personal statement for university tutor

What Makes a Great Personal Statement for Tutoring Jobs

Tip 1 : be convincing, tip 2 : be truthful, tip 3 : beyond academics.

For a neophyte in this online tutoring or home tuition arena, writing a captivating (yet truthful) personal statement could be quite a challenge to begin with. It's a matter of "selling" yourself by writing self-praising sentences about your prowess, about how genial you are as an individual, and about how you possess all the necessary qualities that befit a great tutor. Though this may sound a little comical, it is absolutely necessary to present yourself as the right tutor for children out there who require the help; the extra push to propel forward in their academics. The following tips are guidelines that budding tutors can follow in order to set up a convincing profile that contains a wholesome personal statement.

YES, this sounds like an obvious advice that anyone would give...but what does "being convincing" actually mean? What does it entail?

It is essential to ensure that your tutor profile does not look banal, making you seem like a taciturn, hostile and formidable individual. Those who view your profile should

not feel ambivalent, but rather, they should be sure that you are the perfect tutor for their child. Apart from filling in the details about your educational background and stating your area of teaching expertise, you should write (not a huge essay; usually there is a limited word count) about what makes you a special teacher; about what makes you stand out.

Remember that in the internet platform, just like you, there are thousands of tutors who have the profiles set up, hoping to attract students. You need to incorporate reasons into your write-up as to why you are the kind of tutor students are looking for. Being convincing really depends on the kind of words you utilise in your writing, for example, "friendly", "approachable", "amicable" and "patient", which gives an accurate macroview as to what kind of a tutor you are, it radiates a sense of trustworthiness, and makes you appear to be a committed and responsible home tutor.

Though the benefits of a convincing personal statement may seem incorporeal, it really isn't. This is what will herald a great change in your tutoring career, as more students would want you to be their tutor and there comes the opportunity for you to expand, grow and thrive in this arena of yours.

Hold your horses...! Nobody is insinuating that you would weave in blatant lies in your personal statement. But let's be pragmatic and admit that we might take some creative liberty while writing an elaborate profile about ourselves in order to be the attractive one among the lot. What is important is that this should not go off tangent, and should still stick within the boundaries of reality. Nobody should say that the qualities you have mentioned in your profile are moot points; exaggerated and untruthful statements.

It may seem like an innocuous attempt to promote yourself, but to others, especially your students, they might feel deceived. This is impermissible in any field, let alone teaching, especially since students look up to their teachers for inspiration and genuine guidance. State what you are in your personal statement in the most convincing and captivating way but still convey the true essence of who you are as a tutor. Truthfulness is what is truly attractive and it will serve you well in your tutoring career.

We all know that it takes a village to raise a child. In this modern day and age, the “village” we live in consists of school tutors, parents, home tutors, relatives, mutual acquaintances, peers, and surroundings, filled with strangers; all of whom have their own way of shaping a child's character and influencing the child's intelligence. Tutors have a pivotal role in moulding a child's perspectives, building on his or her knowledge and inculcating moral values and virtues.

Under the carapace of a great personal statement, apart from all the details about your expertise and your amicability as a tutor, you have to include the fact that you really do care about the personal well-being of your students (and being truthful to that statement, you have to show that through your actions too). Today parents expect a home tutor to not only be their child's educator, but also to be their moral compass and to be a trusted companion. This is mainly because of the fact that in today's fast-paced modern life, parents do not get to spend quality time with their children and thus, having another trusted adult to guide their child would be a great help.

Understanding the gravity of this current day and age's situations and circumstances, as a tutor, it will be advantageous for you to state the fact that you care about your student's personality, moral values and well-being.

ALL IN ALL , following the tips mentioned above, you will be thankful for your precocity on this subject matter and this will push to another stratosphere in your tutoring career for sure.

Robert Wilson was born and raised in Malaysia. He is working as a blogger for ChampionTutor which provides best online tutoring jobs . He's hardworking, competent and trustworthy. His role within the company is to manage a team of Tutors. In his spare time, he loves to read, write and watch movies.

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How to write a personal statement for university – by admissions tutors

University admissions staff explain what they’re looking for, and how to make your case when applying for courses

Perhaps the hardest part of the Ucas application is the personal statement, where students are expected to sum up their entire identity within 4,000 characters and no more than 47 lines.

If you’re freaking out about the approaching deadline – which rolls around on January 15th – don’t worry: everyone’s in the same boat. According to Ray Powell, an admissions tutor at Greenwich University, increasing numbers of applicants are leaving applications to the last minute. However, if you want to start university in the 2021/22 academic year and haven’t yet tackled the form yet, now’s a good time to start.

So how important is the personal statement? “It’s a really useful document in terms of determining which students we want to join our academic cohort each year,” says Kirsty Wilkinson, school and college liaison manager at Loughborough University. After predicted grades or practical work, the personal statement is your best shot at showing why you want and deserve a place.

As such, the personal statement can feel intimidating. Here, admissions staff explain what they’re looking for, and how to argue your case.

Show you care about the subject

At its heart, the personal statement tells a story about why you’re ready to commit to a course. Powell says, “you’ve got to choose the degree programme that you’re interested in, because if you don’t, it’s going to be a long hard three years. If people have thought it through I would expect to see that in the personal statement.”

How to show it: Write about why the course excites you and where that interest comes from. It could be an experience you’ve had, or a difference you’d like to make in the future. Powell suggests using I want to study this subject because… as a prompt and going from there.

Talk about transferable skills

Most undergraduate courses won’t expect specific experience or knowledge. Instead, admissions staff are looking to see how you’ll adapt and contribute to the course.

Wilkinson adds: “a lot of courses don’t require you to have a huge amount of academic knowledge in advance – we teach you that. But we haven’t got time to teach you that plus how to work nicely with a group.”

How to show it: Use course descriptions to identify relevant soft skills – they’re things like communication, leadership or time management. Then find examples and evidence for each from your previous studies, part-time work or hobbies.

Don’t take a scattergun approach, though – be selective. Rosalyn Dobrzanski, Head of Admissions at the University of Nottingham says that for each skill, “write how this will help you on the course and even in your future career.”

Show engagement

If you have work or voluntary experience, show how they intersect with your course or life goals. Reference hobbies, sports, community and clubs, too.

Will Jones, Student Recruitment Manager at Teesside University, says universities understand Covid has disrupted many activities and opportunities. They’ll be interested instead to see how you’ve adapted .

How to show it: “There are a lot of things you can do at home and online to show that you are passionate about your course and that you’re doing your research about the industry and university,” Jones says. You can draw on books, blogs, videos, online courses, remote events, and even discussions you’ve had. Remember to show why these matter to you and your course.

Look to the future

Getting into university can sometimes feel like the destination, but admissions staff want to see how you’ll use your degree, and to get a sense that theirs is the right course for you.

Matthew Rayson is Outreach Officer at the University of Cumbria. He says: “What you put in your personal statement now may not be what you want to do at the end of your degree, but it’s about having that drive and that vision for the future.”

How to show it: Connect your course and interests to your career or personal goals. Rayson adds: “Where do you see yourself after university? What is it that you want to go on to achieve?”

Be yourself

While there’s no shortage of templates online, always write your own statement. Ucas checks submissions for similarity, so lifting sentences or ideas is a no-no. Likewise relying on someone else’s input can short change you if you’re asked to discuss your essay at interview.

If nothing else, the personal statement is a chance to check your course and university choices are right for you. And no one else can answer that as well as you.

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Teaching personal statement examples

Giving you the chance to show why you'd be a great teacher, your personal statement is an important part of your application and worth taking the time over

What is a teaching personal statement?

Your personal statement is used to explain why you want to become a teacher and your suitability for the role. While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it. Many candidates often spend a few weeks on this part of the application as you don't have to write it all at once. You should get someone to read over it and be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

It's important to:

• use examples based on your recent teaching experience
• tailor your personal statement according to the school/age group
• use good, clear, written English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'I've always wanted to teach'
• demonstrate a passion for teaching.

While it's crucial to get it right, your teaching personal statement is only a small part of the application process. Find out how else you'll need to prepare to  get a teaching job .

How to write a personal statement for teaching

Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1,000 words. It's crucial that you  don't copy  and that the statement you provide is  your own work .

This is your opportunity to:

• write about any relevant skills and experience you have
• explain your understanding of why teaching is important
• detail why you want to become a teacher
• list any extra skills or experience you have, such as volunteering or first aid.

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

The nature of your personal statement will vary, depending on the type of teaching you'd like to pursue. Take a look at some of our example personal statements to get an idea of how they differ.

Personal statement for PGCE primary

As well as focusing on roles in which you've gained experience with primary-age children, a PGCE primary personal statement should demonstrate your well-rounded personality and any skills that could be useful for the range of extra-curricular activities primary schools provide (such as the ability to read music for recorder lessons, or drama experience to help with school plays).

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

Many good PGCE secondary personal statements acknowledge the challenges involved in teaching older pupils and provide examples of where the candidate has worked to overcome these problems. As secondary teaching roles are geared towards teaching a specific subject, training providers are looking for more evidence of your subject and degree knowledge.

