From doing my work placement you find yourself realising what part of the industry you want to be a part of. I myself have realised that I would love to be part of a clinic-based practice or the sports therapist for a sports team. I’m also very interested in the rehabilitation process.
Lecturers at London Met are really helpful. It has amazed me how helpful they are. They go out of their way for you and really try to get the best out of you. You can always go to them and get really good advice. Also having work experience as part of my course has been great and will really help me in my career when I graduate.
What do you enjoy most about London Met?
Everything! It’s all been really enjoyable. It helps a lot because I’m doing something I really enjoy.
I’m sure I’ve already mentioned it before, but studying something I am passionate about as well as taking up a sport and meeting loads of great people is what I enjoy about London Met most.
I would recommend London Met 100%. It’s definitely been a really enjoyable experience for sure.
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