Sophie Bridger

Hi, I’m Sophie and I’m currently in my third year of Hartpury studying BSc Sport and Exercise Science at Hartpury University.

Feels like a family environment

I’ve been at Hartpury since the start of college and decided to stay for university as it’s a really lovely place to be, with great people and an extraordinary campus.

I love how Hartpury isn’t a massive university, because it means you know more people and it definitely feels more like a family environment.

It’s so nice to walk around campus and see so many people you know.

No two days are the same

At Hartpury no two days are the same. If I have BUCS rugby training in the morning, I’m on the pitch ready to run around for 8am with my team. After the session, we normally head up to Graze canteen to get a fab Hartpury breakfast together.

On my sports course, our lessons can start at 10.30am. If we’ve spare time in between lectures, I normally head to the Uni Study Lounge to chill out on the beanbags and put a series on with a group, which is great fun, or do some assignment work.

My course

The degree has a great balance of lectures and practicals. I’ve explored a range of subjects in my modules, including psychology, physiology, strength and conditioning, injury prevention and rehabilitation and health related exercise.

In the first year, a lot of my modules were with the majority of the other sport courses, with practical groups just being your course and one or two others.

As I went through my second and third year, I was able to tailor my modules to my interests. They also became more specialised to give me a really in-depth knowledge of my subjects.

All the lectures are super easy to get along with and are very good at helping you in whatever problem you might have.

Practicals give you real-world experience

For me, practical sessions, whether in Physiology, Strength and Conditioning, or Coaching, are the best part. They’re fun and give you tools you can put into practice in real life.

In my Physiology module, I’ve had lots of practical sessions covering all different aspects. We’ve used the specialist equipment in the Sports Academy, including the altitude chamber and the iso-kinetic machine, taken blood samples, and done exercise using the equipment.

They’re always small groups, so you get detailed information and a lot of 1-2-1 time. It’s a great way to explore what I’ve learnt in lectures and develop skills I’ll need after university.

A great atmosphere for BUCS Wednesdays

I play rugby for the Hartpury University Women’s first XV and it is so much fun. It’s a great balance between quality rugby and being able to enjoy yourself.

Being part of the team creates a little family for you away from home.

We train most days, gym included, with game day on a Wednesday. The atmosphere is like no other. Everyone comes along to watch and support in excellent Hartpury fashion.

Student life during Covid-19

Hartpury has been different this year with Covid-19, but the communication and weekly updates we’ve received from Hartpury has been great.

The lecturers are definitely making online lectures as engaging as possible.

My future

I’m still exploring my career options, but am planning to move to Bristol or London for a sport science role within a sport team, and see where it takes me.

Firstly though, I’m going to take a gap year and travel to New Zealand, Australia and Asia, and hopefully do some conservation work while I’m there.