Phoebe – Outdoor Adventure

PHOEBE

Outdoor Adventure

You get to do so many new pursuits and really grow as a person.

My name is Phoebe and I do Outdoor Adventure at Sparsholt College. 

When I was looking at colleges, a lot of the qualifications were A Levels, and I found them quite hard to do. And then I saw Sparsholt and it’s vocational courses. It’s so unique and this was one of the only courses that really offers these topics. 

Sparsholt has such a wide range of unique facilities like the climbing wall and the lake, and the connections it has to other centres; our instructors have worked closely with places like Eastleigh lakes which allow us to use that lake for canoeing and kayaking. They can get discounts to places that might normally cost a bit more like climbing centres, which allow us to practice further and have that proper experience of not necessarily just a college environment. 

The tutors also have industry links to centres which we set work experience with as part of our college course, and they really help us closely with these links. They also say what might be best for our personality types or what will work best with our working ethic. 

I’ve definitely enjoyed my experience here because you don’t get anything else like this! You do things you wouldn’t normally do – you could go to another college and do sport, but you wouldn’t get to go off-site and do these new alternative pursuits and try new things.  

They really help you grow as a person because they push you outside your comfort zone which helps you discover skills you may not have before. 

In the summer I have a work placement at Ferny Crofts, which is a work experience link we set up. Afterwards I’m going to do Sports Management and Coaching at Bath University. Sparsholt can help you get into university! People are often a little bit sceptical because it’s seen as a vocational college, but you can get the same amount of qualifications meaning you can go to university. The tutors are also really supportive, and they help you choose which university would be best for you. 

I would definitely recommend Sparsholt! It’s a completely unique experience, there’s nowhere quite like this! Sparsholt really just helps with everything because they are so focused and devoted to helping you get this amazing qualification.