Andrew Skilling

Andrew Skilling

Sports Management BA Honours- Year 1 in 2022/23

Everything about the course seemed to tick the boxes for what I was looking for, but what particularly sold it to me was the assurance the team gave me concerning employment post-graduation.

Why did you choose the University of Westminster?

Having decided that I wanted to study in the field of Sports Management, I travelled to the big city for the Open Day. Everything about the course seemed to tick the boxes for what I was looking for, but what particularly sold it to me was the assurance the team gave me concerning employment post-graduation. A big takeaway I had was that the University would be vying to get me in the best possible position for employment as much as I would be.

How has your experience been studying in London?

As a student who commutes in from West Berkshire, I was originally daunted by the idea of traveling to London after hearing the stigma around the how busy the tubes are, however, it's been easy to adjust too and the route into the Marylebone building couldn't be easier from Paddington.

The allure of London as a mystical city with tonnes to explore can't be understated. If you want it, there's enough opportunity to live life to its fullest here.

What have you particularly enjoyed about your course?

The course is a dream. Having a passion for sport (but general lack of ability to play at a level where it could be a career), it’s great to be part of a course with like like-minded students. The classes are very small size, so it's been a great experience making friendships and completing group works together. I particularly enjoyed the engaging lectures by Dr Anees Ikramullah, who not only has a vast depth of knowledge in the field, but also an array of anecdotal stories that he's able to tell from his experience working in sport.

Studying in London is fantastic also for all the opportunities that are available in the sport industry: we also had a behind-the-scenes trip to Wimbledon in the first three months and much more planned!
 

How have you found academic support as part of your studies?

Dr Anees Ikramullah, the Course Leader, is not only a fountain of knowledge but also very motivational. What's especially great is his ability to attract industry professionals to give talks on their path of employment during our class time, which is great for inspiration.

What would your advice be to someone considering studying at Westminster?

My advice would be to make the classic pros and cons table to see what's right for you, but also to keep in mind, the opportunity to live and learn in London is unique, especially sports management where there is a plethora of opportunities to add to your CV to make you stand out.

What's the best aspect of being a University of Westminster student?

In my course we have a lot of international students and it's great to be in such a diverse community. I recently discovered a classmate was Polish and was able to catch him off guard with my very basic Polish speaking which we both laughed about. It's cool to build connections with people from vastly different backgrounds that I can keep in contact with and use post-graduation.

What was the most surprising or unexpected aspect of your Westminster experience?

What took me most by surprise is that the city life has been enjoyable, coming from the countryside where the closest shop would be a few miles away and I could walk for an hour across fields and not see anyone, it's inspiring to see all the hustle and bustle of people getting their head down and working.