Name: Sue Bonnick
Position held: Student
I didn’t really know what to expect from the course and made the decision to sign up after visiting an open day. I chose Solent as it intrigued me, and after meeting both the sports science tutor and the nutritional tutor at the open day, where I was made to feel welcome and capable, I happily signed up for the course.
I have lost over six stone in weight in previous years which has given me an interest in diet and health. I wanted to have a more in-depth view on nutrition so that I could help others in the same situation as I was.
As a mature student, signing up for a degree course was quite a big issue for me and I was initially concerned about the age difference between me and fellow students. My worries were unnecessary as there is another mature student on the course, and I’ve never been made to feel like an outsider with any of the younger students. In fact, they sometimes come to me for advice when too shy to ask tutors, which is nice.
The course covers a wide range of subject areas, including nutrition, food science, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology. This teaches you all aspects around food, for example, what it’s composed of, where it comes from, what our body does with it, and about diet and health. Health promotion considers how looking at health on national and global levels, as well as governmental, can be used to help with diet and health. Other subjects we’ve covered are study skills and health psychology, which explores how the mind can affect the body to be beneficial to overall health - I know a lot of my class have enjoyed these sessions. Nutrition classes are split between lectures and actual applied/hands-on cooking, where we analyse food through preparing and cooking it. Biochemistry has split classes with lectures but also lab work, where we put on our lab coats and glasses and analyse food. These were skill areas I hadn’t thought I would ever be doing, but as a class we found them very useful.
We’re taught in varied sized classes, and the course requires individual and group participation. Being part of a team can be tricky - not everyone does things in the same way or when expected, but it can also an enriching experience and I have made some good new friends. The hardest thing for me was learning how to study – there’s a lot more involved in learning and academia than you think - but the University’s support in this area has been invaluable.
The nutrition room offers cooking facilities, with several separate stations for students to use - there has been many a successful brownie made in there! The biochemical lab has monitors over each work area for students to look at during sessions and is a very helpful part of underpinning our skills and knowledge. The library facilities are a must and books and journals are available at both the library itself and online. As a nutrition student and a ‘foodie’ the food outlets are important, and Solent offers many, from cheap grub to made-to-order pizzas. I mostly use East Park Deli, which has a friendly atmosphere and a wide range of food - I particularly like that I can have a hot meal for a realistic price that won’t break the bank.
When I started the course I only knew that I wanted the qualification that would make it possible for me to become a nutritionist. As I have gone along I realise there are many different forms this can take and although I originally though this may help me maybe become a freelance nutritionist, I have had my eyes opened to new or other possibilities. Right now it’s too early to say where this course will take me, but that’s half the excitement and I look forward to seeing where I end up.