What to Expect
As a kinesiology student, you might have your morning coffee during anatomy
class, followed by the psychology of physical activity and introductory biomechanics.
Over lunch, you might teach an aerobics class, then put in an hour or two
behind the desk at the school fitness center before a lecture on the sociology
of sports and culture.
Andrew Cordy-Simpson says being prepared is the biggest factor for success
in a kinesiology program. He says he was "under-prepared" for university,
and went to a community college for two years before entering his undergrad
program.
Amy Williamson says that echoes her experience. "Kinesiology is a very
demanding program, unlike what most people think. Being thrown into university
with minimal preparation from high school is tough on anyone in any program."
Cordy-Simpson estimates he spent about 50 hours a week on his kinesiology
studies. "A typical day consists of about four to six hours of class with
about four hours of free time to study or complete assignments for correspondence
courses. Homework is usually a couple of hours a day, so my average day
was about 10 hours of school."
And it isn't all about the books. "Many students in kinesiology belong
to varsity sport teams that can occupy up to 35 hours a week," says Williamson.
For Williamson, the best part of studying kinesiology was learning about
the way the body works. "The first couple of years are very broad and
touch on parts that don't interest everyone -- i.e. the history and philosophy
of kinesiology." But afterwards, students can choose more specialized classes.
She also enjoyed the relatively small class sizes. "Although class
sizes decrease each year, kinesiology generally starts out with only 200 students.
It was nice to be able to travel to the same classes with the same people.
You really got to know each other more quickly than the science students,
for example."
Cordy-Simpson says he got to enjoy kinesiology more as he progressed. "The
part I liked most was the labs in the higher courses, such as anatomy. I liked
the hands-on work, as I was able to visualize the material better."
He says that in the end, tenacity is what got him through his studies.
"Dedication is the hardest part of any program, and in kinesiology you need
to be even more to be effective in your studies and achieve the grades that
you want, to allow yourself a chance to enter the postgrad program of your
choice."