Personal statement for School Direct

If you're applying for the salaried School Direct route, you should discuss the experience you've gained in the classroom prior to your application. One of your references will need to be from an employer, or someone who can comment on your work ethic and suitability for teaching. Don't worry if your degree is unrelated to the subject you'd like to teach - you may still be able to apply by completing a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course .

Find out more

• Discover how to structure a teaching CV .
• Find out what it's really like to be a primary or secondary school teacher .
• Search postgraduate courses in teaching .

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How to Write a Personal Statement for University Applications

Personal Statements: Crafting a Compelling Narrative #

Writing your personal statement can feel like the hardest part of applying for university, so we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you out! From discovering your skills and achievements to avoiding the cliché phrases, we’ve covered it all. 

Use our guide below to complete your personal statement with confidence!

Introduction to Personal Statements #

Definition and Purpose

A personal statement is a piece of writing which accompanies your university application. It allows you to tell the university why you are interested in a particular subject and course. Without personal statements, universities would only know an applicant’s qualifications, not understand much about their interests or ambitions. The maximum length of your personal statement is 47 lines and 4,000 characters.

Significance in University Applications

You need a personal statement in order to apply for universities in the UK. It is a key stage in the application process, which is done through UCAS. You will upload your personal statement during your online UCAS application, under the ‘Personal Statement’ section. From the UCAS website, you can paste your personal statement into the text box to add it to your application. The text box will indicate whether you have exceeded the 47 lines and 4,000 characters limit.

Key Elements of a Standout Personal Statement #

Clear Structure and Flow

Your personal statement should be formatted into paragraphs and read clearly. You can decide how to structure your writing, but you may want to divide each paragraph up into topics. Don’t limit yourself though! You may find your experiences are intertwined or relate to one another, which you should showcase!

Some key questions you need to answer within your personal statement are:

★ Why are you applying for your chosen courses?

★ Why are you interested in your chosen subject?

★ Why will you be great on the course?

★ How do your current studies and experiences relate?

★ How does studying at university promote your career ambitions?

Think about how each of your answers to these questions link together. This will help you to establish a flow of ideas. You want to take the admissions tutor along your journey. This doesn’t need to be chronological, but they need to understand clearly how your experiences as a whole weave together to make you a strong applicant. What led you to make each decision in your experience so far? Perhaps one led to another, or inspired you to seek out opportunities in a particular field of interest.

Showcasing Personal Qualities and Skills

Be confident when writing about your personal qualities and skills. A lot of people find it hard to write about themselves, but the whole point of a personal statement is to talk about yourself! 

Rather than generalising all of your skills, think about which ones will be most utilised in the course you are applying for. If you are unsure, read the course description to figure out what kind of skills they will expect you to have. This way, you can explain how you will develop your skills further throughout the course - starting with your baseline qualities. 

When talking about your skills, give an example of a time when you demonstrated that skill. Anyone can claim they have good communication or research skills, but only those who have experiences can back that claim up! You can use examples from school projects or extracurricular activities - you’d be surprised how transferable your skills are. 

Highlighting Relevant Achievements and Experiences

Before you start, write down everything you think might be relevant for your university personal statement. You will refer to this list consistently when you are writing, so the more you can think of the better. 

If you are struggling to think of examples, reverse the ideas process. When you discuss your reasoning for choosing the course, or career ambitions - what have you done in your life so far which has contributed to those dreams and choices? 

When discussing your achievements in your statement, ask yourself these questions:

★ What did I learn when I was working towards this achievement?

★ What would I do differently in the future? 

★ What skills would I need to develop to improve my achievement?

★ How can I quantify my achievement? How much time and effort was put into it?

★ Why did I choose to work towards this achievement?

By completely understanding and reflecting on your experiences and achievements, you will find writing about them much easier! It is hard to write about something you have never considered before.

Understanding the Dos and Don'ts of Personal Statements #

Tailoring Content to Specific Courses or Institutions

Your personal statement should be tailored to the courses or subject you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for an art course, make sure to discuss your interests and experiences that relate to art, not just any old subject.

You can also edit your personal statement to be relevant for the type of institutions you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for specialised arts universities, or conservatoires, explain why you have made the decision to opt for that institution type. Are you keen to study alongside like-minded students? Or is the university’s close link with industry important for you?

Avoiding Clichés and Generic Phrases

Thousands of students are applying for the same courses as you, so it is key that your personal statement isn’t generic or cliche. 

Here are a couple of overused phrases you can avoid in your writing:

★ “Since I was a child…”

★ “When I was younger…”

★ “For as long as I can remember…”

★ “I am applying to ____ because…”

★ “Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…”

★ “I have always been interested in…”

Try to be innovative with your sentence structure to prevent your statement sounding like everyone else's. 

Make sure to  avoid quotes - this is off-putting for admissions tutors. They want to hear what  you  have to say about your subject interest, not what the most famous artist, engineer or writer said once.

Crafting a Captivating Opening #

Strategies for Engaging Introductions

Some students find it helpful to write their introduction last, as it can feel like the hardest part to write! So once you have written most of the content of your statement, your introduction will feel much easier to tackle. 

Example introduction strategies:

★ Introduce yourself and your passion for the subject

★ What about your subject is inspiring you now? (Not what inspired you as a child)

★ Avoid clichés and quotes from famous people.

★ Share your enthusiasm for the subject

★ Talk about what you want to study and why

★ Be concise and clear about your excitement for the subject

Examples of Successful Opening Lines

★ “Volunteering at a local nursing home for the last 2 years sparked my inspiration to choose psychology…”

★ “My interest in biology is centred around innovations in healthcare, looking after the human body and discovering how cells impact bodily functions…”

★ “Through exploring national parks and documenting my experiences on my personal blog, I discovered my fascination with geography…”

Narrating Work Experience and Future Aspirations #

Connecting Past Experiences to Future Goals

Recalling your past experiences is key to writing a good personal statement, but make sure to link them to future goals. Yes, telling your story so far is important, but you need to consider how attending university will continue your story in a positive way. What skills and knowledge are you looking forward to obtaining at university? How will your course assist you in meeting your goals and getting your dream graduate role?

Articulating Career Ambitions

Universities want to develop students who go on to be trailblazers in their subject-specialisms. Talk about your career aspirations and dreams in your statement, and share how studying at university will push you to achieve them. Do you have a particular job in mind? What motivates you to study and do well in education?

Reinforcing Unique Selling Points #

University admissions tutors will be reading hundreds of personal statements, all attuned to the course subject. You need to tell the university why you are different from all of the other applicants. What is your unique selling point? What will you bring to the course that no other student will? 

To discover your unique selling point, think about your:

★ Personal life experience that has shaped your interest in the course

★ Work experience in a relevant industry

★ Work experience that has transferable skills

★ Successes in your current learning and study, which topics do you outperform in?

★ Extra-curricular activities which are unique to you

If you are struggling to think of something unique in your experiences, ask your friends and family what makes you different from other students. It can be helpful to receive external opinions, as they may see fantastic things in you that you are unaware of.

Mastering the Art of Concluding Your Personal Statement #

Strategies for Memorable Closures

Having a memorable closing section of your personal statement will help the admissions tutor when making the decision of who to offer the course places to. You want to leave the reader on a good note, where they feel confident in your abilities and skills.

There are a couple of ways you can end your personal statement:

★ Share your ambitions and dreams for the future, even beyond university

★ Reiterate previous points for emphasis

★ Talk about how university will develop you as a person

★ What do you hope to bring to your university course?

Drawing Inspiration from Successful Personal Statement Examples #

Tailoring Your Personal Statement to Different Subject Areas

What happens if you are applying for a variety of courses? Writing a personal statement for different courses can feel tricky. Especially if you want to focus on and mention the subjects you are applying for. 

University admissions tutors are aware that some students will be applying for a variety of course subjects, so a personal statement which covers a few topics is not unheard of! Remember you are writing about yourself, not just subjects. Depending on how varied the courses you are applying for are, you should be able to combine your passion for your subjects within your career ambitions and reasons you want to study in higher education. If you can, think of ways that your different course options link together - maybe there are modules within the course that are related to your subject choices. Research each course in depth to find out your specific interests, you may find there are links you can reference to or hone in on.

Subject-Specific Tips for Crafting a Relevant Statement

After writing your personal statement, read it through and decide whether you could guess what subject/s you are applying for. If it feels too generic, research the course descriptions for your universities to discover what you are most excited about studying. 

★ How are you going to enhance your current knowledge of the subject, engage with the learning at university and apply your experience after graduation?

★ How will you bring value to the course as a student?

★ What is it about your subject that fascinates you the most?

Employing Correct Grammar, Tone, and Style in Your Writing

Keep the same tone throughout your personal statement. It can be easy to accidentally change the tense or writing style mid-sentence. Proofread your statement carefully, checking the tense of your word choices and making sure you haven’t started a clause without finishing it! It can be tempting to cut sentences down to meet the character count, but be sure your sentences still make sense after editing.

Personal statements should combine factual and example based experiences with the emotional and aspirational dreams you have. Check that your statement contains a mixture of both, as one without the other can be uninspiring or lack substance.

Ensuring Clarity and Coherence

While using a thesaurus can enhance your writing and keep it fresh, sometimes complicated wording can get in the way of your message. Your statement will gain its strength through the examples and justifications you give for applying to the course, not through the number of fancy words.

