Graduation Tales | John used his military experience to tackle degree

John Wise, from Nottingham, is graduating this week from University of South Wales (USW) with a first-class honours in BSc Football Coaching, Development and Administration, despite leaving school with minimal qualifications. When he started the degree, John was unsure how to use a computer but he drew on his military and coaching experience and went on to surpass his own expectations.

Mature student, John, had an unhappy time in school and struggles to talk about those early years. He joined the Armed Forces, age 17, where he served for seven years, including two tours in Afghanistan, but football has always been his passion.

He said: “When I left the military, I was coaching grassroots football. Over time, I built up my coaching qualifications, but it was doing really well at level 3 that was a massive turning point for me. Psychologically, something changed.

“Then the pandemic hit and everyone was stuck at home thinking what to do with their time. At the time, I was working for UK International Soccer (UKIS) and I heard about the degree course. I didn’t think USW would accept me with no GCSEs or A-levels, why would they want me?

“I regret not knuckling down in school and going to university like my peers, so I took a chance and emailed the Course Leader. She confirmed that my military experience and coaching qualifications would meet the entry requirements and offered me a place.”

When John started the degree, he found the academic work challenging. He passed his first essay, but he wanted to do better. He said: “I studied hard and did well at the online tests and practical work, but my academic writing needed to improve.

“Making best friends through the degree was a massive turning point for me. The three of us supported each other along the way. For example, one showed me something as simple an online referencing tool. I was handwriting all my references, so this was a revelation!”

As John progressed through the course with his friends, he decided he wanted to aim higher.

“I thought, I am going for it. I’m going for a first,” he said.

“I did my research, learnt how to write critically, and I improved my grammar and paraphrasing. I listened carefully to any feedback I was given. Maybe it was my military training, but I didn’t take criticism personally, I just learnt from it. I was constantly finding ways to improve, and I put the hours of work in.

“In the Army, discipline and preparation was drilled into us. I got myself organised and started work on my dissertation before we even started the final year.”

During his degree, John travelled to California for a UKIS football coaching placement. He said: “I worked with Red Star Soccer, which was a wonderful opportunity. It is a beautiful place; the people were really friendly.”

When he returned to the UK, he was hungry for the top score. Bringing it back to football, he said: “I hadn’t wanted anything so bad since I was 21 and I went for trials for the regimental football team as a goalkeeper. That summer, I practiced and practiced with my brother. I was kicking the ball at the wall and testing my reactions for six weeks before the trials. I can't tell you how focused I was and it was the same with this degree.”

John was on holiday with his girlfriend when he got his results and the first thing he did was update his CV. He said: “My qualifications had always been hidden towards the bottom of my CV but I swiftly moved them to the top, in bold, in a large font. It was a proud moment.”