A student from Plymouth has spoken about achieving First Class Honours in his university degree during the pandemic.
Charlie Haynes, who lives in Hartley, was among those to have completed their studies at the University of Worcester.
He achieved First Class Honours in his degree in Sports Coaching Science.
“Having fully committed to my three years at university, developing as a coach both in the classroom and on the court, it is a proud achievement to have my passion be rewarded with a First Class Honours,” said the 22-year-old.
Charlie is now working at the John Madejski Academy and Reading Rockets as a full-time basketball coach. He hopes to continue to develop as a coach and positively impact as many players as possible.
The former Exeter College student said studying during the pandemic was challenging at times but his organisation prior to the lockdown helped, along with lecturer support.
“The greatest impact was the adaptation to independent study. Not being able to get away from my laptop – being in a lockdown – added to the psychological struggles of getting through such a long project,” he said. “The support from my module lecturers made the process less stressful and made the assessments more engaging.”
Charlie chose to study at the University of Worcester because of the opportunity to study his passion, whilst also gaining practical experience.
He added:
“I feel extremely appreciative to have had such supportive and understanding lecturers and to have been given the practical opportunities that I have had over the past three years – coaching with Basketball Wales, the University Basketball programme and being involved in the Worcester Wolves setup. I also couldn’t be more thankful to my close family for the incredible amount of support, motivation and love they have given me.”
University of Worcester Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost, Professor Sarah Greer, said:
“The class of 2020 faced some unique challenges in completing their final year, in very difficult external circumstances. I congratulate them all on their degrees, earned through their hard work and dedication in the face of adversity. I would also thank our outstanding academic staff who worked really hard to support students to achieve their full potential. Our students who earned a First Class Honours should rightly feel very proud of their outstanding achievements and I wish them all the very best in their future careers.”