Be clear with your wording. Shorter, punchy sentences are better than long sentences which leave the admissions tutor feeling lost or confused. Figure out the most concise and clear way to demonstrate your experiences - some detail is important, but don’t focus too much on one thing. Showcase how varied your interests are, through the variation of your examples.

Adhering to Formal Writing Standards

Your personal statement should be formal, but engaging. You are about to start university, where formal writing is expected in assignments. Show your writing skills now to prove to the admissions tutor that you are competent. Get straight to the point and limit the rambling.

Capturing Admissions Tutors' Attention with Your Personal Statement

Each admissions tutor will have read hundreds of personal statements, so how are you going to make yours stand out? Everyone has different experiences which they can bring to a university application, so focus on what makes  you stand out, rather than copying your friends.

Understanding Admission Criteria

Read the course description and entry requirements thoroughly for all 5 of your course choices. Take notes on the expectations they have for students, and integrate your strengths into your statement. What do the courses expect you to know before starting? Do you have a baseline knowledge of the subject which will enable you to excel in the course?

If there are additional criteria which are not included in your level 3 qualification, be sure to include them in your personal statement. This may include work experience or English language requirements.

Addressing Selection Criteria Effectively

Be clear that you meet the basic criteria for your courses in your writing. Sometimes courses specify that you need to have A-Level subjects or qualifications, even at a certain grade, before joining the course. For example, a maths course may expect you to have completed a maths A-Level. Talk about this in your statement, but expand on it. What have you enjoyed about studying that subject thus far? 

Seeking Feedback and Editing

Ask for feedback! Your school careers advisor or teachers will be able to help you with feedback on your statement. They may be able to spot grammatical errors, or even gaps in your writing. 

You can also ask for editing assistance from your family and friends. Perhaps you have an older sibling who has been to university, that you could ask for advice from. 

One thing to remember is that everyone will offer differing opinions on the best way for you to write your personal statement. It is your job to decide which advice you would like to take on board. This is your personal statement, so you have control over what you submit.

Importance of Proofreading and Revising

Proofread your statement again and again! Read your writing aloud to yourself, to see if it flows well or needs revising. Take into consideration the feedback you have received from your advisors or family members - it's OK to rewrite sections or cut out things you don’t feel are relevant anymore.

Check for spelling mistakes or punctuation errors. When typing, it can be easy to accidentally hit the comma instead of the full stop key, or use an American spelling vs a British spelling. You can use online spelling checkers, but try not to rely too heavily on these. In our experience, you should check your spelling manually too, just to make sure!

Conclusion: Final Considerations for an Outstanding Personal Statement #

Emphasising Originality and Authenticity

Your personal statement should be unique to your experiences. Copying someone else’s statement from the internet is never going to be representative of you.

Seek to be honest and authentic in your statement, the admissions tutors aren’t expecting you to be the expert in your subject yet - that is what going to university is good for! Universities want to take on students who are passionate about their subject, as this improves the learning environment for everyone. So what will you bring to university? 

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Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

What is a teacher training personal statement?

The teacher training personal statement is your opportunity to let training providers know about your qualities, skills and expertise, and why you want to teach.

While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it, be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

How do I write a good teacher training personal statement?

To help you write a successful teacher training personal statement, we recommend you include:

• use examples to back everything up, based on your teaching experience so far
• tailor your personal statement according to the age group you wish to teach
• write using concise English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest - don't embellish the truth or lie outright
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'since a young age' or 'I've always wanted to be a teacher'
• demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

You have up to 4,000 characters to write a memorable opening, middle and conclusion.

Don't waste your valuable space on writing about things that are already on your UCAS form elsewhere, such as your qualifications.

What should I include in my teacher training personal statement?

When planning out your personal statement, ask yourself what it is your training providers are looking for. Make sure your statement answers the following questions:

• Why do I want to teach? - show that you know about the challenges and rewards of teaching, and remember that everything has its ups and downs. Maybe talk about any lessons you have observed/taught, what went well and how you would have improved on them. Discuss teaching styles used and the use of technology in the classroom.
• Why do I want to teach this age group/at this level? - what appeals to you, and what experience do you have teaching these students/children?
• What are my strengths? - include the relevance of your degree and subject knowledge.
• What experience do I have? - include any experience you have of volunteering with children, such as teaching a sports team, youth work or working at a summer camp? Give examples of how this helpd develop your teaching skills.
• What personal skills/abilities do I have? - these might include research, creativity, time management, IT skills, problem solving, managing people, organisational skills, listening skills, leading or working in a team. To strengthen your application, make sure you back everything up with examples.
• Are there are any location restrictions? - if you don't currently live in the UK, why do you want to study here? Are you willing to move away from your current home town/city for your degree?

You only have up to 47 lines (4,000 characters including spaces) in which to persuade your chosen initial teacher training (ITT) providers to offer you an interview. The statement must be concise, enthusiastic and sell your potential to be a successful teacher.

For more help and advice on what to write in your teacher training personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

What is a teacher training degree?

Teacher training degrees combine the study of curriculum subjects with learning teaching techniques and putting these into practice during hands-on school placements. The course leads to QTS (qualified teacher status) to enable you to teach in a school or college.

How long is a teacher training course?

To teach in England and Wales you need to gain QTS. You will obtain this on an ITT programme, which could be school or university-based and takes approximately one year to complete.

How do I become a teacher with a degree?

To teach as a qualified teacher in England, you'll need qualified teacher status (QTS). If you already have a degree, you can complete a postgraduate teacher training course to achieve this. Additionally, you'll need to have a GCSE at grade C/4 in maths and English, as well as science if you want to teach primary.

Can I train to be a teacher without a degree?

Unfortunately no - you cannot become a teacher without a degree.

But if you are an undergraduate or have a degree in a different subject than what you want to teach, there are options to help you get into a teaching career.

Will I get paid for teacher training?

There are three types of funding available for teacher training - depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:

• Tax-free bursary or scholarship.
• Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan.
• Extra financial support if you're a parent, have an adult dependant or a disability.

Further information

For more tips and advice on teacher training personal statements, please see:

• GetIntoTeaching
• The Complete University Guide

Related resources

Teacher training interview questions.

Find out more

Applying For Teacher Training Courses

6 Personal Statement Writing Tips

How To Apply To University

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Our interview process, stringent qualifications, and background screening ensure that only the best Grad School Personal Statement tutors work with Varsity Tutors. To assure a successful experience, you're paired with one of these qualified tutors by an expert director - and we stand behind that match with our money-back guarantee.

Receive personally tailored Grad School Personal Statement lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.

As an individual begins to graduate from college, they tend to start thinking about what comes next. While some students may opt to go straight into the workforce, other students opt for more school in the form of pursuing a master's degree or professional degree from a graduate school. Students who are interested in going to graduate school are typically required to write a personal statement as a part of their application process. Writing a great personal statement can be the difference between getting into one's program of choice or not. If you'd like some help writing a personal statement for grad school, then you may want to consider grad school personal statement tutoring. You can contact Varsity Tutors to learn more about finding a grad school personal statement tutor.

When you sign up for grad school personal statement tutoring, you get access to an expert on the personal statement writing process. You and your tutor can work together in a one-on-one setting to go over whatever you'd like help with. For example, your tutor can help you with things like:

• Picking a topic
• Writing with the right tone
• Organizing your personal statement
• Grammar and syntax

You can go over each of these topics with your tutor through a set of customized lessons that are based on your unique needs, learning style, and academic goals. Your tutor can instruct you with a variety of mediums and methodologies to ensure that you remain engaged and actively participating in each tutoring session. This type of personalization means that depending on your needs, your tutor can spend more time with you on idea generation and less time with grammar and syntax. The same option is available for whatever personal statement topic you've been struggling with.

Varsity Tutors can also help you discover the grad school personal statement tutoring options that fit into your schedule. You can pick when and where you meet with your tutor. This ensures that you won't have to rearrange the other important parts of your life just to get the help you've been searching for. You can even work with your grad school personal statement tutor online through a Live Learning Platform that features many sophisticated academic tools. This flexibility ensures that even the busiest students can get help with everything from working your accomplishments into your writing in a fluid way through the important writing revision process.

If you're ready to start working with a personal statement tutor, then you don't have to waste any more of your time searching online for "grad school personal statement tutoring near me." Instead, you can reach out to Varsity Tutors to be connected quickly and easily with a tutor who fits your needs.

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Private Personal Statement & UCAS Tutors

Uk university personal statement advice.

As competition for university places continues to increase, the Personal Statement section of your UCAS application has never been so important. At Fleet Tutors our experienced tutors will help you create a concise, well-structured statement that will highlight your achievements and ambitions, and capture the attention of admissions tutors at your preferred university.

A Personal Statement needs to cover four key aspects in only 4000 characters:

• Why have you chosen the particular course you are applying for?
• How are you qualified to study this course?
• Why should you be chosen above other candidates?
• What do you envisage doing with your degree once you have graduated?

You may have already drafted your personal statement which you would like a tutor to review, making suggestions for improvements and enhancements; or you may prefer to have an initial in-depth discussion with a tutor who will guide you in establishing the key facts, which you can then craft into the perfect personal statement. Whatever level of support and advice you require, our tutors have the experience and knowledge required to enable you to submit your UCAS application with confidence.

