Hi, my name is Eddie and I’m a third year Mathematics & Sport Science student at Loughborough University. 

Ever since visiting Loughborough as an wide-eyed 11-year-old to watch The Loughborough International Athletics competition, I knew there was only one place I wanted to complete a university degree. I was amazed by the plethora of high profile athletes and the vast expanse of sporting facilities, from the HIPAC to the multiple football pitches to the swimming pool, which are located on a 523-acre campus. As my dreams became a reality, I learnt how incredible the facilities at Loughborough are and the opportunities they provide.

My journey at Loughborough began in 2021, where I was lucky enough to move into Claudia Parsons, the most modern accommodation. I felt at home straight away, living in a clean, sociable environment with everything I needed and more – loads of storage space, a big kitchen for the countless hours of cooking I did and an en-suite. Although everything about Claudia Parson’s seems great, I would honestly say that all the accommodation options offer everything a student needs, with the most important thing being the people you live with – they make your university hall experience. I found my closest friends in halls, and we were lucky enough to have a common room equipped with a table tennis and pool table, where we spent many hours. It felt like our place and was the perfect location to get away from studying.

My reasons for wanting to come to Loughborough were based on my career aspirations of becoming a sprinter – I felt like it was the best place for me to progress as an athlete. The athletics centre (the HIPAC) is where I have spent most of my university experience, and I feel like I couldn’t be training in a better place. We have both an indoor and outdoor track, which is a privilege in those cold winter months, as well a performance gym, a throws area and a gymnastics area. The atmosphere created here is both very sociable and professional, with a mixture of the world’s elite athletes and students training alongside each other. The walls are adorned with pictures of some of Loughborough and GB’s greatest athletes, making it a very inspiring building that motivates you to become a better athlete, as you see where you could reach with hard work and commitment.

The other place I spend a large portion of my time is Powerbase, which has recently expanded into two gyms world class gyms – Power and Base. Here you have everything you need, regardless of whether you are going to the gym for fun or training for a world championship – there are 46 lifting platforms with new weights and bars, as well as designated cardio areas. In Base, I like the boxing gym environment that is created, as whilst you are working out you can see and hear some of the UK’s best boxers training upstairs in the Boxing Centre. In Power, I like the carpeted area which is great for post session core workouts and recovery.

Contrary to what some may think (especially after reading my blog so far), Loughborough isn’t just about sport. Regardless of your degree, there are countless study spaces to suit your needs. The library is a place for everyone – with four floors, it caters for everything: private study rooms for those who like to work alone, quiet study areas for when you really need to concentrate, and the more sociable areas where you can do group work and talk. I often go to the library around exam season to utilise the vast number of textbooks on offer. The library also opens 24 hours around this time, which allows me to fit my studying around my busy training schedule, and helps those who function better at night. The library isn’t just a building full of books and desks – it is also home to subject specific librarians to help you with issues surrounding your course, as well as IT support and wellbeing drop-ins.

There are many other buildings open for studying. I often go to the Wavy Top Building to do work with my friends in the small study rooms – it is a nice private space where you can focus, with a HDMI connected TV which is perfect for visualising worksheets or playing music. I also use the Design School, which as the name suggests is the most well-designed building on campus – it has a very modern feel. 

Although University requires private study to get the most out of your degree, I also spend lots of time in the lecture halls and sports labs as my course has lots of contact hours. The lecture halls are spacious and have large screens at the front for lecturers to connect to a visualiser or computer, aiding both visual and oral learners and creating an environment that is very easy to learn in. Our sport’s labs contain lots of high-tech equipment and offer a brilliant insight into life as a researcher in sport.

During my downtime in the summer months, I love to utilise the other sporting facilities. I often visit the basketball courts or use the rugby pitch to play American football, both of which are multi-purpose venues open to all when not booked for games or training. I really appreciate the floodlit courts for those times when we wanted to play spontaneous late evening games. 

No matter what you are coming to university for, Loughborough offers a range of world class facilities which will enhance your university experience and provide you with everything you need to succeed and have a good time. The more you engage with the facilities on offer, the more you will get out of your experience here. I hope this blog was useful and you have a better insight into some of what Loughborough University has to offer.