Aniek Schilder, 19
Course: Sports and Exercise Coordinator (CIOS), fourth year, level 4, school-based learning
 
‘You learn to deal with different groups’
Aniek did an eight-week placement at an outdoor events centre in Belgium.
‘I’m taking the Outdoor Sports graduation profile, and then it’s easy to end up on a placement abroad. I spent the whole summer in the Ardennes, organizing activities like climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, canoeing and potholing.’
 
Leading a group
‘My goal was to lead a group independently and to help plan and organize all its activities. I succeeded in that, which is sure to work in my favour for the degree in Sport, Management and Entrepreneurship I want to do next.’
 
Confidence
‘Whatever the case, I’ve substantially extended my knowledge of all outdoor sports. And I now know how to address a group confidently. You also learn how to deal with different types of groups – school classes are very different from a group of singles.’
 
Last to leave
‘You work long days. You start at 7.30 in the morning and you never know how late you’ll finish. Even then you can be called out of your bed at night because guests can’t find their way back from where they’ve been dropped. And, of course, you have to clean everything up after a mountain bike tour or a barbecue.
‘Still, this placement has led to a great ‘real’ job – I’ll be working at the same centre next summer.’