The amount of time a tutor requires to create the perfect Personal Statement varies from student to student and can depend on the standard of any draft statement you provide, the course and the university you are applying to, and whether you also need help in choosing which course and/or university is the right one for you. Therefore we charge clients at an hourly rate to reflect the amount of work required for each individual student’s needs and to enable us to provide a bespoke service.

Our tutors have experience of all UK universities including Oxbridge and Russell group. We also have an expert tutor who can provide advice for admission to American Universities, and tutors with experience of admissions to other overseas universities.

To book a tutor to help you with the university admission process, please call 01252 371731  and select Option 1 or email [email protected]

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Personal Statement Support

Everything you need to know about writing a Personal Statement for your UCAS university application. Get the insider tips from our UCAS experts right here.

A personal statement a written statement produced by a university applicant to explain their suitability for the course they are applying to. This part of your UCAS application is a chance to show admissions officers what makes you a unique candidate who stands out from the many applicants with the same predicted grades as you.

With competition for university places at an all-time high, a strong personal statement is more crucial than ever. So, it’s important to make it count.

What is a personal statement?

Ucas deadlines 2023.

15 October 2022 for 2023 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry.

25 January 2023 for 2023 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – the majority of courses at non-Oxbridge universities.

"I've been helping students with their personal statements for over 15 years now. I've read and reviewed thousands of personal statements, and helped students secure places at their dream universities."

How can Tutor House help?

Personal statement tutors.

Wide selection of tutors

We have a variety of personal statement tutors, all of whom are highly experienced in helping students produce top-quality personal statements. Our personal statement tutors all have different subject specialisms, allowing them to provide tailored support for every student, no matter what they are hoping to study.

Tutor Support

Your tutor will support you throughout the entire process from planning to drafting to producing the final product, making them an excellent option for students who simply don’t know where to start with their personal statement. They have an in-depth knowledge of what admissions officers are looking for and will work with you to give your personal statement both a flawless structure and the flair needed to ensure it stands out from those of other candidates.

The advantage of investing in a personal statement tutor is that, unlike your teachers at school, your tutor can give you unlimited time and attention. They will help you build a personal statement from scratch and can look over as many drafts as necessary.

Further information

For further details on our personal statement tuition and to get in touch with the perfect tutor for you, head over to our personal statement tutor page or have a read of our blog Why Hire a Personal Statement Tutor? .

If you’ve done most of the work and are looking for some help with the final touches, we also offer a personal statement review service. This unique offer allows you to upload a draft to our website and receive feedback within 48 hours. Expert edits from our UCAS team will give your personal statement the polish it needs to take it from passable to outstanding. ‍

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Writing a strong personal statement

Whatever form of support you choose to enlist when writing your personal statement, here are a few things to keep in mind while completing those initial drafts.

Personal statements are capped at 4000 characters (including spaces) so make sure you use the space you have wisely. Think of it as an opportunity to show off not only your skills and interests, but also your ability to write clearly and concisely. Admissions officers want to know about you; who you are, what is behind your motivation to study the course you are applying to and why they should choose you over another candidate. So, make sure the content of your personal statement is relevant and tightly focused on the subject you are passionate about and why you would be a committed student. Note also that if your circumstances (for example, illness or difficulties at home) have had an impact on your educational performance, your personal statement is the place to explain this, if you would like to.

We recommend you structure your personal statement like this:

Why you want to study your chosen course - this may include your ambitions or plans for the future.

How the subjects you are studying, books you have read, talks you have been to, etc, contribute to your passion for the course.

What kind of work experience and achievements you have behind you and how these make you a suitable candidate for the course.

Your hobbies and wider interests - these may include sport, music, volunteer work or anything else you can think of.

Start early. Sixth form is a busy period, so give yourself plenty of time to produce as many drafts as you need to make your personal statement slick and refined (and don’t forget to submit a draft to our personal statement review service!)

Be specific. Include details of exactly what inspires you within your chosen subject and the material (books, events, news stories…) that generated your interest. Avoid generalisations and clichés.

Prioritise authenticity and honesty. It might be tempting to lie about your goals or what you’ve read but it’s never a good idea - admissions officers can spot a lie a mile off! Sticking to the truth will show your chosen universities why you are a unique candidate and unlike anyone else who is applying.

Write your introduction last. It is important to know what you’ve included in the rest of your personal statement before introducing it. Think of the first few sentences as a way of enticing the reader; the meat is in the middle.

Don’t forget to proofread. Start by proofreading your personal statement yourself and then ask someone else to do it again to make sure it’s grammatically perfect.

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Personal Statement Package

Craft a coherent, compelling statement, with our personal statement experts, benefit from the experience of our experts, who know what university admissions tutors are looking for, gain insight into how and why your personal statement matters, receive coaching to take your personal statement to the next level, we help you express your ideas succinctly, and strike a balance in your writing between academic and extra-curricular activities, we can also support students with the cambridge saq and additional statements, our 4-hour package, 2 × 1-hour sessions with a personal statement expert, 2 × 1-hour sessions with an oxbridge subject specialist, package fee    £495* ( £550 ).

*Discounted until 13/09/24

A 2-hour version of the Personal Statement Package is also available for £275

Many students with great grades apply to top universities each year, so the personal statement is a great opportunity to stick out in an admissions tutor’s mind for all the right reasons., our 4-hour package guides and supports students through this process., an initial consultation with a personal statement expert helps students formulate an initial vision for their statement and a concrete plan for developing it further., a session with an oxbridge subject specialist to ensure that the student’s interests are as technically represented as they need be and are rich with academic detail. the tutor will direct the student to appropriate key readings and resources for academic extension., a follow-up session with the oxbridge subject specialist., a final meeting with the personal statement expert, to make sure that everything is in place for sending out a mature, impactful statement., this package enables students to write their own compelling statements; we do not write them for you. this way the statement can truly reflect and harness an individual’s own unique passion for their subject., need help with personal statement packages, you are welcome to …, email us at [email protected], call us on +44 (0)1865 655660, book your personal statement package, further uni admissions support, oxford tutors.

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The Centre for Open Learning will arrange for students studying on its part-time credit programmes to have a Personal Tutor to support them in their studies. Here is our Personal Tutoring Statement setting out what this entails.

The Personal Tutor system will provide you with a named member of academic staff, your Personal Tutor, who will support you throughout your time at the University, giving you academic support and a route to pastoral support.  You, as a Tutee, will work with your Personal Tutor to reflect on your academic performance and how it contributes to your aspirations. Your Personal Tutor will also help you to engage as a member of a community of learners.  You will also be supported throughout your time at university by a Student Support Team. 

Read more about  the Personal Tutoring system here 

Your personal tutor

Your Personal Tutor will:

• help you to review your academic progress and performance regularly;
• help you to think about your learning and how it will prepare you for your time at university and your career;
• help you to become a confident, active member of a community of learners;
• help you to deal with any concerns or problems that might affect your studies and refer you to other staff in the School and support services as appropriate.

You can find out who your Personal Tutor is via MyEd.

Undergraduate students

Your School will schedule meetings with your Personal Tutor to enable you to settle in and build a relationship.  You are actively encouraged to request meetings with your Personal Tutor as required throughout your time at the University. 

You will meet your Personal Tutor for scheduled meetings planned in advance.  Your Personal Tutor will contact you by e-mail to arrange a suitable time and location for your meeting.

You may contact your Personal Tutor to request additional meetings.   You can do this by emailing them directly, or by sending a meeting request via EUCLID. 

The purpose of this meeting might be to:

• discuss and review your academic progress and reflect on your learning;
• review your course choices;
• address any concerns or problems that might be affecting your studies and signpost you to other support services; or
• review your study plans.

Students taking 60 or more credits in a single year will meet with their PT for individual meetings at least 4 times in a year. These meetings will include:

• a one-to-one meeting, to be held in your first term or semester, which will focus on your study plans and course choices;
• a one-to-one, or group, meeting in term/semester two after the return of coursework, which will focus on making the most of feedback on assessed work. 
• a one-to-one, or group, meeting around the end of the academic year to review your learning and your next steps. 

Students taking fewer than 60 credits will meet with their PT at least once per year, with further meetings to discuss progress as required, depending on the timing and number of the courses being taken.

Your programme might arrange additional individual and/or group meetings. Please check your programme handbook for details.

If you are not on campus, then your meetings may take place by telephone, or online/digital tool.  Email exchanges are not considered to be meetings unless they take place within a pre-agreed timeframe to enable you to have a “conversation” (e.g. if you are overseas and emailing within a 24-36 hour period to take account of time differences).     

You should keep in touch with your Personal Tutor by email, and let them know quickly if your study plans change, or of any problems that are affecting your studies so that you can be supported and directed to other University support if needed. 

Your Personal Tutor will add a note of your meetings to the Personal Tutor area of MyEd.  These notes can be marked as ‘confidential’ and will only be available to a core small group of staff who are responsible for supporting you.  You should discuss with your Personal Tutor if you have any concerns about how an issue will be recorded or how confidential it will be.  You can find further information on this on your Personal Tutor area of MyEd. 

