Meet João

Hi, I am João Miguel Magalhães da Silva, born in a small town named Barcelos, Near Braga in the north of Portugal. I attended the master degree in Advanced Coaching in Strength & Conditioning at USW 2022-23.  I found out about USW through some of my former professors from my BSc in FADEUP , Porto, Portugal. They gave me some references and after some research and feedback I ended choosing USW due to their specification in Football and Sports context in general.

Studying in USW is amazing, the lecturers are always in touch and will share any conference, workshop or opportunities that they think will help their students build their professional area. 

Lectures are well balanced between theory and practical. Sports Park facilities are amazing. I advise any international students to make sure they attend the International Welcome Week – it was a fantastic opportunity for me to make new friends and get to know the local area. 

On top of that, make sure you don't miss any trip that USW accommodation has for the students most of them are free and you will get to know Cardiff and the countryside.

Studying in the UK is quite demanding but very rewarding, if you ever feel overwhelmed you can contact the USW team as they have a specific team to help students that feel homesick or require any assistance at all, including mental struggles. My advice is to be involved and speak up about anything when you face an adversity, don't just study all the time, go for trips, work part time, go for a night out, go to pubs, or a karaoke night.

Be sure you check all the social clubs that your university has. This will be really important, choose a community sport and be sure you attend the weekly schedule day. Get involved in other university activities outside yours. In my case, I attended football tournaments organised by other universities. If you love sports, go to the stadium and experience the British ambience. Go around the city Center and try new foods. 

I will never forget how people from all over the world turned out to be really good friends and how we helped each other throughout assignments and exams.  

After I finish my studies, my biggest aspiration is to apply for a job at a Premier League football club, as other USW graduates have also done.