Ultimately Alana

By Alana C

I'm currently a final year Psychology student at the University of Chichester. I chose my course after sparking an interest in psychology during my A-Levels. The small, close-knit community of Chichester was the best fit for me, where I am able to work closely alongside my lecturers. The University of Chichester was my first choice and I definitely wouldn’t change a thing! During my A-Levels, I spent a lot of time carefully deciding what course I wanted to do, and where I wanted to complete it – it wasn’t a straight-forward process!

Whilst in Chichester, I have joined both the University Swim Team, as well as an external Chichester Netball Club. As well as this, I explored various opportunities that would further my academic background. This has included volunteering with United Through Sport in St. Lucia, as a Sport Psychology Intern for a month, as well as being a NXTGEN Ambassador for MyProtein which allowed me to connect with other students across the UK, where we all have similar passions. 

Pictures of Alana volunteering with United Through Sport in St. Lucia and being a NXTGEN Ambassador for MyProtein

During my first year at university, I decided to create a fitness page on instagram called alanafiit. I wanted to document my fitness journey (which had started when I was 15) to show women that the gym isn’t a scary place! Through alanafiit, I have had opportunities to work with brands like MyProtein (use: alanauoc to save!) and Perserva,(use: alanafiit to save!) as well as getting to meet other like minded individuals - I have connected with so many people from across the globe! I had the opportunity to represent MyProtein at London Hyrox 2024, which I never could have imagined when I started my account. It isn’t always easy to balance creating content and uni work, but as soon as creating content stops being fun I take a step back and let myself reset - my account will always be there for when I’m ready to come back! If you have considered starting an ‘influencing’ account (fitness or not) then I couldn’t recommend enough taking the leap and starting it! I was worried about what my friends might think of me but they are nothing but supportive of me and even help me film content from time to time.

University has been an incredible experience for me! I’ve learnt to be independent, comfortable being my own person, found a deep love for my degree, and a passion for pursuing a career where I will be able to help athletes unlock their full potential both physically and mentally. As someone who was raised playing sport, it has also become part of my career aspirations, where my next step is to complete a Sport and Exercise Psychology Masters. 

The biggest takeaway from my university journey is learning to be unapologetically myself. It is so easy to get caught up in what you believe others expect you to be like when you move to university – whether it’s joining a society that your friends are all joining, or drinking every week. For me, I found my friendship group very early on; who supported me unconditionally and never pressured me to change myself or my passions. This has allowed me to grow as a person and begin achieving my personal goals. 

My ultimate tip is don’t plan too far in advance! So much happens across the duration of university and nothing is set in stone, so explore all the opportunities that may arise!