carnegieXchange: School of Sport

Just a small town girl...

Physical Education student, Megan, praises tutors and flatmates for the support she has received since moving from Cumbria to Leeds to start university during a global pandemic.

Megan Berry stood with trophy on football pitch

My name is Megan Berry, I’m a Physical Education student in my first year at Leeds Beckett University, and currently living in halls at Kirkstall Brewery.

I have always enjoyed participating in sport and PE at school, which is why I initially chose to study Physical Education at Leeds Beckett. This course has allowed me to develop and enhance my understanding of teaching and ways to include and incorporate everyone during a lesson. This is a skill that will be hugely beneficial for me in the future to pursue my dream of becoming a PE teacher.

The thought of starting university during the COVID-19 pandemic was quite daunting, as I knew that I wouldn’t be able to see my family as often and coming from a small town in Cumbria to then living in a city was a big and scary change for me.

I soon felt at ease and felt heavily supported during the first few days of starting at the university. My tutor gave us many suggestions on how we could utilise our time around work, assignments and personal time. We also learned how to navigate around the university’s online platform called ‘MyBeckett’.

My flatmates have been a huge support for me as well. Being stuck inside for most of the day can be challenging but we have managed to go out on walks, cook for each other and drink together which has helped us to bond.

The way the university has set up online learning has made it easier for us to learn as we have time at the end of the lectures and seminars to discuss or ask any questions we may have. For each module, the lecturers have offered support throughout and especially towards the end of each module which gives time to amend our work where necessary before uploading it to be marked.

For any student studying from home and adapting to online learning, I would suggest organising a space to focus on your work. Having a desk in my room has allowed me to stay motivated and has driven me most mornings to get out of bed and complete the necessary work. I also find taking breaks away from your desk to relax and have a rest is extremely beneficial and helps me remain focused.

More from the blog

All blogs