Support contacts

Within each School there are a number of other roles working in partnership with Personal Tutors to make sure the Personal Tutor system works for you. 

Student Support Team

Each School has a Student Support Team (SST) working with Personal Tutors to support you.  The SST can assist you with routine enquiries and non-academic issues such as:

• accessible teaching rooms
• personalised building evacuation plans in the event of emergencies
• specialist assistance in class (e.g. note taker)
• course materials in alternative formats, and in advance of classes
• personalised adjustments for examinations
• specialised equipment in class (e.g. induction hearing loop)
• signposting to qualified professionals (e.g. counselling services)

In order for us to help with disabilities, whatever their nature, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible after you have  enrolled on your course so that we can make appropriate arrangements well in advance of your study period and provide you with the best possible learning experience. 

Some of the support listed above can only be accessed if you have a Learning Profile with the University’s Student Disability Service. You can find out about this service by visiting the Student Disability website here .  Students who might need adjustments to be made are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with the Student Disability Service. 

Find out how to make an appointment with the Student Disability Service here

Your first point of contact with COL’s Student Support Office is Aga Pera. Aga may be contacted at [email protected] .

The work of the Student Support Team is overseen by COL’s Teaching Office. The Head of the Teaching Office is Claire Fox. Claire can also be contacted at  [email protected] .

There are no specific drop-in times for COL’s Student Support Office. You may contact the Office during the University’s working hours, which are Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

Your Personal Tutor can assist you with academic matters associated with your studies, such as choosing elective courses, or helping you prepare a personal statement as part of your UCAS application. Your Personal Tutor can also help signpost you to appropriate sources of support for wellbeing and study support.

The Student Support Team and your Personal Tutor will aim to respond to your e-mail within three working days where possible. If your Personal Tutor is not available within this timeframe, and the matter requires urgent attention, you should contact COL’s Senior Tutor by e-mail, who will advise you further regarding whom you should contact. The Senior Tutor’s contact details are set out below.

Senior tutor

Each school has a Senior Tutor who oversees the effectiveness of personal tutoring within your School. COL’s Senior Tutor is Deirdre Macleod. You can contact her at [email protected]

Should you wish to change your Personal Tutor, please contact the Senior Tutor.

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Revealing the Treasures of McGill’s Writing Centre: A Discussion with Dr. Yvonne Hung

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Embark on a journey to uncover the lesser-known treasures of the McGill Writing Centre and Graphos as Dr. Yvonne Hung, the director and coordinator of Graphos, sheds light on the enriching experiences awaiting students. Most students, unbeknownst to them, are yet to explore the multifaceted nature of this academic tool.

Unlocking the Writing Centre's Secrets

Q:  What is some general information about the writing centre and graphos that most students who have not accessed the service before may not know? What are some of the main features of the services? How can students best access the services?

YH: Most people don’t know that the McGill Writing Centre is an academic department that also has a strong service mandate! We offer a nice set of undergraduate classes that are on academic writing, creative writing, digital communication, and science communication, as well as a slate of graduate courses on academic writing and communication. On the service side, we have a robust tutorial service whereby students can access up to 7 hours of individualized consults on their writing, and a comprehensive set of graduate writing workshops , writing sessions, and specialized support for thesis and fellowship writing through Graphos. To access our courses, students would register in Minerva. For our non-credit offerings, e.g., writing tutorials, workshops, and other support, students can register by following the links on our website .

Mastering the Art of Writing Applications

Q:  What are some common Do's or Don'ts for students either writing an essay or writing personal statements/research proposals for grad school applications? Are there any general tips you have for students writing applications for grad school?

YH: One common pitfall I’ve noticed is that students take the “personal” part of the “personal statement” too literally. Writing a personal statement can be tricky because you have share specific aspects about your background and experience but in service of telling a story about how going to that specific graduate program is a key part of continuing your academic trajectory and advancing your research and professional goals. One tip I would offer is to build in time to write, time to receive feedback (from trusted advisors or others in your network), and time to polish so that there are no little slipups. You don’t want to accidentally list another university’s name or the wrong professor! Ideally, you will also work backwards from the deadline to ensure you have given adequate time for referees to write good letters and for you to assemble supporting documents in line with the application requirements.

Q: Are there services that at the centre they can best utilize for this?

YH: The Tutorial Service would be an excellent way to get another set of eyes on your application. Other people can spot missteps in logic or structure or grammar far more easily than we can (especially if we’re tired or in a rush). Don’t forget, 7 hours per term! In addition, I urge all students to consider taking a writing or oral communication course during their studies so that they can benefit from structured teaching, regular feedback, and a supportive environment to continue honing their skills and craft.

Overcoming Writer's Block and Finding Your Muse

​​​​​​​Q:  Is there any general advice you would give to students who are experiencing writers block or just don't know where to start with an assignment?

YH: Set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing. You’ll be astonished at how giving yourself a fixed start and finish time can help to jolt oneself to get ideas onto the page. If you feel unsure of where to start, you can book an appointment with a writing tutor who can help you at any stage of the project. And if you’re a graduate student, you can sign up for one of our regular writing retreats, which are led by an experienced facilitator who will guide you to set reasonable writing goals, offer nature or stretch breaks, and be a source of good cheer as you lean into the difficult and rewarding work of communicating ideas in a clear and precise manner.

If you are interested in utilizing this service, there are multiple upcoming resources including:

- presentation tutoring pilot for May-June: https://www.mcgill.ca/mwc/tutorial-service/presentation-tutoring-person-s24

- Their work with First Peoples’ House whereby our dedicated writing tutor has been working with the first ever indigenous valedictorian.

- Their writing support for applicants to the prestigious Vanier and Banting awards in the summer. https://www.mcgill.ca/graphos/groups/fwg More details to come!

Department and University Information

University of Washington student workers go on strike

T housands of academic student employees at the University of Washington (UW) went on strike on Tuesday, after union representatives and university officials failed to reach an agreement on wages Monday night.

The union, United Auto Workers Local 4121, has held bargaining sessions with university officials since February, and all but one provision in the contract — wages — has been resolved.

University officials have proposed pay increases of 12 percent, 8 percent and 8 percent, for each year of the contact, a spokesperson for the university said in an emailed statement. The union has proposed 12 percent increases for all three years.

Members of the union voted almost unanimously last month to authorize a strike, and, on Tuesday, academic student workers began walking the picket line , starting at 6 a.m., chanting and holding signs calling for a “fair contract” and a “living wage.” They held a rally to kick off the strike at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The union represents 6,000 academic student employees, among whom are teaching assistants, researchers, tutors and others.

UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement that negotiations are ongoing and that the school is “bargaining in good faith.”

“We value our academic student employees and we are committed to reaching a fair agreement. We have been working to ensure academic continuity, laying the groundwork to keep classes and degree completion going, and we are hopeful that any disruption to UW students as a result of this strike will be minimal,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to union representatives for a statement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

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Original research article, dual career through the eyes of university student-athletes in the republic of kosovo.

• 1 Department of Sport and Movement Science, University for Business and Technology, Pristina, Republic of Kosovo
• 2 Department of Applied Physiology, Health, and Clinical Sciences, Visiting Fulbright Scholar at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
• 3 Center for Health Education and Inclusion (COHESION), Mitrovice, Republic of Kosovo
• 4 Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy
• 5 Department of Applied Physiology, Health, and Clinical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
• 6 European Athlete as Student (EAS) Network, Ghaxaq, Malta

Introduction: The successful combination of a sports career and education, known as the dual career, requires cooperation and a multi-dimensional approach. Although extensive research has been conducted on dual career programs and services in developed countries, there is limited information available on the dual-career phenomenon in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the dual career experiences of university student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo.

Materials and methods: A 30-item online survey was distributed to student-athletes, addressing various aspects of the dual career. A total of 121 student-athletes (males: 63.6%; females: 36.4%) voluntarily participated in the survey.

Results: These student-athletes represented 13 different sports, with 102 (84.3%) participating in team and 19 (15.7%) in individual sports. Between individual and team sports no significant differences were found regarding university and sports engagement, and the time required to travel from the university to the training venue, whereas a significant difference ( p  = 0.019) emerged for the time needed to travel from home to the training venue. Significant differences ( p  < 0.05) were found between university majors in terms of sports engagement. The present findings highlight a lack of familiarity with dual career programs among student-athletes (89.3%) and the need for dual-career policies at the university (16.5%), sport (9.9%), and national (13.2%) levels. Student-athletes faced various challenges, mainly related to limited leisure time (62.8%), academic overload (60.3%), frequent absence from classes (59.6%), and financial uncertainty (35.5%). Recommended improvements included increased financial support (66.1%), the availability of sports facilities at or near the university (48.8%), greater educational flexibility (26.4%), tutoring services at the university (25.6%), and sports clubs (19%) levels, as well as improved communication regarding existing initiatives and legal aspects (53.7% and 47.1%, respectively). The study also identified parents (98.3%), coaches (86%), and siblings (60.3%) as important sources of support for student-athletes at personal, sports, and university levels.

Conclusions: In conclusion, to enhance the potential of future student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo, relevant stakeholders in sports and higher education should collaborate closely and implement programs and services based on international best practices for dual-career support.

