Category: Course

Sport at Sheffield

By Emily Addison, MSc Occupational Psychology

At The University of Sheffield there are 58 sports clubs, so there is definitely something for everyone. Whether you are a sports newbie or an experienced player, there is a team out there waiting for you to join!

When I started my undergraduate degree at Sheffield I really wanted to join a sports team, but I didn’t know what sport to choose. Being someone who isn’t naturally sporty nor played competitively (other than in PE!!), I was apprehensive about my lack of ability and knowledge to just start a new sport. But I had no reason to be!

After three years, I finally plucked up the courage to join The University of Sheffield Women’s Basketball Club and I am now the captain of their 3rd team! Like many of the sports clubs here, there are various teams who play and compete in different levels. The women’s basketball 1st and 2nd teams are members of the BUCS League, while the 3rd team is a development team who have fewer matches and play friendlies against local teams and universities.

Me with my team!

The fact that there are so many teams for each sport means that no matter what your ability, you can join in and learn new skills. It also means that you can choose a new hobby that is as time consuming or exhausting as you’d like!

I have never looked back, if anything I regret not joining a club sooner! Here are some reasons you should get involved with Sport at Sheffield…

  1. You make new friends

Since joining a sports team, I have made so many new friends. You get to meet people who are not on your course, or even your department; but they may just be your new best pals! I know so many people who now live with their team mates, and that just shows the quality of the friendships you can make by joining in.

  1. It keeps you fit and healthy

Obviously keeping active can help your body stay fit and healthy but this can also help your academic performance! If you are in a good state of mind, and feel good about yourself, those essays won’t be as stressful!

  1. The social side

Being part of a sports team doesn’t end at training, there are social events that you can attend pretty much every week. Social events can include team nights out, film nights, awards evenings… anything you all want to do!

  1. Varsity!!    

Being in a club means you get to be involved in the famous Varsity events against our city rivals Hallam University. Varsity is such an exciting part of the Uni year, where everyone supports our athletes and you see people wearing black and gold wherever you look. Sheffield have won Varsity for six consecutive years now, which just shows you how good we are!

  1. Links to other clubs across the city

If you are a keen sports person, the University has strong links with external teams if playing in Black and Gold is not enough!

So… with 58 sports clubs to choose from, what are you waiting for? Whether you play netball or football, or want to try something completely different like ultimate frisbee or windsurfing, there is a club for you! And I guarantee you wont regret it!

If you are interested in joining a sports club, you can get information on all the sports available at Sheffield at the Sports Fair which happens at the beginning of first semester. If you are eager to find out more, take a look at the ‘Club Sport’ website before you arrive! https://www.sport-sheffield.com/club-sport

Why I chose the University of Sheffield

yueh-ting-chungBy Yueh-Ting, MSc International Management and Marketing

As an international student, when I apply to universities, the first thing I consider is the reputation. The University of Sheffield is one of the top 100 universities in the world, and it has many facilities to support students, both academically and in leisure.

The Students Union has been rated as the best student union in the UK. Therefore, the university is a very attractive choice.

In addition, the Master programmes in the UK are one year long, which is shorter than many other countries. Although this means that classes can be more intensive and the pressure might be higher, students can study effectively and move to the next stage of life quickly.

Another personal reason is that the Management School offers scholarships for Taiwanese students nominated by National Cheng Kung University. I’m grateful to participate in this programme. As my undergraduate degree from National Cheng Kung University is in Accounting, I wanted to combine new areas of study into my Masters qualification. The International Management and Marketing (IMM) programme provides both management and marketing knowledge, making it an attractive choice for me.

why-i-choose-sheffield-immIn the first semester, we studied with Marketing Management Practice (MMP) & Global Marketing Management (GMM) students. Each course offers a two hour lecture and a one hour seminar per week. The lectures about marketing are interesting because teachers use real-life stories to explain theories and the theories about marketing usually relate to psychology. To me, learning these things seems like learning about people, including myself. In the seminar, student’s group together to discuss case studies with the knowledge we learned from the lecture, academic papers, and textbooks. Also, we practice presentations in seminars, which is very important for growing our skills for the workplace.

Another benefit of studying in Sheffield University Management School (SUMS) is the Employability Hub which organises events for students to enhance their connections with the real business world and elevate transferable skills, such as networking and how to deal with interviews. In addition, students can apply for a company project for their dissertation, which offers a fabulous chance to contribute their academic knowledge to solving real business issues.

As for the city, Sheffield is a big why-i-choose-sheffield-imm-2and safe city. The living costs are also relatively lower than other cities in the UK, and much cheaper than London. It is easy for students to buy daily essentials in the supermarkets around the corner from the Management School, such as Tesco and Sainsbury. Or we can easily take the tram or walk to Sheffield City Centre. It is very convenient.

These reasons above are what attracted me to apply to the University of Sheffield and the International Management and Marketing programme. There are still many things making me enjoy my life in Sheffield; for example, making many new friends from different areas. I really recommend international students to apply to Sheffield University Management School and join the big family!

Moving on from undergrad to postgrad

hy-pictureBy Huey Ying Chong, MSc Occupational Psychology

I recently completed my BSc Psychology from The University of Sheffield in summer 2016. Feeling extremely relieved and all, I happily attended the graduation with my fellow peers, receiving loads of congratulations from friends and family. I would describe that summer as a really good one because I was casually telling other people, “oh I just graduated,” and you could see them showing you the “lucky you!” face. hy1

Before I finished my undergraduate degree, I applied for MSc Occupational Psychology at the Sheffield University Management School and was lucky enough to gain a place on the course – yay!

I wondered if I should go straight into postgraduate studies or if I should try and find a job. But I did my research and found out that it is actually not that uncommon to sign up for postgraduate studies right after you got your Bachelor’s degree! With much excitement, I returned to Sheffield in Autumn 2016 to start my postgraduate studies.

The Autumn semester is nearly finished and I can tell you that this is a different game from undergraduate. Here are three things I’ve learnt so far:

  1. It can feel hectic at times. There is lots of work to do and you need to balance the different deadlines, attend all your lectures and tutorials, and make sure you’re always focused and committed to your studies.
  2. Lectures are a lot more engaging. Remember when you used to walk into a big lecture hall with over 200 students buzzing inside? Not on my course – there are only 30 of us. During the lectures, you are expected to constantly be engaged in group discussions and responding to the lecturer’s questions. It’s pretty cool, in fact. You will be learning a lot quicker than when you just sit in the lecture hall and listening.
  3. hy2Because of the small class size you get to know all your course mates. You will know their names, you will know their different backgrounds, you will have lunch breaks together, and more! Some of them were working before starting the MSc so they bring their working experience to the classroom and share their insights with you.

I’m still finding postgraduate studies to be very tiring at times, however I really like it a lot better than undergraduate studies! I like laughing at my course mates’ jokes, hearing about their working experiences in different industries, the practical focus of the teaching, and that the lecturers are so warm and friendly.