Hannah Boyd

Profile

For Hannah, studying Sport and Exercise Science has been shaped by a lifelong passion for sport and a desire to truly understand the science behind athletic performance. After leaving school unsure of her next steps, Hannah took a gap year to figure out what she wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until visiting a friend on campus that she discovered Heriot-Watt and its new Sport and Exercise Science programme, a course that aligned perfectly with her interests.

Choosing this degree set Hannah on a path filled with academic growth, supportive communities, and opportunities that ultimately helped her uncover her passion for female athlete health and carve a clear path for her future.

Discover more about Hannah’s journey at Heriot-Watt below:

What programme did you study and why did you choose it?

Throughout my time at Heriot-Watt, I have been studying Sport and Exercise Science. When I left school and had applied through UCAS for University, Heriot-Watt was not one of my options, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. Growing up, I was very sporty and knew I wanted to further my understanding of athletics but could not find a course that I knew was for me. Instead of going straight to University, I decided to take a gap year to make sure I picked a course I would love. After visiting a friend studying at Heriot-Watt, I fell in love with the campus and decided to look into the courses offered here. The new BSc Sport and Exercise course ticked all of my boxes and offered a second-year entry option, which was perfect for me, as it allowed me to accelerate my learning and catch up with my peers who had already left school.

What extra-curricular activities have you gotten involved with outside your studies?

Upon starting at Heriot-Watt, it was difficult to decide which sport to take part in given the large number of sports offered in the Sports Union. I went to many of the trial days and decided that I wanted to focus my time at the Hockey Club. It was a great way to meet like-minded people in such a big community. All the current members were so friendly and made all the new members feel welcome right from the beginning, I highly recommend that new or current students join a sports club or society, as it can be a great way to meet people and take a break from studying.

While studying at Heriot-Watt, have you taken part in any exciting or innovative research projects?

During my final year, I completed my dissertation which focused on female health within sport. The female athlete was always something I was curious about, but it wasn’t until my final year when we had a course that focused on female sport that I really got to understand about the nuances of the female athlete and how female sport and research is treated within the applied world. It was by far my favourite course throughout my time at HWU, and I have now decided to take part in a research master’s that focuses on female health. I am so grateful to the academics and University for helping me find my passion in research and helping me carve a path for my future career prospects. My favourite moment from the course was taking part in a ‘Dragons Den’ innovative project in which we were to design products that we felt female athletes would benefit from, and present these to a panel of judges. It was a really interesting and fun way to push our critical thinking skills outside of the classroom and it will stick with me for a long time after University.

Can you tell us about any support you received as a student?

The University has been amazing in regard to the support they offered. It became increasingly clear throughout my time at University that they not only care for our success in academia but wanted to see us succeed as individuals. The academics went above and beyond to support the students, and many times reached out to provide additional support when needed. Much of the success that I have had at University is down to their willingness to go above and beyond for the students. The Careers Service were also fantastic in offering networking events and individual sessions, and they were aware that students are often confused about what they want to do once they finish their time at HWU and provided as much support as possible to point students in the right direction.

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice is to take each day at a time. There can be times during University, particularly around exam season, when you can’t see the wood for the trees. You have three assignments due in one week and even simple tasks like making dinner or going out for a walk feels completely overwhelming. I remember every exam season, and remember how stressed I felt every day, just trying to do enough to get everything finished to a high standard. I often doubted my ability to do so and got myself into a negative mindset surrounding my work. It was only when I reached out to friends and family and they kept reassuring me that it was all going to be okay that I was able to remind myself that I can only do my best, and I needed to take each day as it came.

Breaking my work up into daily tasks and allowing myself to take breaks was the best thing I could do for myself, and I only realised this in my final year. It’s also important to remember that if it does get tough, and you feel completely overwhelmed, you can always reach out to others. The University truly wants to see you succeed and they understand the pressures of exams and will try to help you in any way they can to ensure you succeed.

What are you planning to do after you graduate?

I had struggled, as many do, to know what I wanted to do after I finish University. I have considered teaching, coaching and physiotherapy, but none of these felt quite right for me. It was only in my final year when I started my dissertation and completed the female health course that I truly found that my passion lies within female health and the female athlete. I saw how much of a gap there was in terms of available resources, opportunities and research for female athletes, and I knew I wanted to have a small part in changing this. My dissertation supervisor saw that I was passionate about this subject and has since proposed that I take part in a research master’s that focuses on female health and how it is monitored within different sporting environments. I plan to complete this master’s at Heriot-Watt next year and hopefully further explore this aspect of sport in years to come.