When I met my agent in Korea they said there were two options for Foundation – firstly to do it at a university and secondly at a private college, like Kings. They said that I might get more personal attention somewhere like Kings, and I did – Adam, my course director, always helped me a lot.

We recently met up with former Kings Oxford student Siwon Choi at his university campus. Siwon won a coveted place to study Sports Management at Loughborough, one of the highest ranked UK universities and a world-renowned centre for sports-related study.

Hi Siwon. What degree course are you doing here at Loughborough?
I’m doing Sports Management.

Loughborough is a great university, you must be very happy to be here!
Yes!

Did you always know that you wanted to do this degree?
No, when I first came to the UK my parents wanted me to do something like Business and Management, but when I applied through UCAS I found some Sports Management degrees and I realised I really wanted to do this. 

Loughborough has an excellent ranking and reputation for sports-related degrees so this must be one of the best universities to do a course like this…
Yes, I think so. 

And you’re enjoying it so far? Is it what you expected?
Yes, I am and yes, it’s different to what I expected! It’s actually less intensive than the Foundation at the moment! I’m living in a residence here and my flatmates are really kind. They are all British apart from me.

Tell me a bit about your course…what modules are you doing currently?
In Semester One we studied sports industries and the leisure market with some economics analysis, but now we are doing more specific things like Olympic studies and sports enterprise.

Are you able to do sports in your free time here?
Yes, there are lots of pitches to use and it’s never crowded.

Has football always been a hobby?
Yes, I used to play twice a week at Kings – it was a bit tight but I always managed it, I love it! 

Do you have a specific job in mind?
I just want to work for a football club in Korea, even though I will graduate in the UK. Lots of people say there will be more job opportunities in Europe, especially in the UK, but I want to work for my local club.

Am I right that the next winter Olympics will be in South Korea?
Yes, in 2018 they’ll be in Pyeongchang. I will probably go to do my military service that year though!

What was it that made you want to do the Foundation, and why did you choose Kings?
When I met my agent in Korea they said there were two options for Foundation – firstly to do it at a university and secondly at a private college, like Kings. They said that I might get more personal attention somewhere like Kings, and I did – Adam, my course director, always helped me a lot.

What modules did you do on the foundation?
I chose Maths, Geography and Business.

Did you have a favourite?
Well maths was quite easy for me as I’d done it all before in Korea! It really helped with my overall score, which was 79%.

What advice would you give to other students considering doing the Kings Foundation?
Lots of agents will tell you that it’s very intense, but if you manage your time well you can play and study effectively! Kings is a really nice place to study.