Introduction

In the pursuit of their holistic development, talented and elite athletes must balance their athletic and educational endeavors, commonly known as the “dual career” ( 1 ). The combination of elite sport and education is particularly challenging ( 2 ), yet crucial in preparing and empowering student-athletes for their future societal roles after their competitive sport career has ended ( 3 , 4 ). In recognizing that an elite athletic career is temporary and not all athletes can generate and capitalize sufficient income for their life course, pursuing education and acquiring professional skills will help them establish long-term career prospects, even though demanding training sessions, traveling to competitions, and engaging in various sports events puts athletes at a distinct educational disadvantage compared to their non-athletic counterparts ( 1 , 5 ). These challenges have a relevant impact not only on the athlete's family and peer relationships but also on the academic paths, resulting in reduced interactions with professors/teachers, classmates, and peers, missed classes and exams, physical and psychological fatigue, and identity-related issues ( 6 – 11 ).

A dual career is affected by the athletes’ age, gender, motivation, sport, competitive level, university level, and academic majors, by their proximal (e.g., parents, peers, educators, coaches, and sport managers) and distal (e.g., sports clubs and federations, educational institutions) entourage, by the regional, national, and international dual career policies, and by various socio-cultural, media, and economic factors ( 7 , 12 , 13 ). Therefore, the quality of dual career support relies on the collaboration among multiple stakeholders, the implementation of dual career programmes and policies, a well-structured systematic monitoring system ( 7 , 14 , 15 ).

Primarily due to the influence of country-specific cultural and organizational regulations within the domains of sports and education, significant dual career disparities exist worldwide in the prerequisites and criteria for flexible academic paths, financial support, service-based assistance, and individualized agreements ( 7 , 14 , 16 – 22 ). Following the publication of the White paper on sports and the EU Guidelines on Dual Careers of Athletes, the European Commission endorsed the recommendation of Minimum Requirements for Dual Career Services and financed several collaborative partnerships under the ERASMUS+ programme ( 1 , 14 , 23 , 24 ), which contributed to the development of a European dual career discourse in relation to socio-cultural context ( 25 , 26 ), athlete's identity ( 27 ), competences ( 28 ), motivation of student-athletes towards sport and education ( 29 – 31 ), and career development and transitions of athletes ( 32 , 33 ).

Despite the European recognition and the growing awareness and of the importance of dual career support for athletes, there is a limited information regarding the national standards of support and the conditions provided to student-athletes in non-European Member States. To build more cohesive communities and to support capacity building in sport activities and policies beyond Member States, recently the European Commission included in the ERASMUS+ agenda the Western Balkan area as third countries not associated to the Programme ( 34 ). In particular, the Republic of Kosovo was established in 2008 and is a multiethnic (92.9% Albanian, 1.6% Bosnian, 1.5% Serbian, 1.1% Turkish and 2.3% Roma, Ashkali, Egiptian and Gorani) country with >1.660.000 residents with an average age of 31.4 years ( 35 ). The Kosovo Olympic Committee organizes sports, with 35 registered sports federations (867 sports clubs) involving around 81,000 athletes (83% males, 17% females), and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has a limited budget for adopting programme policies according to priorities in the advancement of school, competitive, and infrastructural sports ( 36 ). At educational level, a high number of students (around 8% of the population), is enrolled in higher education institutions (8 public, 24 private), which align their education structures to the European Bologna Process to enhance the internationalization and competitiveness of the future labor force ( 37 ). However, it is necessary to ascertain the challenges that Kosovan athletes face in combining sports and education.

To ascertain the extent and consistency of dual career support of Kosovar student-athletes, the primary aim of this study was to acquire comprehensive data regarding various aspects, encompassing their: (a) socio-demographic characteristics; (b) level of involvement in sports and academics, as well as the awareness of national dual career legislation; and (c) personal, sports, and academic networks. It has been hypothesized that sport and academic engagement of Kosovar student-athletes might be influenced by the type of practiced sport as well as their academic major.

Materials and methods

This study obtained the approval (Nr. 11796/45, date 05.10.2023). From the Institutional Review Board of the University for Business and Technology (Pristina, Kosovo). To meet the inclusion criteria for participation, individuals had to be currently enrolled in a university program (regardless of major) and involved in competitive sports at the national and/or international level. Before accessing the survey, respondents provided a written informed consent.

The instrument

This cross-sectional study surveyed student-athletes using an online self-administered questionnaire (Google forms®). The survey was a modified version of the survey previously used by Condello et al. ( 19 ). The modifications broadened the scope of the previous survey from the university to the national level. To guarantee an equivalent translation of the original questions into Albanian language, the translation and back translation method was employed ( 10 , 38 ) and changes to the survey were approved by the research group which consisted of renowned dual career experts in the field. To ensure clarity and flow, the survey was piloted and was revised based on the critical feedback of five student-athletes. Ultimately, an online survey consisting of 30 item questions was constructed, aiming to capture information regarding the major themes related to the dual career athletes such as: Socio-demographic characteristics including sex, age, university major, university level, typology of sport, competition level, previous experience at international sport events (Q1–7); sport and university engagement (Q8–12) consisting of questions related to time dedicated to sport, time needed to transfer from living site to training facilities, time dedicated to university, time needed to transfer from university site to training facilities, and challenges faced in combining sport and education; student-athletes' familiarity and awareness of dual career policies, programmes, initiatives, and available dual career documents and their sources (Q13–18); and dual career support entourage at their sport, academic and personal levels (Q19–30). Questions were closed-ended, with participants given the opportunity to provide additional elaboration as appropriate.

Recruitment

Due to the lack of pre-existing student-athletes database, the first phase was to identify the student-athletes. Initially, the researchers contacted the public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Kosovo to explain the purpose of the study, and asked them to identify the student athletes in their HEIs. To increase participation, various sports clubs were also approached and informed about the study's objectives and significance. After the identification of student athletes at the HEIs and sport clubs, an email was sent to the representatives of the HEIs and sports clubs, containing detailed information about the study and a link to the survey. These representatives were asked to distribute the email to the target population of student-athletes through official communication channels. Additionally, social media and personal contacts with student-athletes were utilized to encourage maximum participation. Ultimately, the survey was distributed to 450 student-athletes of different study majors (Bachelor, Masters, and PhD) and sports, out of which 121 responded to the survey. It was emphasized that participation in the study was voluntary, and that student-athletes could withdraw at any time without providing a specific reason. To improve response rates, two reminders were planned, with a two-week interval between them. Furthermore, electronic measures were implemented to ensure that only one response could be submitted per computer, preventing multiple responses from the same individual.

Data reduction

From the online survey, data extracted to a spreadsheet (Microsoft® Excel for Windows) were organized by the respondents' age, university major, and sport typology. Furthermore, only completed questionnaires were taken into consideration for further analysis. According to the literature ( 19 ), age (Q2) categories were 18–22, 23–27, and >27 years. Following the guidelines of the European Research Council ( 39 ), the university major (Q3) was classified into three broad categories: Social Sciences and Humanities (e.g., Business and Administration, Environmental Sciences, Finances, Foreign Languages, Law, and Psychological Sciences), Physical Sciences and Engineering (e.g., Computer Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Integrated Design, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics), and Life Sciences (e.g., Medicine, and Sport Sciences/Physical Education and Sport). The sport typology (Q5) was dichotomized into team sports (e.g., basketball, football, futsal, volleyball, handball) and individual sports (e.g., artistic gymnastics, athletics, combat sports, skiing, table tennis, triathlon).

Statistical analysis

Statistical analyzes were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 28.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago Illinois), with a level of significance set at p  < 0.05. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze the frequency of occurrence for survey questions. The responses (singular or multiple) were expressed in absolute values or percentages. For questions Q8–11, participants were presented the opportunity to provide their own values. Subsequently, the frequency of occurrence, expressed in absolute values or percentages, was computed. Specifically, this analysis considered three classes of occurrence for the time dedicated to engagement in sport and university (<11, 11–20, and >20 h). Additionally, four classes of occurrence were used to assess the time required to travel from home and university to the training venue (e.g., <30, 31–60, 61–90, and >90 min). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to verify the normality of data distribution for data from Q8–11. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the effect of independent variable (university major) on dependent variables (e.g., sport and university engagement, transfer time from home and university to training venue) with Bonferroni as post-hoc test to determine differences between groups. Additionally, the Independent Samples T -test was used to test the effect of sport typology (independent variables) on sport and university engagement (hr·week −1 ) and time (min . way −1 ) needed to travel from home and university to the training venue (dependent variables).

Demographic characteristics (Q1–7)

A total number of 121 student-athletes participated in the current study (males: n  = 77, 63.6%; females: n  = 44, 36.4%). Student-athletes were grouped in 6 groups based on their competitive level ( Figure 1 ). Participants engaged in 13 different sport disciplines, with 59.5% of student-athletes competing at the professional and Super league levels. Compared to the individual sports ( n  = 19, 15.7%), the majority of respondents competed in team sports ( n  = 102, 84.3%), with football players being most represented ( n  = 66, 54.5%). 51.24% of student-athletes competed at international level, including Winter Olympic Games ( n  = 2), World Championships ( n  = 7); World Cups ( n  = 3); European Championships ( n  = 39); Balkan Championships ( n  = 25) and other international competitions ( n  = 38), whereas, no student-athletes participated in the Universiade.

