What to Expect
Students in recreation or leisure management learn to plan and manage all
kinds of recreation programs and services. There are a lot of different directions
you can go with a degree in recreation management.
Sharon Legacy attended both the University of Maine and Brock University
in Ontario, Canada. She started her own business in the outdoor recreation
field.
"Attend a school with a reputation for having an excellent recreation
program," advises Legacy. "You're more likely to have professors who are
'somebody' in the industry."
What she liked best about her program was the variety of courses that could
be taken in the field of recreation. A lot of the courses were focused
on learning by doing rather than learning from a book.
Peter Godwin studied recreation. His typical day included going to class
and working on papers. "You need to be prepared to work hard. There
are a lot of papers to write for the outdoor rec. courses."
He enjoyed the variety of experiences and options available to outdoor
recreation students. "It isn't just a degree in camping by any stretch of
the imagination. The variety of options available to graduates are phenomenal,"
says Godwin.
A degree in recreation management is not all fun and games. There is
a lot of studying and homework. Chris Conway attended Central Michigan
University. He recommends setting aside a minimum of two hours per day of
studying time.
Jacqueline Harrison agrees. "The workload is very time-consuming and requires
a lot of hours." She says she could spend four to five hours a night keeping
up with her assignments.
How to Prepare
Get involved at the school and in the community while pursuing your diploma
or degree. Group work and team building are important parts of all programs.
"Having experience through work or volunteering is definitely an asset,"
says Harrison.
The biggest struggle for all the students seems to be having enough time
for everything. Legacy thinks the most difficult challenge is time management.
But even with the time constraints, she feels that students should be working
in the community in the recreation field, or at least volunteering and obtaining
as many certifications as they can. This way, they can better compete with
other students for jobs.