We look forward to meeting you during the orientation period, exploring your ideas and future plans, and engaging you on the course. You will be taking part in a learning experience that will expose you to new ideas, technology, and the application of psychological/scientific theory in this field. If you wish to make a head start before you arrive, there are a few references highlighted here that may prove useful – reading any of these in advance is strictly optional though!

Our teaching is supported by our excellent research work. Your student experience will also be enhanced by the work of our consultancy unit, SportsLab, with staff and students employed to deliver scientific services to sports people. Sport and Exercise are a central part of the culture at Canterbury Christ Church University. During your induction period you will have the opportunity to meet and sign up to the University sports teams and organisations. Alongside the academic study of sport, these organisations help contribute to our very high overall student satisfaction recorded in the National Student Survey.

If you have any queries regarding your course before you arrive at University, please to not hesitate to email me.

Should you want to, you can order kit with the University logo and your subject area embroidered on. This is optional and can be done via our kit supplier. The ordering process will take place during Welcome Week (week beginning 16th September 2024). Standard University clothing is also available from the University Bookshop, and is also an optional purchase.

Social media

Social media can help you keep up-to-date with activities at the University. Here are a few University feeds to look at and follow:

• @CCCU Psychology Twitter
• @ccsupsysoc
• @SpExSci_CCCU
• @CCCUSport
• @ccculibrary
• @SportsLab_CCCU
• @cccu_ald

We also have a number of Instagram pages that you might like to explore:

• @sportexsci
• @cccusport
• @canterburyccuni
• @ccsu_psysoc

You also may wish to keep track of what we are doing in the Faculty by following us on our Faculty Instagram!

Using 'X' to follow journals and organisations will also help you gain an insight into our industry. Have a look at:

• Women In Sport
• Teachsport
• NASPSPA
• British Psychological Society
• British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

 What to Expect

Please see the  Psychology (Sport and Exercise) online course page for an overview. As a Psychology (Sport and Exercise) student, you will be offered a broad first year of study. Your course covers a wide and interesting range of psychological concepts such as the intricacies of thoughts and cognitions, and the power of emotion. These concepts attempt to understand, explain and, in some circumstances, predict or modify human behaviour in a variety of situations – particularly those related to sport and physical activity. You can look forward to a series of wide-ranging psychology topics, including psychobiology and cognition, in Brain & Mind. In the Social & Developing Self, you will look at developmental processes, intergroup psychology and attitude formation. Your sport and exercise specific areas, covered in Psychology of Sport, Exercise & Skill Acquisition, will address athletic anxiety, motivation, group dynamics, exercise/health psychology and the basis of sport skill coaching. You will also take part in student-led discussions of these subjects in Contemporary Themes in Sport & Exercise Psychology. Each one of these modules is underpinned and supported by classes designed to introduce you to basic techniques used in psychological research (Research in Psychology & Key Studies in Sport & Exercise Psychology).

Year 1 Core Modules:

Semester 1

• Contemporary Themes in Sport & Exercise Psychology
• Brain, Mind & Behaviour
• Social and Developing Self

Semester 2

• Key Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Research in Psychology 1
• Psychology of Sport, Exercise and Skill Acquisition

You will also be allocated to a Personal Academic Tutor and be encouraged to develop transferable skills you will need for higher education and your future career (which may be related to psychology, coaching or teaching, the sport & exercise sciences or something further afield). These include identifying academic sources, online literature searches, debating, referencing, essay writing and presentation skills. Your Psychology (Sport & Exercise) course aims to connect the fascinating academic areas of psychology and the science of sport and exercise, drawing on key influences from these two broad disciplines.

Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16th September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.

Community

On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!

CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.

We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.

Find out more about our welcoming community and making friends at CCCU.

If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.

There is not a specific course textbook for you to read – each module will draw upon a variety different academic & media sources.

The general list below is divided into two sections – some resources associated with the specific sport/exercise psychology content, and resources associated with the broader psychology content.

You do not have to read any of them before you arrive, but familiarising yourself with any of these will be useful if you’re keen to get started!

Sport & Exercise Psychology:

• Gill, D.L., Williams, L., & Reifsteck, E.J. (2017). Psychological dynamics of sport & exercise (4th ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.
• Moran, A.P., & Toner, J. (2017). A critical introduction to sport psychology (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.
• Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.

Psychology:

• Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2011). Personality and individual differences (2nd ed.). Chichester, England: BPS Blackwell.
• Kolb, B., Wishaw, I.Q., & Teskey, G. C. (2016). An introduction to brain and behaviour (5th ed.). New York: Macmillan.
• Sutton, R., & Douglas, K. (2013). Social psychology. London: Palgrave Macmillan

Something to watch?

The Netflix series 'The Last Dance' has loads of interesting psychological themes in it:

• Tollin, M., & Weinbach, J. (Producers) (2020). The Last Dance (Television Series). Los Gatos, CA: Netflix.

We usually tell students to wait until they arrive at University to make decisions about buying texts they will be regularly using during their studies. It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers a 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.

We also advise you to look at the second hand book market.