Figure 1 . Frequency of occurrence ( n ) of respondents based on the sport level.

The majority of respondents were in the 18–22 years category ( n  = 88, 72.7%), whereas those included in the older categories (23–27 years and >27 years were 23.1% ( n  = 28) and 4.1% ( n  = 5), respectively. Regarding the education level, 90% ( n  = 109) of athletes were enrolled at bachelor level and 9.9% ( n  = 12), at the master's level. For the university major, the highest number of respondents was from Life Sciences ( n  = 88, 72.7%), followed by Physical Sciences ( n  = 21, 17.4%) and Engineering and Social Sciences and Humanities ( n  = 12, 9.9%), respectively. Participants represented 13 different majors, with the majority of them ( n  = 83, 68.6%) being enrolled in Sport Science degrees ( Figure 2 ).

Figure 2 . Frequency of occurrence ( n ) based on their university major.

Sport and university engagement (Q8–12)

For sport typology, no significant differences between individual and team sports emerged with respect to academic engagement, sport engagement, and the time required from the university to the training venue ( Figures 3A,B ). A significant difference ( p  = 0.019) was found between team and individual sport student-athletes for the time needed to transfer from home to the training venue ( Figure 3B ). Moreover, a significant effect ( p  < 0.05) emerged for the university major on the time devoted to sport, with the Bonferroni post-hoc test revealing that student-athletes belonging to the Life Sciences university major spend more time (15.91 ± 4.4 h·week −1 ) compared to their Social Sciences and Humanities (12.42 ± 4.6 h·week −1 ) counterparts ( Figure 3C ).

Figure 3 . Mean and standard deviation of weekly engagement in sport and university (hours/week), and time required to transfer from home and university to training venue (minutes/each way) in relation to sport typology panel ( A,B ), and university major panel ( C,D ). *Team sport student-athletes significantly differ ( p  = 0.019) from individual sports student-athletes in terms of time needed to transfer from home to training venue. #Life Science student-athletes spend significantly more time ( p  < 0.05) in sport compared to student-athletes from the Social Sciences and Humanities major.

Regarding the sport engagement, around 75% of respondents reported that they devote 11–20 h·week −1 , whereas 14.9% and 10.7% declared to be engaged <11 h·week −1 and >20 h·week −1 , respectively. Only 14% of student-athletes reported to be engaged at university >20 h·week −1 , whereas 42.1% and 43.8% declaring an engagement of <11 h·week −1 and 11–20 h·week −1 , respectively. Moreover, most of the student-athletes (88.4%) need <30 min to reach their training venue from home, whereas 9.9% and 1.7% spend 30–60 min and 61–90 min, respectively. Regarding the time needed to transfer from university to the training venue, 41.3% reported to need <30 min, whereas 43.8% and 14.9% declared 30–60 min and 60–90 min, respectively.

Several challenges in combining sport and education emerged, with the most prevalent being limited leisure time (62.8%), overload (60.3%), prolonged missed classes (59.6%) and absences from single classes (53.7%), missing tests and exams (35.5%), financial uncertainty (35.5%), missing training sessions due to university duties (34.7%) and extended academic path duration (21.5%).

Student-athletes' familiarity and awareness of dual career policies, programs, initiatives, and documents availability (Q13–18)

Most of the respondents (89.3%) indicated a lack of familiarity with policies, programmes, or measures designed to facilitate the combination of elite sports and academic careers. Figures 4A–C show that respondents are generally unaware of dual career policies or initiatives (87.6%), documents outlining dual career policies (81.8%), and possible sources of information (66.1%), with internet considered a viable means of communication (33.9%). Dual-career policies ware considered an issue for university (16.5%), sport (9.9%) and governing bodies (13.2%), with the main responsibility attributed to the educational (37.2%), sport (24.8%) and government (5.8%) domains. Specifically, the regulation of the integration of elite sports and academic studies is deemed pertinent at university (41.3%) and sport federation (16.5%) levels. Regarding the involvement of public authorities in dual career policies, emphasis was placed on the national level, with 24% of respondents recognizing its significance. However, most of the respondents (76%) demonstrated a lack of awareness regarding public authorities engaged in dual career policies. Regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of dual career policies, 43.8% of the student-athletes ignored them, whereas 26.4% stated that there is a lack of an established evaluation system, and the rest of respondents highlighting both sport and academic achievements 15.7%, only sport achievements 12.4%, and only academic achievements 3.3%, as possible means of dual-career monitoring.

Figure 4 . Frequency of occurrence ( n , %) ( A ) of student-athletes stating to be (e.g., yes) or to be not (e.g., no) familiar with policies, programs or measures that facilitate the combination of elite sport and studies; ( B ) to be (e.g., yes) or to be not (e.g., no and do not know) aware of dual career policies and initiatives, and ( C ) to be (e.g., yes) or to be not (e.g., no and do not know) aware of the availability of policy documents in the field of dual career in the Republic of Kosovo.

Dual career support at personal, sport and academic levels (Q19–30)

Whilst most of the student-athletes (60.3%) indicated to receive some form of support, 39.7% reported no support. Among those receiving support, educational flexibility (33.9%) was the most frequent, followed by financial assistance (16.5%) and access to sport facilities at or near the university (9.9%). Interestingly, no tutoring was available either at the university or at the sport level. Recommendations for a relevant improvement of dual career support services regarded the enhancements of financial support (66.1%), sport facilities at or near the university (48.8%), educational flexibility (26.4%), tutoring services at the university (25.6%) and sport club (19%), and better communication of existing initiatives (53.7%) and legal aspects (47.1%).

Student-athletes perceived that the majority of athletes follow a dual-career path by being engaged in sport and in higher education, with frequencies of occurrence falling within the categories of <20%, 21%–40%, 41%–60%, and 61%–80% at rates of 14%, 28.1%, 30.6%, and 19%, respectively. Moreover, 34.7% of the participants indicated a lack of awareness regarding the specific number of student-athletes benefiting from dual career support. To note, the highest estimations were associated with the frequency categories of <20%, 21%–40%, and 41–60. Whilst 9.9% of student-athletes conveyed a lack of support, 72.77% of remaining sample reported a support at the sport level and 34.71% at the academic level. At the university level, the most frequently reported forms of support included career counselling, medical support, physiotherapy and sleeping facilities. However, there was limited availability of sport facilities at/close to the university, dual career tutoring, nutritional and psychological support. In fact, 32.2% of student-athletes reported no sport at the university level whatsoever. In the sport domain, support was mainly related to sport performance, including coaching, medical support, physiotherapy, and access to sports facilities, with sports nutrition and psychological aspects reported only by 3.3% and 5.8% of respondents, respectively. Conversely, sport support did not include provision of study rooms, career counseling, and tutoring for dual career. In general, the student-athletes identified relevant dual career support entourage at the personal, sport, and university levels ( Table 1 ). The highest frequencies of occurrence were attributed to parents (98.3%), coaches (86%), siblings (60.3%), teachers (41.3%), friends (36.4%), sport teammates (33.9%), academic staff (24%), and classmates (18.2%). In addition, university sport staff, and parent's support were reported also at the university level (10.7%, 9.9%, respectively). Although limited (2.5%), National Olympic Committee support at the university level could represent an example of integration of dual-career.

Table 1 . Frequency of occurrence (%) of dual career supporters at personal, sport, and academic entourage levels.

In gathering information on the dual-career phenomenon through the eyes of student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo, the main findings of the present study revealed: (a) no significant differences between individual and team sports concerning university engagement, sport engagement, and the time required to transfer from the university to the training venue; (b) significant differences between team and individual sport student-athletes on the time needed to transfer from home to the training site; (c) university major playing a significant role on the time spent in sport; (d) relatively low knowledge of dual-career policies, programmes, measures, initiatives and availability of policy documents that facilitate the combination of elite sport and studies paths. Beside the individual support provided by parents, coaches and some teachers, student-athletes urged dual career improvements at the sports, academic, and policy domains.

To meet the requirements and achieve success in both sports and academic domains, student-athletes face a simultaneous burden. Compared to the international student-athletes participating in the Universiade ( 19 ), Kosovar student-athletes spend less time in their dual career commitments, but more time in transferring from home or university site to training facilities. In considering that Kosovo is a small country, these findings substantiate the disconnection of the nation's sporting infrastructure and emphasize the importance of having sports facilities at, or near, the university. Differently from countries where sport is traditionally embedded in the educational system (e.g., USA) or a relevant part of the academic culture (e.g., UK, Australia, Canada), in Kosovo sport and education are quite separated, despite at state level the Department of Sport is located within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. In the aftermath of the war in Kosovo a systematic development of infrastructure and essential public services is still needed. The possibility to build school and university sports facilities could help future generations of youth being involved in sport and talented athletes achieving elite sport levels without the burden of long transfers ( 40 , 41 ). The impacts of sport infrastructures at the academic institutions is not only at the everyday level of student-athletes but can influence the larger political and societal levels putting an emphasis on education in and through sports and promoting a dual career culture, norms and principles, as well as a cooperation between academic institutions and sports bodies.

