By Ash Gallagher – Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science student studying on-campus at the Charles Sturt University Bathurst campus.

Morning (super early)

4.30am I get up, grab my water bottle and a piece of toast, and sit down at my desk to work on a lab report. My brain works best first thing in the morning, and I want to get a couple of hours of writing in! I’m writing a lab report on the effect of precooling on exercise performance in the heat. During the lab session, I got to sit in an ice bath for 15 minutes before completing a cycling time-trial in the climate chamber. The lab session was super fun, so I’m really enjoying writing the report.

Morning (normal)

7am Time to head to my work placement. I’m completing my placement at the gym on campus in Bathurst with a program called Active Living Longer. Our program aims to help older adults remain active into their later years. I supervise exercise training sessions, work one-to-one with participants to correct their exercise technique, educate them on exercise training principles, teach group balance classes, and assist with exercise testing for research. I absolutely love working with our participants. They have been so patient with me while I’ve developed my skills as an exercise scientist, and their influence on my personal development is something I’ll treasure throughout my career.

11.30am I’ve got a 30-minute break before I start work. While I eat lunch, I check the Charles Sturt: Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science Facebook mentoring group and answer a couple of questions from first-year students. Students often ask about textbooks or assignment due dates, so I direct them to their subject outlines. Online students tend to want to know what to expect when they visit the campus for intensive schools, so I take them on video tours. Students also often ask about referencing, so I direct them to library resources and the Academic Success team. Volunteering as a mentor is a great way to connect with students studying at Bathurst, Port Macquarie and online, and make a positive contribution to the Charles Sturt community.

Afternoon

12pm Work time! I work on campus with the Charles Sturt Earn as You Learn program. We support students to get job-ready and connect them with local employers looking to fill casual and part-time vacancies. Today I’m helping a student from Port Macquarie polish up their résumé, as well as chatting with a fellow sport science student from Bathurst to make sure they’re prepared for the free accredited training we have coming up next week.

5pm As soon as I finish up with work I head to the pool for a swim. Even though it’s been a big day, I love swimming and always feel better afterwards.

Evening

7pm I grab dinner out of the fridge and sit back down at my desk. I want to revise a couple of readings before my ethics in sport workshop tomorrow morning. Ethics is one of my favourite subjects – after biomechanics and functional anatomy – and I get more out of the class when I’ve thought through the issues we’re going to be discussing. For example, the use of performance enhancing drugs, gender and gender inequality, animal sports, technology in sport, children’s sports, sports brands and globalisation, and ethics in sports research. The most important part of preparing for ethics is messaging my friends to see if anyone wants to meet me for a hot chocolate before class!

8pm Time for bed so I’m rested and ready for class the next morning!​

Want to become a sport science student too?

If you want to be like Ash and follow your passion for health and wellness, you’ll find a rewarding career in exercise and sports sciences. Work with elite athletes, be your own boss or help combat the big issues impacting on community health. From exercise and sports research to exercise physiology and sports journalism, you’ll find the perfect course for you at Charles Sturt University. Let’s get to work!