Differently from a lack of significant effects of university major on the time spent in sports reported for international athletes ( 19 ), the present study substantiates the hypothesis that involvement in sports influences the athletes' choice of a university major ( 42 ). Specifically, when compared to their counterparts enrolled in Social Sciences and Humanities degrees, Kosovar student-athletes pursuing Life Sciences degrees dedicate more time to sports, probably due to their interest in Sports Sciences to deepen their knowledge beyond the sport practice to pursue future careers in the sport sector ( 43 , 44 ).These valuable insights could foster the development of tailored programmes and initiatives that are suitable for specific contexts, sport disciplines, and educational environments ( 45 ).

Despite student-athletes should be familiar with existing dual-career policies, initiatives, and opportunities, they tend to disregard the existing legislative framework ( 19 ). Also in this study, student-athletes were unaware of European dual-career documents and their availability, indicating that sports bodies and educational institutions have to inform athletes of their rights to pursue a dual career for their holistic development. In fact, student-athletes were concerned with a lack of financial assistance, educational flexibility, adequate sport facilities at or near the university, and availability of academic and sport tutors. Conversely, many respondents reported receiving medical and physiotherapy support from the university, which is provided free of charge to all students, including student-athletes, by the National Center of Sports Medicine. At sports level, student-athletes declared a support only pertaining coaching and sports facilities, which are fundamental requisites for their athletic development. These findings indicate that dual career at educational institutions and sports bodies needs to be implemented, although the recent enforcement of the law for the development of national sports includes provisions for supporting student-athletes in terms of educational expenses ( 46 ). Additionally, the National Olympic Committee annually provides symbolic scholarships, known as Olympic Hopes, to a limited number of student-athletes. Actually, this support is not sufficient to meet the student-athletes needs of financial aid, flexibility in educational arrangements, available sports infrastructures, academic and sport tutoring, enhancement of legislation, and better communication of existing dual-career programmes and initiatives. Whilst a financial support is considered especially relevant in non-revenue-generating sports to pursue dual-career paths in a developing country like the Republic of Kosovo, the provision of tutors for student-athletes has been identified as a highly relevant and feasible dual career service ( 47 ). One positive aspect highlighted by student-athletes is the support they receive from university career centers, which need. In the Republic of Kosovo, all HEIs have their career centers that guide and advise students on career paths, but not specifically for student-athletes. As the literature emphasizes, these career centers should have trained and qualified personnel for dual career counseling ( 48 ), an area that requires improvement in the Republic of Kosovo.

It general, student-athletes naturally organize their lifestyle in relation to their sport commitment ( 26 , 49 , 50 ). This phenomenon has also been observed in the present study, where a significant number of student-athletes reported missing lectures and spending more time on their sports activities. Conversely, there are instances when student-athletes prioritize their academic pursuits and consequently have to sacrifice training sessions. Therefore, to optimize the effectiveness of the training-study schedule for the success of dual career paths, it is recommended to provide training centers within, or in closer proximity to, universities ( 51 ). This is particularly relevant for individual sport athletes, as team sport athletes are required to train with their teammates. Additionally, in such cases, the provision of study spaces, tutoring services at the club, and accommodations for sleeping should be considered. These initiatives would enhance the efficiency of the training-study schedule, which is vital for the successful pursuit of dual career paths ( 51 ).

Sport parenting is widely recognized for its significant impact on both sports and academics for children ( 52 ). Constructive emotional, financial, and social support from parents, along with encouragement, is crucial for motivating and achieving success for student-athletes in balancing sports and education. Conversely, negative parental attitudes can be detrimental to student-athletes, potentially leading to psychosocial challenges and dropout from sports or academics ( 53 – 55 ). In this study, participants emphasized the important role parents play in academic education, which aligns with the perceptions of student-athletes worldwide ( 19 ). In recognizing that the dual-career culture can benefit from a deep knowledge of the needs of parents as relevant dual-career actors, several researchers engaged in a participatory and a user-centered design approach for the development and validation of the online multilingual EMPATIA educational programme ( https://edu.empatiasport.eu/eng/ ) tailored for parents of talented and elite athletes ( 9 , 10 , 56 – 58 ). In empowering the parents, it could be possible to manage difficult conversations and conflicts, and to envisage good and regular parents-athlete-teacher/coach communication, which is crucial to facilitate a successful dual-career alliance.

Coaches are also recognized as influential figures in shaping student-athletes, both within and beyond sports ( 59 ), as well as mentors and supporters in dual career pursuits ( 60 ). In the developmental years of athletes, coaches' mentorship role goes beyond the mastery of sport-specific skills and becomes crucial to encourage education, balanced timetables, tiredness, goal settings, and personal development for post-sporting careers ( 19 , 49 , 61 – 63 ). Therefore, sports federations need to include dual career courses in the educational and professional development programs for coaches and sports personnel. These individuals have expertise in sport-specific requirements and can assist student-athletes in managing their academic responsibilities ( 64 ).

Additionally, university sports staff and professors should be aware of the challenges faced by student-athletes and be ready to reassess their roles as facilitators in effective lifelong learning. Consequently, the recruitment of dedicated personnel as formal dual-career tutors at both the sporting and educational levels is recommended. These tutors would guide student-athletes, coaches, and professors by offering advice on personalized whole-life development plans and monitoring progress ( 14 , 48 ). In this respect, the online European Dual Career Toolkit ( https://starting11.eu ) could assists institutions in sport, education and the labor market in implementing effective dual career services for athletes. Furthermore, to organize a dual career process based on objectives, content, control, and evaluation systems, HEI decision-makers, rectors, and sport faculties could consider the methodological approach and the summarized experiences of the European More Than Gold Guidelines and Manual ( 65 , 66 ).

Overall, the present exploratory study on the Kosovar student-athletes' perception of their dual career challenges resulted in line with the quest for implementation of dual career policies and provisions reported for different European Member States ( 56 ). In considering the infancy level of its dual career, the present findings set the foundation for the development of the dual career in the Republic of Kosovo. To build impactful and sustainable development of dual career policies and provisions, the Republic of Kosovo could profit from the accumulated valuable knowledge and experiences of the European dual career discourse. Looking ahead, dual career in the Republic of Kosovo could be shaped in three medium- and long-term interrelated factors. First, the recognition of the athletes' right of a holistic development and the crucial importance of student-athletes as prepared future actors of the society, being also role models for the next generations. Second, the need of a substantial alliance between the sport and academic environments for building dual career agreements, regulations, and infrastructures for implementing and administrating dual career services. Third, the need to educate dual career actors (e.g., parents, coaches, teachers, sports managers, teachers, and academic staff) to build a strong supportive entourage for empowering athletes to pursue their dual careers.

The current study has some limitations which are worth highlighting. First, it should be acknowledged that the response rate for this study was relatively low. Furthermore, the uneven recruitment of student-athletes across sport typologies, and university majors could potentially constrain the generalizability of the research findings. However, to attain a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between education and sports, it is imperative to conduct extensive research involving a larger sample size of student-athletes with diverse backgrounds in terms of both study majors and types of sports.

Conclusions

Based on the findings of the current results, it can be concluded that the establishment of the minimum standard of dual career services at national level is highly recommended in the Republic of Kosovo. Additionally, responsible bodies are encouraged to offer specific educational programs for dual career service providers at academic and sport levels, including parents, coaches and university staff, who play a strong supporting role in the pursue of dual career by student-athletes. Furthermore, it is essential to the success of the student-athlete, that academic institutions and sports organizations, such as sport clubs, to collaborate closely to create a supportive environment for student-athletes. This collaboration should involve the implementation of specific accommodations, such as flexible academic and sports timetables, online learning opportunities, tutoring services, studying spaces at the club, and support for student welfare. The implementation of these measures is critical in helping student-athletes manage their time effectively and overcome challenges related to balancing their dual career paths ( 7 , 14 ). Moreover, seeing the lack of awareness the student-athletes have regarding their dual career rights, policies, programs, services, financial resources, and logistic support in place, dual-career stakeholders are strongly encouraged to use the right promotion means to inform student-athletes regarding these aspects.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by Scientific Ethics Committee at UBT College. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study. Written informed consent was obtained from the individual(s) for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.

Author contributions

MG: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. KF: Data curation, Methodology, Project administration, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AnT: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AbT: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. LC: Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Department of Sport, Republic of Kosovo (3237/2023-35).

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Higher Education Institutions and sport clubs who helped and collaborated in the recruitment process. Special gratitude goes to all student-athletes who voluntarily participated in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Publisher's note

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Keywords: sport and education, dual career, support entourage, policies, programs

Citation: Gjaka M, Feka K, Tessitore A, Thomas A and Capranica L (2024) Dual career through the eyes of university student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo. Front. Sports Act. Living 6:1403526. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1403526

Received: 19 March 2024; Accepted: 3 May 2024; Published: 14 May 2024.

Reviewed by:

© 2024 Gjaka, Feka, Tessitore, Thomas and Capranica. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Kaltrina Feka, [email protected]

This article is part of the Research Topic

Multidimensional development of student-athletes: new perspectives on dual-career